The Behavioral and Community Ecology, Conservation Biology Group at Guangxi University in China is excited to offer opportunities for three-year MSc or PhD projects in conservation biology and related fields. Our faculties’ expertise and research interests (please see summaries below) cover a variety of topics in conservation biology, animal behavior, ecotoxicology, landscape ecology and natural resource management. This year we are particularly interested in recruiting students who are interested in conservation biology and would like to work on one of the projects offered by Associate Prof. Christos Mammides.
The degrees are granted through our International Training Program, and academic work is in English. Students apply with a March 31, 2019 deadline to the China Government Scholarship (CGS) program, as well as to the College of Forestry. CGS provides waivers of tuition, accommodation, and a monthly stipend. In the first year, students take courses in basic Chinese language and in Chinese culture. In addition, courses in professional classes related to ecology and evolution are required to graduate (4 for PhD, 7 for MSc), as well as successful completion of the thesis project.
Applicants are required to have their previous degree completed at the time of application. Applicants with a proven track record of successful publications in peer-reviewed journals and advanced quantitative or programming skills will have an advantage. We hope that candidates will explore the research interests, summarised below, and begin to think about possible projects. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Mammides by February the 15th, attaching a CV, a short project proposal (<750 words), and the e-mail addresses of three references. Review of the applications will start immediately.
Information on our faculties’ expertise and interests:
Prof. Eben Goodale (eben.goodale@outlook.com) has worked on a range of projects from the acoustic behavior of birds to community ecology and species interactions to issues of conservation biology.
Associate Prof. Aiwu Jiang (aiwu@163.com) has extensive experience studying the birds of Guangxi. He is working on projects involving the breeding ecology of birds in limestone regions, and also the effects of toxins on breeding.
Associate Prof. Christos Mammides (cmammides@outlook.com) is a quantitative conservation biologist interested in studying the mechanisms by which anthropogenic activities affect biodiversity and in exploring the socio-economic factors that drive those activities. Dr. Mammides is also interested in quantifying the effectiveness of the various types of protected areas, and in assessing the effects of those areas on local peoples’ livelihoods.
Information about the College of Forestry at Guangxi University (GXU):
The College of Forestry at GXU is one of China’s largest forestry schools. The International Training Program was started in 2015 as a cooperation among several labs with both Chinese national and international researchers. Guangxi University (>25,000 students) is located in the subtropical city of Nanning, is part of the National 211 University Scheme of China, and aims to become a major research hub in Southern China. Nanning forms the natural gateway between China and South-East Asia, with Vietnam a mere 300 km away and direct international connecting flights available to most major cities in Asia. Housing is available on campus and campus life is bustling with many places to eat, good sporting and entertainment facilities, and varied student activities.