UM-DU Partnership Advances Biodiversity Research in 2024 ERASMUS

Biology experts from Daugavpils University, Latvia, once again joined hands with their counterpart researchers from the University of Mindanao, Philippines, for another enthralling Scientific Research Expedition. During a five-day fieldwork period, the UM-DU team explored the Apo-Talomo Mountain Range in Davao to examine several of its diverse mountain ecosystems.

The 2024 UM-DU ERASMUS and Scientific Research Expedition were made possible through the collective efforts and support from various individuals, including the Director of the Institute for Biodiversity and Environment (IBE), Dr. Cha Gorgonio, and Chrestine Torrejos of the University of Mindanao Coleoptera Research Center (UMCRC).

The Latvian delegation was composed of Daugavpils University’s rector, Dr. Arvids Barsevskis, and experts from various fields, including coleopterists, a tropical bryophyte expert, a lichenologist, and a Geographic Information System (GIS) expert. Meanwhile, UM’s research team included experts in flora and fauna research and faculty members from the Environmental Science Department.

This longstanding partnership between the two universities proceeds to push the boundaries of biodiversity research and species discovery. Rooted in years of collective experience and mutual respect, the continued collaboration in pursuit of scientific inquiry and shared goals has woven perspectives and traditions between the involved countries.