NF-POGO CofE Meet the new Pogonians
POGOnians year 12 (2020-2021) Profiles available at h�ps://nf-pogo-alumni.org/programs/centre-of-excellence/cofe-2021/
2008, ten young scien�sts are selected every year to take part in the 10-month NF-POGO Centre S2021ofinceExcellence in Observa�onal Oceanography. Due to travel restric�ons imposed by COVID the 2020co-hort had its first phase remote and is now beginning the prac�cal phase in the Alfred Wegener
Ins�tute Biological Sta�on in Helgoland, Germany. In this se�ng, the scholars are exposed to a set of core skills and topics which will help to level-up their scien�fic knowledge and capacity to carry out research on the ocean, its ecosystems, processes, and human-related ac�vi�es. As their final assignment of the course, they conduct independent research projects guided by mentors from the AWI. Goriga Gwaibo (Papua New Guinea) Goriga Gwaibo is the first ever alumnus of NF-POGO from Papua New Guinea (PNG). He graduated from the University of Natural Resources & Environment with a bachelor's degree (with honours) in Fisheries and Marine Resources. His degree paved a strong background on aqua�c science (freshwater and marine), fisheries and scien�fic research, and a thorough emphasis on the challenges and applica�ons of sustainable approaches for coastal ecosystems. During his undergraduate studies in 2017, he undertook a short internship with the PNG Na�onal Fisheries Authority as a trainee in Port Officer, which gave him an overall view of the func�ons and responsibili�es in managing the fishery industry in his country. In 2018, he did his undergraduate thesis on the func�onal rela�onship between the characteris�cs of coral reefs (e.g., topographic complexity, growth forms/structures and diversity), fish species and abundance. The study was carried out on six different coral reef sites, including two isolated islands in East New Britain Province. His work mostly involved fieldwork inshore, which helped him learn and understand the changes of fish species and assemblages associated with coral reefs. He joined the Fisheries & Marine Resource Department as a Tutor for Fish Popula�on Dynamics & Marine Science with the university in 2019. He works with and studies applica�ons of various sta�s�cal models and methods for fish stock assessments, such as length and age-based methods of von Bertalanffy Growth Func�on (VBGF), Exponen�al Decay Models, and LCCCA (length-converted catch curve analysis), among others. Besides his tutoring ac�vi�es, he is also involved in teaching marine science topics and assis�ng undergraduate research projects and other academic ac�vi�es in the department. Goriga believes that the NF-POGO programme will be a compe��ve advantage for him, both academically and professionally. Despite the virtual start of the programme, he looks forward to acquiring any theore�cal and prac�cal skills the programme may offer. He is very interested to develop his capacity in specialized topics such as ecological modelling and remote sensing with sta�s�cs and GIS. Besides, he wishes to experience interna�onal research and to extend and build professional networks that may establish further career opportuni�es. A�er comple�ng this programme, he plans to obtain his master’s degree and
Contact us: info@nf-pogo-alumni.org NANO website: www.nf-pogo-alumni.org
he is confident that this training will provide a competent learning experience that will nurture and advance his capacity to be skilful and innova�ve for future opportuni�es. Georgia enjoys teaching and intends to return to his country and share his knowledge and skills with his people, especially with the students and poten�al individuals/organiza�ons. He aims to obtain a PhD and to work as a professional scien�fic researcher, with an approach and advocacy for sustainable exploita�on and management of marine resources and environment. Developing policies, legisla�on, management plans and other related ma�ers based on a concrete scien�fic understanding is what Georgia aims for. Nguyen Thuy Dung (Vietnam) Dzung holds a BSc. in WaterEnvironment-Oceanography from the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) (2016). Later, she received the Flemish VLIR-UOS scholarship and was granted a MSc degree with great dis�nc�on from the Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management programme, jointly taught by Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universiteit Gent and Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium (2020). Her master’s thesis was conducted in the SPHERE research group at Universiteit Antwerpen, with a focus on evalua�ng the performance of a mul�-contaminant passive sampler for water quality monitoring. While con�nuing her studies, she worked as an environmental consultant for the private sector and took part in mul�ple projects. Her work focused on aqua�c chemistry with secondary research on the ecological effects of chemicals on living organisms. She widened her exper�se by par�cipa�ng in mul�ple research projects from various disciplines, both na�onally and interna�onally. To highlight some of her projects; “Determina�on of nutrients bioavailability in aeolian dust for marine life” at NIOZ, Netherlands (2019); “Examining the effects of water chemical composi�on in tea leaves extrac�on” at ENSIACET, France (2016); “Determina�on of organic compounds in lake sediment” at USTH, Vietnam (2020); “Water resource management and water economic value” at the Water Resource Ins�tute, Vietnam (2020). Acquiring knowledge is her biggest aspira�on in life and indeed, the ocean holds the most mysteries for humankind. iJoining the CofE is a valuable chance to unravel these
23
