National Exchanges
The faculty and student body of the Graduate Program in Systematics, Animal Taxonomy, and Biodiversity of MZUSP carry out different academic, research, and teaching activities in Brazilian and foreign institutions. The participations in national and international events as guests are numerous, as well as participations in classes and lectures. The program, although still young, has continuously attracted a large number of students from many Brazilian states and, in 2019, had 55 students (29 doctoral degree and 26 master degree students) and 15 graduates. Given the nature of our Program, it is more than expected that both faculty and student body practice interinstitutional exchanges regularly. One of the most striking characteristics of the link between the Graduate Program in Systematics, Animal Taxonomy, and Biodiversity and MZUSP is precisely the intense opportunity for these exchanges. By the very nature of the institution, which has extensive collections, fundamental to the zoologist’s work, there is an intense and permanent flow of visiting researchers (students and professionals) who maintain an academic environment very conducive to interactive activities involving related programs, both in the country and abroad. Proof of this is the great number of researchers from several national institutions that visited the MZUSP, adding 218 different researchers only in 2019 (83 in the Entomology laboratories, 29 in the Invertebrates laboratories, and 106 in the Vertebrates laboratories).
International Exchanges
The course offers teaching associated with high quality research for the training of professionals in the areas of systematics, taxonomy, biodiversity, evolution, and biogeography, usually with additional competence in a particular group of organisms. The course strongly emphasizes the internationalization of its activities. Biological diversity is not limited by national political borders and its study cannot be limited either. In this way, the course attends students both from Brazil and abroad, with rules that seek to enable the participation of the latter with very few obstacles. The training of professionals from other countries is desirable for the creation of lasting international scientific ties and the development of science in general, which greatly benefits the course as it allows the interaction of various scientific cultures, benefiting both Brazilian students and those from other countries.
The program has continuously attracted a large number of students from abroad as well (South Africa, Australia, Cuba, Chile, Colombia, Italy, and Peru), currently counting 47 students and 64 alumni, of which 9 (19%) and 12 (18.75%), respectively, are foreign students. The training of professionals from other countries is desirable for the creation of lasting international scientific ties and the development of science in general, which greatly benefits the course as it allows the interaction of various scientific cultures, benefiting both Brazilian students and those from other countries. Thus, besides the already mentioned intense flow of Brazilian researchers, there is also an important movement of professionals and students from other countries. In 2019 alone, 15 foreign researchers conducted research activities at MZUSP.
