Course announcement: The Gateways Partners' South American Regional Course: Holistic Foundations for Assessment and Regulation of Genetic Engineering

Title : Course Announcement : South American Regional Course
Date : 22 December 2009

Contents:

Course announcement: The Gateways Partners' South American Regional Course: Holistic Foundations for Assessment and Regulation of Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Organisms

Announcement in Portuguese

http://felles.siteman.no/genok.org/filarkiv/File/regional_2010/Course_announcement_portugues.pdf
Announcement in Spanish

http://felles.siteman.no/genok.org/filarkiv/File/regional_2010/convocatorio_curso_regional_espa_ol.pdf

Date: 26 April – 1 May

Venue: Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

Topics include:
• Holistic overview of genetics, genes, gene expression and regulation
• Various application areas for genetic engineering
• The potential impact of GMOs on the environment and human health
• The Biosafety Protocol
• Economic and legal aspects of GMOs
• Socio-cultural and ethical issues of GMOs
• Regulatory systems and GMO labelling
• Risk assessment of GMOs and risk assessment review
• Laboratory practicals on protein and PCR based GMO detection

Background
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety seeks to ensure ”an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, and specifically focusing on transboundary movements”. In order to manage the introduction and development of GMOs as well as trade thereof, countries are required to develop biosafety regulations. However, there is a lack of understanding, expertise and scientific knowledge on the different aspects necessary to perform risk assessment and develop a regulatory system that takes into consideration the ethical, economic and social considerations.

Performing credible biological risk assessments requires multi-disciplinary scientific and social scientific competence that considers the local context of GMO introductions. Each country needs to be able to conduct risk assessment review and understand the different aspects thereof in order to effectively monitor and manage the introduction of GMOs into the environment Moreover, there is a need to assess GMOs in the context of each countries unique cultural, ethical socio-economic and policy frameworks. Such initiatives will require holistic approaches to develop adequate regulation over the use of GMOs.

About the course
The course is designed to provide policy makers, regulators, scientists and NGOs/civil society leaders, specifically from developing countries, with the necessary balanced and critical knowledge and training in crucial GE/GMO issues. Through lectures, laboratory demonstrations, group work on case studies, and discussions, we offer biosafety capacity building within a holistic framework.


Eligibility and selection process
The course application form must be filled out entirely and with as much detail as possible. The applicant must provide information about the type/level of position they are holding, and state the basis for their interest in the course. In addition, a brief CV is required for consideration.

The course will be organised with English/Portuguese/Spanish translations.

Preference will be given to applicants from South American countries. Participant must come from or live in an ODA-country to be considered. Gender and regional criteria are also used in the selection of participants in order to achieve representational balance.

Applications close on 1 February 2010.

Costs and expenses
Full sponsorship will be given to 40 selected applicants. The sponsorship will cover curricular materials, course-associated travel, visa-fees, accommodation and meals.

How to apply:

The online (electronic) application form is available here: http://www.genok.org/application and on this website: www.rgv.ufsc.br

Download application forms in Word.

http://felles.siteman.no/genok.org/filarkiv/File/regional_2010/applicationformGenok_USC.doc

The completed forms/CVs should be returned to regional10@genok.org



For further information you can contact:

Sarah Zanon Agapito Tenfen
Programa de pós-graduação em Recursos Genéticos Vegetais
Centro de Ciências Agrárias – Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
sarahagapito@cca.ufsc.br
55-48-37215329 or 55-48-88237793

or

Katrine Jaklin
Adviser/Project Manager: GenØk – Centre for Biosafety
E-mail: katrine.jaklin@genok.org
www.genok.org


For further information about ODA-countries visit http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/40/43540882.pdf