Need for Capacity Building of Papua New Guinean Conservation Biologists
Like most developing nations, higher education institutions in Papua New Guinea lack the resources and expertise to build the human resource needed for biological research and conservation. Papua New Guinea bears complex social and cultural connections between humans and nature, reflected in numerous highly complex land ownership structures which are best understood and utilised by local biologists and social scientists. So far, scientific capacity building in Papua New Guinea has fallen on the hands of few non-government organisations, in particular the Wildlife Conservation Society – Papua New Guinea Program. Since its establishment in 1997, it has conducted annual biological field techniques training courses for university students, and offers a comprehensive one to two-year training program in conservation biology for university graduates in the biological sciences. In the last five years, it has extended participation to government, and other non-governmental organisations. Co-operation and networking among institutions is important in achieving conservation goals; the courses thus offer an opportunity to engage in collaborative work. Within the past five years, Wildlife Conservation Society - Papua New Guinea has successfully placed its staff biologists in post-graduate studies abroad. It is expected that on their return to Papua New Guinea these highly trained biologists will act as catalysts to multiply and enhance the capacity-building work of Wildlife Conservation Society in Papua New Guinea.