Professional Masters: improving communication between environmental sciences and decision-making Fabio Rubio Scarano Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro CAPES / Coordination for Ecology and Environment

CAPES Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (1951) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (1951) “...ensure the existence of specialized personnel, in sufficient quantity and quality, in order to attend to the needs of public and private enterprises that aim at developing the country.” “...ensure the existence of specialized personnel, in sufficient quantity and quality, in order to attend to the needs of public and private enterprises that aim at developing the country.”

however... Destiny of graduates during the 1990’s (%) (source: PNPD) ActivityMD Public administration Public/private companies Universities Research institutes Consultancy Others

Professional Masters Not funded by the Ministry of Education, but by clients. Not funded by the Ministry of Education, but by clients. Degree is equivalent to the Academic Masters. Degree is equivalent to the Academic Masters. Professional Master is not expected to become a scientist, but to understand science and to apply it to his/her professional activity solving problems. Professional Master is not expected to become a scientist, but to understand science and to apply it to his/her professional activity solving problems. Final work: not necessarily a dissertation. Immediately applied products are preferable. Final work: not necessarily a dissertation. Immediately applied products are preferable.

*1951: CAPES *1976: 4 courses *1986: 7 *1994: Ecologia se torna área *1996: 14 *2007: 35 (22 D) IPÊ (our 1st PM starts!!!) Graduate training in Ecology

Growth of Ecology

Why?

Number of citations – ISI (07/03/2007) source: Essential Science Indicators Country/fieldRanking BRASIL23 1. Microbiology Physics; Immunology; Neurosciences & behaviour Neurosciences & behaviour19 5. Ecology and Environment; Plant and Animal Sciences; Pharmacology and Animal Sciences; Pharmacology and Toxicology; Agriculture; Maths and Toxicology; Agriculture; Maths Geosciences; Space sciences Chemistry; Engineering; Materials Medicine; Gen. Mol. Bio, Social 23

Environmental decision-making 2004: highest rate of deforestation of the Amazon in history; 2004: highest rate of deforestation of the Amazon in history; Pollution of some of the most important continental water bodies, except in the Amazon; Pollution of some of the most important continental water bodies, except in the Amazon; High levels of atmospheric pollution in big cities and industrial zones; High levels of atmospheric pollution in big cities and industrial zones; Lack of good quality value assessment before changes in land use; Lack of good quality value assessment before changes in land use; Control and enforcement is more strict with scientific research than with other activities; Control and enforcement is more strict with scientific research than with other activities; etc., etc., etc. etc., etc., etc.

Professional Masters in Ecology Strategy: Ministry of Environment Ministry of Environment Petrobras (Brazilian Oil Company) Petrobras (Brazilian Oil Company) NGOs (Conservation International) NGOs (Conservation International) Education sector of local governments in northern Rio (oil production zone) Education sector of local governments in northern Rio (oil production zone)Target: 2025: at least one PM in each organ related to the environmental sector (100 PMs per annuum) 2025: at least one PM in each organ related to the environmental sector (100 PMs per annuum)

... and then appears IPÊ Spontaneous, no induction. Spontaneous, no induction. Proposal was originally forwarded to Multidisciplinary coordination at CAPES. Proposal was originally forwarded to Multidisciplinary coordination at CAPES. First graduate course hosted by an NGO in Brazil. First graduate course hosted by an NGO in Brazil. Focus: biodiversity conservation lato sensu. Focus: biodiversity conservation lato sensu. Public so far: diverse, but mostly ex-University students not yet employed. Public so far: diverse, but mostly ex-University students not yet employed.

Symptoms Can we build PM courses out of academic groups? Can we build PM courses out of academic groups? Only by building associations and networks Only by building associations and networks Current homework: Current homework: Instituto Chico Mendes da Biodiversidade Instituto Chico Mendes da Biodiversidade

Instituto Chico Mendes da Biodiversidade – designing a network of MPs Network of 7 PM courses. Network of 7 PM courses. One per each biome. One per each biome. Each course built by the association of Professors and Professionals affiliated to distinct institutions, academics or not. Each course built by the association of Professors and Professionals affiliated to distinct institutions, academics or not. Target: training of ICMBio staff, Ministry of Environment staff, NGO staff, etc Target: training of ICMBio staff, Ministry of Environment staff, NGO staff, etc

Expected products Management plan of conservation units; Management plan of conservation units; Action plan for threatened species; Action plan for threatened species; Software or technologies applied to solving environmental problems; Software or technologies applied to solving environmental problems; Strategy or action related to environmental education, capacity building, citizen science Strategy or action related to environmental education, capacity building, citizen science Etc. Etc.

How to evaluate? Should some products be preferable than others? Should some products be preferable than others? Can we develop some sort of “impact factor” for products and technologies derived from Professional Master courses? Can we develop some sort of “impact factor” for products and technologies derived from Professional Master courses? Can evaluation takes place only a posteriori, i.e., after the PM goes back to his professional activity? Can evaluation takes place only a posteriori, i.e., after the PM goes back to his professional activity?

Workshop in IPÊ next week Participants: 10 people, representing companies (oil, paper, cosmetics), NGOs, government (ME, ICMBio) and academia. Participants: 10 people, representing companies (oil, paper, cosmetics), NGOs, government (ME, ICMBio) and academia. Types of products we expect. Types of products we expect. How to evaluate. How to evaluate.

Some sources (see RBPG vol.4) (see RBPG vol.4) Barbosa et al Environ Monit Assess Barbosa et al Environ Monit Assess Scarano Scientia Agricola. Scarano Scientia Agricola. Rodríguez et al Science. Rodríguez et al Science. Dinerstein, Scarano, others Science. Dinerstein, Scarano, others Science.