Twelve young Mozambicans completed the two-year Master’s in Conservation Biology Program in Gorongosa National Park, which is the world’s only Master’s program run completely in a national park. This third cohort of Master’s students graduated on Friday the 23rd of February in Gorongosa, bringing the total number of graduates from the program to 36 over the last six years.
The Master’s program was developed by the BioEducation Consortium led by Gorongosa National Park with three Mozambican institutions of higher learning (Universidade Zambeze, Universidade Lúrio, and the Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica) in partnership with the University of Lisbon of Portugal. The Master’s program is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), based in the United States and by the Institutional Development Fund.
The Secretary of State of Sofala, Cecília Chamutota, the Rector of UniZambeze, Bettencourt Capece, the Vice-Rector of UniLúrio, Fred Nelson, and Deputy General Director for Scientific and Pedagogical Area of ISPM, Elia Matola, participated in the ceremony. The Administrator of the District of Gorongosa, Pedro Mussengue, members of the BioEducation Consortium, community leaders, friends and family of the students also attended.
The Master’s program provides training in conservation biology, ecology, and environmental management. Students directly apply the knowledge gained in their courses to hands-on research in the park and its sustainable development zone for their Master’s dissertations. Students receive a full scholarship from HHMI.
Graduate Elsa Cândido Caetano represented the students by giving a graduation speech in which the students expressed their gratitude to their teachers and mentors as well as friends and family, who enabled them to spend two years studying in Gorongosa National Park. The students sent a special message to their lecturers saying: ‘Your teaching, advice, and unconditional support were fundamental for our intellectual and personal growth. May each and every one of you know your legacy is not limited to books and classrooms but extends to the lives of those that had the honor of being your students.’
Gorongosa National Park is delighted to congratulate our third group of graduates on their dedication and achievements over the last two years. Like the graduates before them, these new Masters in Conservation
Biology will advance conservation in Mozambique and abroad through work and continued study. All graduates look forward to contributing to conservation in protected areas thoughout Mozambique, sharing Gorongosa’s model of integrated community development and conservation.
We are pleased to announce the fourth cohort of Master’s students will begin their studies on 3 March 2024. The incoming six female and six male students continue to represent all regions of Mozambique.
About the Gorongosa Project and its science education programs
The Gorongosa Project seeks to integrate conservation and human development with the understanding that a healthy ecosystem will benefit humans, who in turn will be motivated to support the objectives of Gorongosa National Park.
Scientific research is an integral part of the long-term plan for the restoration of Gorongosa’s diverse ecosystems, because in-depth ecological knowledge contributes to management decisions. The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory opened in March 2014, positioning Gorongosa as one of the most advanced research centers in Africa. The laboratory attracts national, regional and international researchers. Scientists conducting research in the park come from the Universities Eduardo Mondlane and Lúrio in Mozambique, the Universities of Coimbra and Lisbon in Portugal, the University of Oxford in England, and Harvard and Princeton Universities in the USA as well as many other institutions.
One of the most important roles of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory is to provide training for the next generation of Mozambican scientists via the Park’s BioEducation Program. The laboratory hosts an internship program for youth from the Park’s buffer zone, scientific workshops for university students, and the Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology Program.
For more information about the BioEducation Program or to schedule an interview with someone involved in the program, please contact Vasco Galante by WhatsApp (+258 82 297 0010) or email (vasco@gorongosa.net).
For general information, please visit our website at www.gorongosa.org. You may follow the daily activities of Gorongosa National Park here: https://www.facebook.com/gorongosa/
