About PPG-CiAC
Presentation
Especially since the 21st century, humanity has faced global environmental challenges, such as global warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution, all closely linked to anthropogenic impacts. The negative effects of this situation are reflected in the compromise of ‘One Health’, a concept that integrates the inseparability of the individual and the environment.
It is increasingly evident that understanding and managing these challenges requires unifying diverse fields of knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach, as the complexity and urgency of these issues go beyond singular areas of knowledge. In this context, questions related to the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources are among the most urgent, and their resolution requires dialogue between natural and human sciences.
The Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences and Conservation (PPG-CiAC) develops scientific research aimed at the interdisciplinary education of Master’s (since 2011) and Doctoral (since 2014) students. The work focuses on fundamentally environmental issues in Brazilian and foreign biomes, their interface with society, and the major questions shaping humanity’s future. To this end, PPG-CiAC has physical infrastructure and a qualified faculty and technical team that enable studies ranging from the molecular scale to societal contexts, understanding that the human component and ecosystems are inseparable in the current global scenario.
The curricular activities of PPG-CiAC encourage the involvement of faculty and students in local, regional, and global forums on biodiversity conservation and environmental management. The research lines of PPG-CiAC include the description and recognition of biodiversity at the species, population, community, and ecosystem levels, as well as, understanding the functioning of these compartments to promote management, conservation, and especially the sustainable use of natural environments. At PPG-CiAC, graduate students have the opportunity to take a wide range of courses and develop research that embraces interdisciplinarity as a fundamental principle for understanding and analyzing complex and urgent socio-environmental issues.
