The BioMS project joins five European universities to create a new international Joint Master’s programme in Biodiversity. The ongoing climate change and the increasing human impact on the environment has made biodiversity research one of the global priorities. Combatting the loss in biodiversity and developing plans to prevent the degradation of ecosystems requires international and interdisciplinary efforts. Understanding trends and drivers of biodiversity shifts, developing efficient monitoring tools and implementing appropriate conservation measures needs easy access to high quality biodiversity data, and skills in big data analysis and modeling. Currently, the efficiency of biodiversity conservation is tethered due, in part, to a shortage of experts in specific disciplines with relevant analytical skills for biodiversity data integration and analysis. Also, topics on biodiversity and informatics are rarely taught together in undergraduate programmes, creating the need to complement these two major disciplines at the graduate level. BioMS aims to bring together competencies in studying biodiversity in space and over time with modern digital skills needed for big data integration, analysis and modeling. To do so, we plan to develop the students’ research skills through project design and hands-on lab and field experience, enabling them to contribute to the advancement of biodiversity studies, as well as encouraging international scientific collaboration, and promoting a diverse and global perspective. We aim to educate biodiversity researchers and future policymakers on common biodiversity monitoring standards and using modern tools beyond the national borders. Five leading European universities: (the University of Warsaw, the University of Copenhagen, Charles University Prague, the University of Milan, and the University of Geneva) are committed to jointly carry this vision forward by combining their various strengths in high quality research on biodiversity.
The BioMS project joins five European universities to create a new international Joint Master’s programme in Biodiversity. The ongoing climate change and the increasing human impact on the environment has made biodiversity research one of the global priorities. Combatting the loss in biodiversity and developing plans to prevent the degradation of ecosystems requires international and interdisciplinary efforts. Understanding trends and drivers of biodiversity shifts, developing efficient monitoring tools and implementing appropriate conservation measures needs easy access to high quality biodiversity data, and skills in big data analysis and modeling. Currently, the efficiency of biodiversity conservation is tethered due, in part, to a shortage of experts in specific disciplines with relevant analytical skills for biodiversity data integration and analysis. Also, topics on biodiversity and informatics are rarely taught together in undergraduate programmes, creating the need to complement these two major disciplines at the graduate level. BioMS aims to bring together competencies in studying biodiversity in space and over time with modern digital skills needed for big data integration, analysis and modeling. To do so, we plan to develop the students’ research skills through project design and hands-on lab and field experience, enabling them to contribute to the advancement of biodiversity studies, as well as encouraging international scientific collaboration, and promoting a diverse and global perspective. We aim to educate biodiversity researchers and future policymakers on common biodiversity monitoring standards and using modern tools beyond the national borders. Five leading European universities: (the University of Warsaw, the University of Copenhagen, Charles University Prague, the University of Milan, and the University of Geneva) are committed to jointly carry this vision forward by combining their various strengths in high quality research on biodiversity.