News
16 November 2007
Primate Conservation masters wins Queen's Anniversary Award
Across the world more than 25% of primate species are endangered. Brookes trains between 30 and 40 students each year to prepare them for a career in conservation to reverse the devastating loss of species.
Students, as part of their study, travel to some of the most remote corners of the world where primates are most threatened. Since the course started students and lecturers have discovered more than 10 primate species.
The Royal accolade announced on Thursday 15 November is the second to be conferred on the University in less than 10 years. It was previously awarded to the University in 2001 for Brookes’ Centre for Development and Emergency Practice.
Brookes has now introduced new scholarships to help students from countries where primates still live in their natural habitats and who could not otherwise afford to come to study in Oxford.
This year two students from Uganda and Indonesia are studying at Brookes.
Panut Hadisiswoyo founded an orangutan conservation centre in Medan, Indonesia, before coming to Brookes. He says: ‘I have been so grateful to be awarded the scholarship. It has given me an invaluable opportunity to get in-depth knowledge about primate conservation. I plan to use this course and the knowledge I have gained to help make primate conservation more effective in my country.’
A PhD student, Graham Wallace, gave up his corporate career where he was general manager for a company employing 800 staff. The focus of Graham’s research is the conflict between primates and farmers in Uganda. Graham says: ‘This course is special because it allows someone like me who has passion for conservation, but lacks a pure science background, to gain practical skills and pursue a career in this field.’
The programme’s founder Professor Simon Bearder said: ‘We are very honoured to receive this prestigious award. Our programme has been running for just seven years and this award is a credit to all of our staff, students and alumni.
‘Primates are one of the most persecuted species and with the massive deforestation we see across the world today means our students’ work has never been more urgent. What marks our students out is the passion and energy they bring to their study.’
Oxford Brookes’ Vice-Chancellor, Professor Janet Beer, said: ‘This is the University’s second Queen’s Anniversary Prize and reflects the fact that Oxford Brookes is an institution that truly engages with some of the world’s most pressing and important challenges.
‘I am exceptionally proud that two of the departments at Brookes which make an enormous contribution to international research and development have been recognised for their work through the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.’
