International Master's Degree
in Biodiversity

Welcome to the Fifth International Summer School for Students and Young Scientists

ABOUT MSc

Education

2 years (4 semesters): theory and practice.
20 courses, divided into 4 categories:
1.Ecological, Evolutionary, Systematic theory.
2.Biodiversity definition & classification.
3.Biodiversity analysis.
4.Practical skills and field activities.

Science

You have the opportunity to implement researches in such areas as:
• Global ecology and biodiversity (tree species diversity; time-change in biodiversity trends; decomposition across biomes; etc.).
• Impacts of beaver dams on C-cycle in the Ob river basin.
• Primary ecological successions on the melting profile of the Small Aktru glacier (Altai Mountains).
• Siberian pine's growth under climate change (a dendrochronological analysis).
• Treeline shifting northward in Russian mountains.
• Recent trends in deforestation and fire across Russia.
• Studies about Snow leopard, ethology, ecology and conservation biology (Altai and Tibet), and many others.

Practice

You will be able to participate in scientific studies on KAJBASOVO & AKTRU research stations. All this will provide the opportunity to become acquainted with a great variety of landscapes, different types of reliefs and paleogeographical relics, distinctive geological structures and evidences of earthquakes, amazing biodiversity in wild ecosystems, unique archaeological objects and the dynamic variety of nomadic populations.

Education programme

ATTENTION !
Entrance exams for the program have already started !
Successful applicants will access a 40% discount. The tuition fee will be 1950 Euros per year!

What does this MSc offer?

• A comprehensive overview of the science about biological diversity ecology, evolution and dynamics, and of the methods for diversity analysis, calculation and estimation.
• Modern and advanced knowledge and methods in environmental and evolutionary biology.

What are the requirements?

Admission requirements are:
• A Bachelor's Degree in Science (BSc) or similar bachelor's degrees,
• Knowledge of English,
• At least one graduate level of ecology or general biology course.

Attention!
Till there are 10 budgetary places for training in the program for representatives of Russia, citizens of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan.

What specialists do we train?

This programme is designed to prepare students for a career in research and conservation, or for further academic steps at Ph.D. level, such as:
• Environmental researchers in private institutions and companies,
• Nature conservation manager,
• Officer at government agencies,
• Non-governmental organizations,
• Manager of biodiversity infrastructures,
• Museum curator,
• University researcher and/or teacher.

Where will you live?

• Tomsk is a student capital of Russia,
• Every fourth resident of Tomsk is studying or working at a Universities,
• There are many small and cheap cafes, in close proximity to the University,
• Student residence hall «PARUS» with double & triple rooms is newest in Tomsk, (cost of living - $15 per month),
• In all buildings of the TSU campus Internet is free,
• TSU sports complex (swimming pool, aerobics, yoga, martial arts, etc.) at your disposal.

International Team

TSU Master program in Biodiversity unites an international team, provides advanced knowledge, trains practical skills and supports field activities in Siberia. Teachers and students are telling why this MSc is unique and engaging. Want to know more? Click this video and find out what opportunities the MSc offers!

see more video #2

What do you know about Siberia?

• Its territory takes 57% of the whole Russia.
• The largest Arctic continental shelf of the Earth.
• Global changes happen faster in Siberia. That is why it has unique importance for the Earth's biodiversity.
• 4 largest rivers in the world flow here.
• The biggest lake in the world - Baikal is located in Siberia.

see more video #1

2 YEARS

Term of education on the program

FULL-TIME

Mode of study

ENGLISH

The main language of education

OUR TEACHERS

Head and Scientific coordinator of the MSc program in Biodiversity at TSU. He earned a MSc in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, a II Level MSc in Global Environmental Protection and PhD in Forest Ecology. His main research interest is in Global Ecology and Biodiversity (with applications in Ethology and Evolution). He is also a Member of the IUCN and an Editorial Advisory Board Member of the journal Ecological Modelling. For many years, he served as an environmental scientist/consultant at the FAO of the UN and as a scientific advisor of the WWF Italy.

Roberto Cazzolla Gatti

PhD, Associate Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity at the Biological Institute, TSU

Over 620 scientific publications co-authored with over 400 researchers from 32 countries. He heads and contributes to major international research groups, networks and assessments such as the United Nations Environment Programme's Expert Group on Ozone Depletion, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Arctic Science Committee

Terry V. Callaghan

Nobel Laureate, Professor of Arctic Ecology, Director of Centre for Arctic Ecology, University of Sheffield, UK
Professor of Botany, TSU

Scientific interests: Mire Science; Phytocoenology; Vegetation of Siberia; Social Ecology; Biodiversity; Anatomy and Morphology of Plants; Biogeocoenology; Geobotany; Biology; Field practices on Geobotany; Practice on Plant systematic; Practice on Bryology. 24 years research and 21 years University teaching experience.

Irina Volkova

PhD, Head of Laboratory of Biogeocoenology, TSU

Professor of Ecology since 2001. Main scientific interests: Soil Invertebrates Ecology; Bio-Indication of Disturbed Lands; Biological Methods of Waste Decomposition; Environmental Education and Environmental Management; Quality Management. In 1997-2000 has worked in Oxford and Sheffield Universities (UK) and in Utrecht University (the Netherlands). In 2001-2002 has worked as a Fulbright Scholar in Ohio State University (USA).

Andrey Babenko

Dr. Biol. Sci., Professor of Ecology, Biological Institute, TSU

Currently is head of the main educational programs implemented in Tomsk State University: "Biology", "Fundamental and Applied Biology", "Biodiversity" and "Engineering and environmental surveys for the oil and gas industry". Also is the founder (2003) and the head of a new scientific and practical area for the complex treatment of oil-contaminated water bodies from oil and oil products.

Danil Vorobiev

Dr. Biol. Sci., Director of the Biological Institute, TSU

PhD student, Department of Soil Science and Soil Ecology, Biological Institute of TSU. Objects of scientific interests: Soil Cover; Soils Hydrochemical Parameters; Geochemistry of Landscapes; Wetland Ecosystems; Soil Formation and Permafrost.

Tatiana Raudina

PhD student, Biological Institute, TSU

Member of Russian Geographical Society, member of Editorial Board of The International Journal of Environmental Studies, member of International Association of Vegetation Science, member of Russian Botanical Society.
Scientific interests: Arctic Ecology; Landscape Ecology; Theory of Symmetry; Ecology of Plants, Life Forms of Plants; Spatial Structure of Vegetative Communities; Environmental Education and Environmental Management; Philosophy of the East.

Sergey Kirpotin

Dr. habil. (Ecology), Director of "Biota Climate Landscapes" (Bio-Clim-Land) Centre of Excellence, TSU

Has been studing Fish Biology more than 25 years. Main scientific interests: Species Diversity and Community Structure of Fishes in Western Siberia; Ecological Mechanisms of Spatial Organization of Fish Community; Biological Invasions in Aquatic Ecosystems of Siberia; Conservation Biology, with an Emphasis on the Recovery of Aquatic Biological Resources, Primarily Sturgeon and Whitefish Species of Fish, including using Aquaculture; Fisheries Science, Fisheries Sustainability, Fisheries Management.

Elena Interesova

PhD, Biological Institute, TSU

Scientific interests: Taxonomy; Evolution; Biodiversity; Botanical Geography; Anatomy of Plants, Ecological Modeling.

Marina Olonova

Dr. Biol. Sci., Professor of Ecology, Biological Institute, TSU

Scientific Interests: To assist faculty members, laboratory members, and postgraduate students at Tomsk State University to write research and other articles in English, and submit them for publication in internationally published, English language peer reviewed academic journals.

Jean A. Kollantai

Co-Director, Center for Academic Writing, TSU, Founder and Director, Center for Loss In Multiple Birth (CLIMB), Inc., USA

Is the Senior Lecturer of Faculty of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, Associate Professor of the Department of Zoology of Invertebrates. Scientific interests: Parasitology, Protozoology, Hydrobiology, Cytology, Molecular Phylogeny.

Anastasia Simakova

Dr. Biol. Sci., Biological Institute, TSU

The Fieldes of Scientific Interests: Molecular Genetics, Molecular Organization and Evolution of Chromosomes in Malarial Mosquitoes of the Genus Anopheles (Diptera, Culicidae).

Igor Sharakhov

Dr. Biol. Sci., Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, Associate Professor at the Biological Institute, TSU

Scientific interests: New Generation of Biosensors for Ecology and Medicine, Industrial Innovations in Ecology, Modern Problems of Applied Ecology, Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Industrial Innovations in Biology, Photosynthesis and Production Process, Environmental Security in The Agricultural Industry.

Olga Vaishlya

PhD, Biological Institute, TSU

Scientific interests: Synecology, Metamorphosis of Insects, Faunogenesis, Palaeoentomology, Wildlife Siberia, History Forms & Means of Communication, Astrobiology, Practice on Course of Invertebrate Zoology.

Ruslan Baghirov

PhD, Biological Institute, TSU

Scientific interests: Systematics, Fish Morphology, Ecology, Biodiversity, Ichthyology, Hydrobiology, Ichthyoparasitology, Data Analysis, Statistics for the Biological Sciences.

Irina Babkina

PhD, Biological Institute, TSU

Topics for the diploma:

also, you can suggest your own topic!

Trematodes of carp fish;
Forest genetics and selection;
Introduction of plants of natural flora;
Resources of waterfowl in Western Siberia:
abundance, migrations, hunting, phylogeography;
Fauna and ecology of blood-sucking mosquitoes;
Mycobiota of cedar and pine forests of Tomsk region;
The alpha, beta and gamma patterns of global forest biodiversity;
Reproductive biology of amphibians and reptiles in Western Siberia;
Northwestern Pacific: ecology, biology, conservation and distribution;
Population structure of the coastal ichthyofauna of the Japan and Okhotsk
seas of the Northwestern Pacific: ecology, biology, conservation and distribution;
Structure of fish communities in the diverse rivers of the South Western Siberia;
Diversity of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria & their use in agrobiotechnology;
The role of environmental engineers in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity;
Physiological adaptation of animal and plant to a changing climate;
Behavioural adaptation of animal and plant to a changing climate;
Ecology and ethology of the snow leopard in the Altai Mountains;
Climate change influence on species diversity and distribution;
Inventory of cartilaginous fishes of the Northwestern
Pacific: ecology, biology, conservation & distribution;
Population structure of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus,
Acipenseridae) in the Middle Ob river basin;
Using of GIS approach in conservation;
Using of GIS approach in systematics;
Phylogeography of Aggr. Poa glauca;
Phylogeography of Aggr. Poa stepposa;
Intraspesial diversity of Aggr. Poa glauca;
Intraspesial diversity of Aggr. Poa Stepposa;
Inventory of marine and freshwater ichthyofauna of
Sakhalin Island: ecology, biology, conservation and distribution;
Biological protection of plants and forest pathological monitoring;
Soil fauna of the Altai Mountains as indicator of the climate changes;
Ecology and genetic diversity of some widespread or rare species of vertebrates;
Bio-diversity and population structure of Oligochaeta in the south part of West Siberia;
Comparative anatomy of male and female urogenital systems of Asiatic salamanders (Amphibia, Caudata, Hynobiidae).

NEWS

On May 28, TSU celebrated its 140th anniversary. Founded by Emperor Alexander II in 1878, TSU became the first university in the Asian part of Russia. It was with the appearance of Tomsk University that the epoch of enlightenment began in the vast region of Siberia and the Russian Far East.
The cultural, educational, and scientific events with which the university is celebrating the anniversary will be held in two stages - in May and September.
May events are dedicated to students and will last all week. On May 28, a solemn dispatch of the Blue Arrow dispatch team took place; then a cheerleader festival, a meeting of the Academic Council to mark the best students and young scientists, the disputation of the Imperial Universities, and the international conference on new educational technologies #EdCrunch Tomsk (the Siberian version of one of the largest conferences in Europe) will be held.
The main event will be a theatricalized procession of TSU students and teachers. It starts on June 1 at 18.00, and the theatrical column will process from Lenin Square to the main building of TSU.
In the evening of June 1, at the University Grove on the platform near the Center of Culture, the Cube of the Imperial University will be awarded. This cube was established last year - students talked about their lives in the flash mob format Mannequin Challenge, and the Physics Department was the best. This time, the theatrical columns during the march will be evaluated.

TSU has celebrated 140 years since its founding

30.05.2018

Tomsk State University has improved its position in the ranking of the British edition of Times Higher Education for countries with actively developing economies (THE Emerging Economies University Rankings) by 24 points. In total, while preparing the ranking, more than 350 universities from 42 countries of the world were analyzed. TSU ranked 36th among all universities and 6th among Russian universities. In terms of internationalization indicator, TSU demonstrated the second result among Russian universities. See more

TSU improved its positions in the THE ranking

10.05.2018

Ichthyologists from Russia and the Czech Republic have conducted a large-scale study devoted to the grayling ichthyofauna of the world. The result of seven years' work was a new approach to identifying the species--by the dorsal fin--and to the atlas that, in addition to the classifier, contains information on the genetic characteristics of the fish. The data they obtained are important for the correct taxonomy of graylings, as well as for the training of future ichthyologists and industrialists engaged in breeding this popular species of fish in the salmonid fishes. See more

Ichthyologists have made a new classification of the grayling

19.04.2018

Scientists at the Laboratory of Geochronology and Geodynamics will be investigating the correlation between magmatic processes and mass death of biological species at the end of the Ordovician period. Using radioisotope dating, researchers will see what happened almost 400 million years ago and estimate the ecological conditions of that time. This will help to understand whether the largest eruption of ancient volcanoes could have led to a biological catastrophe, as a result of which 85% of living organisms disappeared from the Earth's surface. See more

TSU will reveal the role of volcanoes in the extinction of species

17.04.2018

Tomsk State University and INTERACT, the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic, are beginning a large-scale educational digital project. A new English-language resource will introduce visitors to the Arctic using different modes of visualization: computer animation, 3D tours, infographics, and others. See more

TSU and INTERACT are creating a virtual Arctic with research bases

12.04.2018

Paleontologists from University of Wroclaw Krzysztof Stefaniak, Adam Kotovsky Ursula Ratajczak and their colleague from TSU Andrei Shpansky are exploring remnants of a Merck's rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus), which lived more than 100,000 years ago. Presumably the rhinoceros died in the swampy terrain, due to which its skeleton remained well enough. See more

Scientists examine the skeleton of a large ancient rhinoceros

03.04.2018

Yury Dyldin, a scientist at the Biological Institute of TSU, is studying the species composition of fish in the waters of Sakhalin Island. According to the latest observations, tetraodontiform fishes, including the thermophilic fugu species, which traditionally have inhabited the more southerly seas of Korea and Japan, have begun to appear more and more often in the temperate waters washing the largest island of Russia. See more

TSU scientists discovered a new kind of poisonous fugu fish

13.03.2018

TSU was included into the consortium of the leading universities of Russia and Scotland which will be engaged in projects on the restoration of the Arctic systems; experts consider that two Tomsk developments can be used for elimination of oil spills in the Arctic. See more

TSU will contribute to the restoring ecosystems of the Arctic

28.02.2018

Sergey Gashkov, Associate Professor of the Department of Zoology of Vertebrates and Ecology of the Biological Institute of TSU and an employee of the Zoological Museum of the University, and his students are conducting research in the bioacoustics of birds using modern digital technologies in order to understand the language of birds. This is a new direction for the research of the team, and a special role here is played by the half-collared flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), a species chosen as a model by ornithologists in many countries. See more

TSU ornithologist: bioacoustics provides a clue to the secrets of birds

31.01.2018

Do You want to join MSc "Biodiversity" ?

APPLY NOW !

"Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause nor invention without necessity"
- Leonardo da Vinci

CONTACTS:

Program Director and Coordinator:
Roberto Cazzolla Gatti
Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Institute and Bio-Clim-Land Centre, Tomsk State University
E-mail: robertocazzollagatti@mail.tsu.ru
or robertocgatti@gmail.com

Program Manager:
Tatiana S. Kolesnikova
Bio-Clim-Land Centre, Biological Institute, Tomsk State University
E-mail: kirpota@inbox.ru
Mob.: +7-913-104-25-22