Training

An ambition to transform the university site into a centre of academic excellence

The AIBSI project aims to accompany the transformation of the university site by supporting the development of joint international degrees with South American universities, with priority given to cross-border partners: Anton de Kom University (Suriname), the University of Guyana and the Federal University of Amapa (Brazil). The aim is to facilitate the implementation of cross-academic exchange programmes for teachers and students and to offer a range of degree courses with the "Amazon Biodiversity and Societies" label. Eventually, digital teaching resources will also be developed as part of the training programme to promote collaboration between students from different universities. These resources could be hosted on the digital learning platform of the UG and its partners.

A Graduate School of Amazonia to support this ambition for excellence

The Graduate School by increasing the presence of researchers from the organisations in the training courses, internships in laboratories, seminars on key research themes attended by students, case studies, field modules, etc., supports this ambition, which aims to transform the university site into a centre of academic excellence with an international reputation, by developing a research-training-innovation continuum on biodiversity and sustainable innovation in Amazonia.

A transdisciplinary doctoral training programme on Amazonia for doctoral students

One ambitious objective is to create a trans-disciplinary training programme for doctoral students, known as the "Amazon doctoral training programme (PDFA)", which aims to provide each doctoral student with a common understanding of the site's research themes and the issues and problems facing the Amazon region.

A masters programme enriched by research

The University of Guyana is already a partner in a joint Erasmus Mundus Masters in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, which has been accredited under the Tropimundo programme. The project will reinforce this excellence by supporting the creation of the first year of this master's degree. With the contribution of the human sciences to a project at the interface between science and society, the AIBSI project proposes to support the creation of a master's degree in biodiversity and Amazonian societies at the University of Guyana.

To meet the region's other needs for high-level skills, the site's range of masters courses will be enhanced by the creation of three new courses:

• A master's degree in chemistry and life sciences to support the development of bioresources;
• A master's degree in civil engineering to support sustainable construction;
• A master's degree in tropical diseases and biomedical research with a global health approach to support the creation of the University Hospital Centre (CHU);
• The Life and Earth Sciences Master's degree is designed to train teachers to raise students' awareness of the challenges of biodiversity and sustainable innovation.

A range of degree courses to prepare young students for the Graduate School's courses of excellence

The range of bachelor's degree courses will be enhanced by the creation of two new bachelor's degrees:

• A degree in the biology of organisms, populations and ecosystems ;
• A professional degree in remote sensing and wireless communication.

Some existing professional licences will also be strengthened:

• Environmental protection ;
• Civil engineering and sustainable construction ;
• Promoting and protecting our heritage.

An academic excellence initiative to strengthen the high school/university continuum and improve attractiveness

The university, in partnership with secondary schools, plans to set up an academic excellence initiative, which will start in the second year of secondary school and continue through to the bachelor's degree level, to attract students who wish to take up the university's range of excellent courses in order to consolidate their general knowledge and improve their skills and abilities. This initiative will help to improve the average academic level of students and increase their chances of entering highly selective masters programmes such as international joint degrees.

Promoting an entrepreneurial spirit to boost training

Another major transformation proposed by the AIBSI project is the promotion of innovative entrepreneurship among the site's master's and doctoral students. This will be achieved by strengthening the UG's PEPITE programme (a national programme designed to strengthen entrepreneurial culture and innovation in higher education, by implementing awareness-raising, training and support initiatives).