Cornell and the Smithsonian Conservation Biodiversity Institute have formed a partnership and are planning on a new doctoral program for wildlife conservation called the Joint Graduate Training Program (JGTP). The PhD candidate will study at both the SCBI as well as Cornell and have a professor from each institute as a mentor. The program will take five years to complete.
The Kinks are Still Being Worked Out…
Due to financial limitations, the degree will only be offered to one candidate at a time. It is run almost exclusively on faculty grants, so the faculty who are funding it must approve each candidate before they are accepted into the program. Also, the JGTP is still being monitored for recurring issues, such as the difficulty in doing research in two separate schools. However the advantages of having the resources of two well-respected institutions will hopefully outweigh the difficulties. Nagashima, the very first participant in the pilot program stated how her two mentors, “[had] slightly different areas of expertise, so [she felt] like [she] learn[ed] twice as much.”
But It is Worth It
The new move, despite its slightly rough beginnings, is an important move as an industrializing world with quickly developing nations, such as India and China, could, without vigilance, loose much of its current biodiversity. It is a smart move considering how awareness of environmental issues is on the rise. It also explores the interdisciplinary limits of the field, hoping to encourage innovation and broaden the candidates’ expertise.
Alex Travis, director of the Cornell Center for Wildlife Conservation and co-founder of JGTP , explains, “Conservation brings up all sorts of questions — questions of disease, reproductive biology, policy, nutrition, and behavior. One could imagine getting a joint degree in any number of conservation-related areas.”
Read more about it here.