Biodiversity Research: Scientific and Cultural Dimensions

0102555Kimmerer在NSF的支持下，纽约州立大学环境科学与林业学院将为来自传统上代表性不足的群体的32名学生提供辅导，研究和社区外展的密集学术经验。该项目的目标是为学生提供一个有意义的独立研究机会，可能会刺激研究生学习和环境生物学职业的追求。该计划旨在让学生接触科学职业机会的范围，并为追求这些机会提供准备和鼓励。该计划明确将多元文化视角纳入研究主题，以增强学术界的跨文化能力。该计划的统一主题是生物多样性保护。通过为期2年的研讨会，实地研究和国际旅行的机会，学生将获得生物多样性科学的概念，技能和职业机会的专业知识。生物多样性研究被联邦和国际机构公认为调查的关键领域。 物种丧失的速度加快，人类对全球生态系统的影响越来越大，因此迫切需要完成保护生物多样性的复杂任务。在世界各地，保护生物学家和政策制定者正在认识到将当地和土著知识纳入保护工作的重要性。因此，跨文化能力成为在全球科学界有效运作的一个重要组成部分。

0102555KimmererWith support from NSF, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry will provide an intensive academic experience of mentoring, research and community outreach to 32 students from traditionally underrepresented groups. The goals of the project are to provide students with a meaningful independent research opportunity that may stimulate pursuit of graduate study and a career in environmental biology. The program is designed to expose students to the range of scientific career opportunities and to offer preparation and encouragement for pursuit of those opportunities. The program explicitly incorporates multicultural perspectives into the research theme in order to enhance cross-cultural competence in the academic community. The unifying theme of the program is Biodiversity Conservation. Through a 2-year sequence of seminars, field research and opportunities for international travel, students will gain expertise in the concepts, skills and career opportunities in the science of biodiversity.Biodiversity research is recognized as a critical area of investigation by federal and international agencies. The accelerating rate of species loss and the increasing impact of humans on global ecosystems provides urgency to the complex task of conserving biodiversity. All over the world, conservation biologists and policy makers are realizing the importance of incorporating local and indigenous knowledge into conservation efforts. Cross-cultural competence thus becomes an important component of functioning effectively in the global scientific community.