NCF joins NCBS to support and partner in the MSc Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation
Nature Conservation Foundation, along with The Habitats Trust, joins NCBS to support and partner in the MSc Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. The unique program is a partnership between academic institutions and conservation NGOs. With a mission to build capacity for the conservation of India’s wildlife and natural ecosystems through high-quality training, the program is now working towards a consortium of partners to deliver and widen its mandate. A one-of-a-kind program in India, it is aimed at producing well-trained wildlife biologists and conservation practitioners who will retain their passion for wild places and a sense of purpose to try and conserve them. Subject experts provide students with a strong foundation in science that will help them design, implement, and monitor a range of ecological studies and conservation projects.
“A diversity of partners will bring a diversity of expertise and conservation viewpoints to bear on the program and enable a wider range of engagements in conservation research and capacity building,” says Dr. Jayashree Ratnam, Director of the program.
To develop the necessary capabilities for excellent work, students learn about wildlife science and conservation through a multi-disciplinary syllabus. They are trained in fundamental ecology, project design skills, and the technical tools required to carry out scientific studies. As future conservationists, they are also exposed to the historical, social, and legal contexts that underlie the conservation process. In addition, they also learn effective communication skills using a variety of media, while independent research work in remote field sites develops problem-solving skills, all key to dealing with real life conservation issues. These skills have certainly come into practice with the latest batch of students (2018-2020), who have been conducting the last leg of their fieldwork and thesis-writing in the midst of the pandemic.
NCF aims to contribute to the knowledge and conservation of India’s unique wildlife heritage with innovative research and imaginative solutions. With more than two decades of work in a range of wildlife habitats—from coral reefs and tropical rainforests to the high mountains of the Himalayas, NCF joins NCBS as a partner in the program, bringing funding and its experienced conservation practitioners to engage in training and capacity building through the program.
"At NCF, we strongly believe that the future of nature in India depends on the next generation of thoughtful and skilled young people who make conservation research and action their life's purpose. Faculty at NCF have been deeply involved in the MSc Program since its inception and we are delighted to now take the next step in joining the partnership of organisations shaping and running the course,” says Dr. TR Shankar Raman, Executive Director, NCF.