International Summer School for Ecotoxicology Students

Back in 2000, as a PhD student, I had a life-changing experience that motivated me to organize an international course aimed at preparing the next generation of scientists. I had the privilege to participate in the International School in Environmental and Health Summer organized by the University of Siena in Italy. It was an incredible experience that impacted my scientific and personal life in ways that are hard to describe.

Years later, we noticed that STEM undergrads and graduate students were becoming overly reliant on technology and not asking enough good questions. So, we organized a 10-day workshop that brought together students and instructors from 15 different countries. The workshop aimed to discuss the science and the scientific method, explore each other’s projects, practice soft skills related to presentation and collaboration with different cultures, and experience a different country.

The first edition of the workshop took place in Arraial do Cabo, Brazil, in 2010, and the second was in Búzios, Brazil, in 2011. We had a diverse group of students from Uruguay to Azerbaijan, and instructors from Massachusetts to Gotemburg, all sponsored by the Rio de Janeiro Research Council FAPERJ.