Carlos Hiroo Saito

My academic career is closely related to the built of a multi and interdisciplinary academic background, supported on the following pillars: undergraduate course in Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1985), subsequent training in Systems Analysis at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (1990), the achievement of Master degree in Education at Fluminense Federal University UFF (1990) and PhD in Geography (focused on Geographic Information Systems, 1996). All these provided me with a knowledge base in three major areas: Life Sciences, Earth and Physical Sciences and Human Sciences. This background allows me to perform in a multi and interdisciplinary approach relative to environmental issues, and it makes me capable of handling many interfaces between different areas of knowledge whose obstacles were initiated from languages, terminologies and also by paradigms and ways of seeing the world. I like to coordinate researches and environmental planning inside this interdisciplinary framework, mainly on Environmental education projects. Also, I prepared myself to teach to undergraduate and graduate students offering an integrated systemic view, considering the relevant social and cultural aspects. Presently, I am professor at the University of Brasilia (Department of Ecology and Center for Sustainable Development), since 1996, and I am research member of the graduate course in Sustainable Development (an interdisciplinary program, supported by the Center for Sustainable Development of the University of Brasilia). I am also the Chair of Global Water Partnership-South America. My main teaching responsibilities are with the following disciplines: Environmental Education (for undergraduate course), Environmental Education (for graduate students) and Introduction to Geographic Information System (for graduate students). My main research areas are: Environmental Education, Water Resources Management, Ethnoecology, Land use planning, Cultural heritage and Tourism.