Geosciences Graduate Programme
he purpose of the Graduate Programme in Geosciences is to train human resources capable of contributing to the scientific, educational, historical, technological and economic development of the geological and mineral sector in Brazil, pursuant to the needs and welfare of the community, the preservation of the environment and social progress. The programme awards a Master´s in Geosciences and a PhD in Sciences in the area of concentration of Geology and Natural Resources.
The areas studied in Geology and Natural Resources are (1) the use of natural resources and their geological, social, political, legal, economic and environmental constraints; (2) the nature and origin of the metallogenetic provinces, oil deposits and other natural resources on the planet, with a view to establishing theories and parameters that contribute to the discovery and use of these resources. The specific characteristics of this broad topic are defined in accordance with five lines of research:
- Analysis of Sedimentary Basins
- Crustal and Metallogenetic Evolution
- Environmental and Analytical Geochemistry
- Geotechnologies Applied to the Study of Natural Resources
- Natural Resources Policy and Management
EHCT Graduate Programme
The Graduate Programme in Teaching and History of Earth Sciences (PPG-EHCT) involves research on multiple aspects in relation to knowledge of the Earth. The PPG-EHCT is pioneering in the area of Education Geosciences in this country and continues to be the only Brazilian graduate programme associated with the areas of Geosciences and Teaching. The areas covered by professors and students from the programme are expanding on a continuous basis as a result of the multiple interests and wide range of applications: curricula and programmes of different levels of teaching, teacher training, History of Natural Sciences, scientific disclosure, teaching and learning, teaching material, innovation in educational technologies, environmental education, geological heritage, geoconservation, geotourism, environmental legislation and law.
The PPG-EHCT is also a research unit geared to the permanent development of academic and political activities associated with the movement for improving the Teaching of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences from primary school to university level.
Professors and students from PPG-EHCT are directly involved with international entities such as IGEO – International Geoscience Education Organisation, INHIGEO – International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences, AEPECT – Spanish Association for the Teaching of Earth Sciences. In the domestic scenario, PPG-EHCT is an active participant in the activities of SBG – the Brazilian Geology Society, the National Geology Courses Forum and the Forum for Coordinators of Teaching Degree Courses in Sciences.
