TRAINING COURSE IN TAXONOMY AND SYSTEMATICS OF AFRICAN DIPTERA
Morogoro – Tanzania – October 2023
On this page your will find more information on the fifth entomological training. The training will be organized from 16-27 October 2023 at the Sokoine Pest Management Unit of the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro (Tanzania).
Organisation:
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The training will be organized by the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA, Belgium), the KwaZulu-Natal Museum (KZNM, South Africa), the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA, Tanzania) and the African Natural History Research Trust (ANHRT, UK).
Objective:
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The aim of this training is to stimulate entomological (taxonomic and ecological) research in subsaharan Africa, specifically in students and young researchers and to increase sustainability of taxonomic expertise in Dipterology in subsaharan Africa. You can download the application form below.
Teaching materials:
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Powerpoint presentations of the lectures will be shared after the training course on a memory stick. This stick will also include PDF files of Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of the Manual of Afrotropical Diptera, Powerpoint presentations by the lectures and documents with relevant entomological information (e.g., suppliers where you can order entomological equipment, copies of the PINDIP Newsletter, etc.).
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Together with the theoretical papers and the three published volumes of the Manual of Afrotropical Diptera, you will also receive a basic set of entomological equipment related to the collection, preparation and management of your Diptera collections.
Identification of specimens:
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We strongly encourage course participants to bring their own material which we will attempt to identify either to family or genus level, depending on the family (e.g., for the Syrphidae we should be able to identify material to genus or species level), time availability and amount of material. If you plan to bring your own material, please contact Kurt Jordaens (kurt.jordaens[at]africamuseum.be) so we can agree on a colour coded label you must attach to the pin (or on the vials with ethanol) to avoid confusion and to avoid material from different people getting mixed. None of your material will be retained, so anything you bring will remain your property, or that of your institute/museum/university.
Applications:
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- Only applications of people with a nationality of the following countries will be considered: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Citizens from other African countries who wish to participate at the training course should contact us before submitting an application.
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- The following documents need to be submitted:
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1) A complete application form (see below). This application form has to be completed, dated and signed by the applicant.
2) A motivation letter including the following aspects:
• why you consider yourself a good candidate for this training,
• what is your experience and your knowledge of the subject of the training,
• which are the immediate perspectives offered by the training in
the progress of your professional activities (direct or indirect benefits of the training for you in future research/work),
• what would be the benefits of your training to your home institute,
• which are your projects as to the use of the knowledge gained during the training and your intentions as to sharing the knowledge gained during the training,
• the perspectives of a continued collaboration between yourself, your institution of origin,
3) A letter from your employer (research institution, ministry, university,…) authorizing your participation in the requested training, confirming the direct benefits to the institution, confirming your current position within the institution and indicating a commitment to make good use of the newly acquired expertise. This letter must be dated and signed (+ stamp of the institution). The name, position and address of the author of the letter must be clearly mentioned.
4) A letter of recommendation indicating, amongst others, why you are particularly well placed or suited for this training. This letter must be dated and signed with clear mention of the name, position and address of the person.
5) A copy of the first page of your passport with your full name and residence or a copy of your South African Identity Document.
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Only complete application files will be taken into consideration. No additional information communicated afterwards will be accepted, unless upon specific request from the organizers.
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Application form: you can download the application form here.
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Applications have to be sent by email to callpollinatingflies[at]africamuseum.be
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Deadline for applications: 14 July 2023 – midnight CET.
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Reception of application files will only be acknowledged by e-mail to the email address to be mentioned in the application form. This acknowledgement will be done shortly after the application form is received.
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All applicants will be personally informed of the results of the selection process by 10 August 2023. Selected candidates will receive a scholarship for the following:
- Travel expenses from home to the training venue in Pietermaritzburg (and back), including flight tickets for long distances.
- Accommodation for the duration of the training period, including breakfast and lunch (no supper).
- A per diem to cover small costs.
- A set of basic entomological materials.
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no other costs will be taken into account
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for more information contact Kurt Jordaens (kurt.jordaens[at]africamuseum.be)
