Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas)
From BINAS
| Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) | |
| Location: | Belo Horizonte |
| Established: | 1926 |
| Website: | pucminas.br |
Contents |
Diploma in Biosafety by Distance Learning
Biotechnology is beginning to revolutionize agricultural and industrial practices. Wide-scale commercial applications of the technology make it imperative to set up standards and regulations in biotechnology to safeguard public health and the environment without compromising technological advancement or forfeiting the potential benefits arising from its application. The complexity of risk assessment and risk management procedures in biotechnology is such that it demands high-level institutional capacities and multi-disciplinary professional competences.
In order to meet these needs the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has established a global biosafety training network with emphasis on South-South cooperation aiming at strengthening national capacities to address biosafety issues.
The course offered by the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) is a direct result of the inclusion of Brazil in this network.
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| This links to the PUC Virtual e-Biosafetysite |
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e-Biosafety PUC |
| Registered users ONLY |
The course started on 8 April 2007.
Course Objectives
The principal objective of the course is to:
Provide a unique academic curriculum equipping professionals engaged or interested in biosafety with:
- up-to-date information on current developments and future trends in biotechnology
- advanced skills to conduct risk assessment and risk management and risk communication in biotechnology
- skills to formulate applications for the environment release of GMOs
- information on compliance requirements of national and international norms and regulations in biotechnology
Indirectly the course is aimed at:
- Building/strengthening capacities of government regulatory agencies and industries to comply to the requirements of national laws and international agreements and conventions (e.g. WTO agreements, Cartagena Protocol, Codex Alimentarius etc) that deal with the development, trade and transfer of products from modern biotechnology.
Course Description
The course comprises distance-learning and on-campus sessions. This is a 380 hour course, to be developed in 16 months, from March 2007 to July 2008. The programme is designed to have minimal impact on students' on-going professional activities. There will be three on-campus meetings of approximately ten days each. The first will be held from 12 to 17 March 2007. The other two will be announced in due time.
Advantages of a Long Distance Course
- Flexible time, with attention to assignment deadlines
- Assignments can be done from home, work, or anywhere the Internet is available
- Tutorial assistance
- Teaching materials specially written for the course by worldly renowned authors
- Technological assistance during the course
Course Contents
- Introduction to Molecular Biology
- Applications of Biotechnology
- Food and feed safety
- Environmental safety
- National and international regulatory systems
- Risk assessment methods and applications
- Risk perception and communication
- Biotechnology applied to human and animal health
- Ethics in Science
- Intellectual Property
Target Group
The course is open to university graduates employed by government regulatory agencies, research institutions and the biotechnology industry or university teachers, law professionals and social scientists, actively involved or interested in public issues in biotechnology
Tuition & Fees
The total cost of the program is R$ 5,880.00 (Aproximately US $2,753 according to the exchange rate of Jan/29/2007. This rate may vary slightly from day to day). Credit card payments can be made in up to 6 installments (6 x R$ 980.00). Mastercard or Diners accepted. If you have any difficulties with payment, please contact us at http://www.virtual.pucminas.br/faleconosco. The number of students to be enrolled in this course is 50 (fifty). PUC Minas Virtual can only offer the course with a minimum of 40 students registered. If this number is not met, students will get a refund of registration fees.
Evaluation procedures
Students will be evaluated on the basis of a range of assignments carried out on a Internet-based distance-learning platform and written tests to be taken during on-campus meetings. At the end of the course, he will be required to produce a monograph or a similar scholarly work, to be presented orally to an examining board at PUC Minas, Belo Horizonte.The minimum passing grade in each course subject is 70 (out of 100 ).
Faculty
- Elizabeth Hodson (Alexander von Humboldt Institute, Colombia)
- George Tzotzos (UNIDO, Austria)
- Gijs Kleter (RIKILT - Institute of Food Safety, The Netherlands)
- Jonathan Gressel (Weizmann Institute, Israel)
- Lucia Aleixo (SECTES-MG, Brazil)
- Moises Burachik (CONABIA, Argentina)
- Roger Hull (John Innes Centre, UK)
Remark: Faculty names may change by programme and course coordinators, if deemed necessary
Entry requirements
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree from an accredited higher education institution and good English reading and writing skills. the following documentation has to be provided by the students:
- Copy of undergraduate degree from accredited institution
- Copy of undergraduate academic records
- Copy of Brazilian ID or Passaport (in the case of foreign candidates)
- Candidate's simplified Curriculum Vitae (from two to four pages)
- Statement of purpose for attending the course (one page)
Remark: The above documents should be mailed to PUC Minas Virtual, with specification of student's name and course, to the address below:
PUC Minas Virtual A/C: Secretaria Acadêmica Rua Espírito Santo 1059, 12º andar, Centro, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil CEP: 30160-922
System Requirements
To attend to the course the student must own or have access to a computer according to the following minimum requirements:
- 500 MHz Intel Pentium III processor or equivalent (2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 GHz or equivalent recommended)
- 256 MB RAM (384 MB or more recommended)
- 8X CD-ROM drive
- Video resolution 800 x 600 pixels (1024 x 768 pixels recommended)
- Sound card with speakers (or headphone) and microphone
- Windows 2000 (SP4) or Windows XP (SP2)
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 6.0x or upper)
- Sun Microsystems Java Virtual Machine (version 1.4.2 or upper)
- Access to the internet at 56 kbps on a regualr basis (several times per week)
- Personal e-mail address
Registration dates
January 30th/2007 to March 5th/2007. REGISTRATION IS CLOSED!!
Further Information
Programme general coordinator
George T. Tzotzos
United Nations Industrial Development Organization ( UNIDO)
Academic coordinator
Lucia F. Aleixo
Secretariat of State of Science, Technology and State Universities of Minas Gerais ( SECTES-MG, Brazil )
Long distance education coordinator
Stela B. Tôrres Arnold
PUC Minas Virtual
Please also visit our website: http://www.virtual.pucminas.br/faleconosco
