About Coleopetra Research Center
The University of Mindanao Coleoptera Research Center (UMCRC) is the country's premier center devoted to the study and conservation of Philippine beetles. The center was primarily established to answer the need for a center that will lead the research and conservation of Philippine beetles. The main goals of the center are to provide a repository area for references and collections, establish a Philippine beetle database, be at the forefront in the discovery of new beetle species, provide baseline data for conservation management actions, and provide training and capability-building to promote coleopterological studies in the Philippines.
BRIEF HISTORY
The University of Mindanao Coleoptera Research Center (UMCRC) was established through a collaboration between the University of Mindanao and Daugavpils University, Latvia, under the ERASMUS+ Mobility program. Spearheaded by the late Dr. Analyn A. Cabras, the center’s founding director, and Dr. Milton Norman Medina, former AVP for Natural Science and Innovation, UMCRC was created to advance beetle research and biodiversity conservation in the country. The formal agreement to establish the center was formalized in July 2018 between Dr. Guillermo P. Torres Jr., President of the University of Mindanao, and Dr. Arvids Barševskis, Rector of Daugavpils University. Following this partnership, the Coleoptera Research Center was officially inaugurated on September 28, 2018, marking a significant milestone marking a significant milestone in Philippine coleopterology.
VISION
To be the leading research center in the Philippines in the advancement and promotion of Philippine beetle research and conservation.
MISSION
Our mission is to advance and promote research and conservation of beetles in the Philippines through conducting field exploration, writing scientific papers, engaging with local and international collaborators, partnering with various stakeholders such as LGUs, NGOs, local schools and communities, and conducting various education programs to train the next generation of coleopterists.
GOALS
1. To conduct field explorations, especially in all entomologically unexplored mountain ecosystems, Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), and Protected Areas (PA) in the Philippines, to provide baseline data on beetle diversity and ecology.
2. To lead in the discovery of new species of beetles.
3. To provide a repository area for a reference collection.
4. To provide an online and offline database for beetles and beetle studies in the Philippines.
5. To engage and develop partnerships with international and local collaborators, various stakeholders such as LGUs, NGOs, local universities, research institutions, basic education, and communities in conducting research and conservation activities exclusive to beetles.
6. To stimulate and participate in research that will (1) fill knowledge gaps about beetles and (2) conduct conservation activities
7. To provide training and capacity building to LGUs, NGOs, local schools, and communities in conducting beetle research.
8. To lead in the writing and distribution of books, laboratory manuals, and IEC materials to promote beetle research and conservation.
9. To produce the first journal devoted to beetles in the Philippines.
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