About the Program
Course Objectives and Profile of the Professional to be Trained
The Postgraduate Program in Systematics, Use, and Conservation of Biodiversity (PPGSis-UFC) was established in 2018, offering Master’s and Doctoral courses. It was designed to address the increasing demand within CAPES’s Biodiversity area, which previously lacked comprehensive knowledge in the field. This area underwent restructuring at the end of 2011 to include related disciplines from Ecology and the Environment, and Biological Sciences I, encompassing Botany, Biological Oceanography, and Zoology.
As per CAPES’s area document (v. 2017), there are approximately 124 postgraduate programs in the Biodiversity field: 78 offering both Master’s and Doctorate degrees, 40 offering only Master’s degrees, 1 Doctorate program, and 5 Professional Master’s programs. Although there are courses in the Northeast focused on training zoologists and botanists, there is a notable absence of stricto sensu specialization programs in this region that simultaneously address the description (Taxonomy, Systematics, and Evolution) and utilization (Bioprospecting and Conservation) of Biodiversity—two pillars underpinning CAPES’s Biodiversity major area. Recognizing this gap, the Department of Biology at UFC has recently bolstered its faculty with new appointments and has proposed the creation of PPGSis to enhance research in Biodiversity description, use, and conservation.
The infrastructure of research laboratories in the Department of Biology, along with support from the Analytical Center, Labomar, and Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, enhances productivity in this area and contributes to the training of highly qualified professionals capable of describing and sustainably utilizing biotic resources.
The establishment of this postgraduate program, focusing on taxonomy and systematics, fills a void within the state’s academic landscape, complementing existing programs that require such taxonomic expertise. While related courses in Biological Sciences emphasizing natural resource exploration exist in the state, they primarily focus on training personnel to characterize chemical compounds suitable for biotechnological patents. In this context, PPGSis aims to prepare professionals for academia and industry, specializing in Taxonomy, Systematics, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity across research, teaching, advisory, supervisory, and planning roles.
General Objective
PPGSis is housed within UFC’s Department of Biology, affiliated with the Science Center, and aims to educate professionals across diverse fields within Biological Sciences to meet the growing demand for experts in Taxonomy, Systematics, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity across various professional sectors, including research, teaching, advisory, supervision, and planning.
Specific Objectives:
a) Integrate multidisciplinary knowledge in Systematics, Use, and Conservation of Biodiversity, encompassing Taxonomy, Morphology, Systematics, Biogeography, Reproductive Systems, Genetics, and Ethnobiology of Animals, Plants, and Microorganisms.
b) Foster critical and ethical thinking among researchers and professionals regarding the rigor required in intellectual production and its societal responsibilities.
c) Train students to work in a multidisciplinary manner across research, teaching, and specialized fields within their respective areas of expertise.
Graduate Profile:
PPGSis graduates are highly skilled multidisciplinary professionals prepared to work across various domains within Botany, Zoology, and Microbiology. They are proficient in biodiversity description using both traditional and cutting-edge technological approaches for studying living organisms.
Employing diverse methodologies, they are capable of exploring biotic resources responsibly, proposing their sustainable use, and contributing to conservation efforts aimed at preserving biodiversity across animals, plants, and microorganisms at various scales.
These professionals excel in specifying, developing, producing, and managing knowledge and technologies through critical analysis, linking cutting-edge research to regional social and economic demands.
The program’s research lines also prepare graduates to excel in academia, contributing to diverse pedagogical approaches. Above all, PPGSis graduates are versatile researchers who integrate diverse knowledge areas, creatively proposing innovative solutions for the country’s economic and scientific advancement.
