Course by Concordia University of Edmonton discussed ecosystems
Photo: personal file
A group of 11 students of the Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) came to PUCRS earlier this month for a course on marine, fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems designed by the Canadian university. The course was headed by Xin Chen, and was intended to give students a global perspective and more experience in environmental issues in the world today.
“Brazil is the country that has the largest biodiversity of flora and fauna on the planet and, because of that, is the right destination for this program”, the CUE professor says. In Chen’s view, the state of Rio Grande do Sul was chosen because of the diversity of terrestrial, fresh water and marine ecosystems connected by a convenient transport system and by the partnership involving CUE and the universities in the state. PUCRS has been partners with the Canadian institution since 2014.
They were welcomed at the Office for International Cooperation of PUCRS and visited the Pró-Mata Center for Research and Conservation of Nature. Students also paid a visit to Gramado and Torres, the Itapuã State Park and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG).
Ecosystems of Rio Grande do Sul
This is the second time the program is offered in Rio Grande do Sul. The director of the Institute for the Environment of PUCRS, Professor Nelson Fontoura, helped the group in planning their schedule. “Fontoura actually joined the program by giving lectures and assisting in the group’s field trips. Our group benefited greatly from his expertise in the areas of Geography, Geo-hydrology, flora and fauna as well as environmental issues”, Chen adds.
In Fontoura’s view, the relevance of international partnerships such as this is justified in the promotion of academic mobility. “We have been able to publish two articles in international journals”, he says.
