The Wildlife Conservation Society is recruiting a research intern to support our review of the wildlife legal protection framework in China.
Location: home-based or at our office in Guangzhou
Language: fluent Chinese, conversational English
Compensation: the position is unpaid, however the intern will receive a reimbursement for the daily food/travel expenses.
Biodiversity in China
By any definition, China is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. Its land spans over 9.6 million km2 and over 3 million km2 of seawater are under its jurisdiction, allowing it to cover 50 degrees of latitude and 5 climatic zones. China hosts a vast array of unique ecosystems, inhabited by the most varied range of wildlife species: 580 of mammals, 1,329 of birds, 407 of reptiles, 321 of amphibians, over 2,840 of fish and 26,000 of higher plants. China’s wildlife is of immense global significance, and an estimated 10.5% of the species of vertebrates living here are found nowhere else in the world.
Wildlife Conservation in China
Habitat degradation, over-exploitation and pollution are severe threats to a large portion of Chinese native species. According to the IUCN 2013 Red List, 962 species living in China are classified Vulnerable or worse, of which 41 are Endangered and Critically Endangered mammals, with an increase of 17% over the past decade.
Adequate management of wildlife resources is a key component of a country's ecological security strategy against both the loss of biodiversity and the threats arising from invasive alien species. In 2012, during the 18th National Congress of the CPC, former president Hu Jintao advocated for the first time ecological progress and sustainable development as key components towards building a “beautiful country”. Political determination to turn China's international image from villain to hero is increasing, and hopefully will spur a major change in the social behavior towards nature conservation. However, while social habits may take decades to change, a stronger legal framework for the protection of endangered species is a pressing priority.
Research proposal
The Wildlife Conservation Society is proposing an in depth study on laws and regulations pertaining to the conservation, management, processing, consumption and trade of wildlife in China. This is the first step of an organic strategy aimed at understanding the coverage and strength of the wildlife protection legislation currently enacted in the country. Subsequent phases of this study will include a comparative research with selected successful overseas conservation models, and the elaboration of a set of recommendations to help political actors in shaping a better management of wildlife in China. Through this research WCS expects to provide a substantial contribution to reversing the biodiversity loss the country is both experiencing and considered responsible for.
Qualifications
• Postgraduate student preferably in law, zoology, environmental or conservation studies;
• Interest in issues related to environment and wildlife conservation in China;
• Excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong analytical aptitude;
• Very good writing language skills for legal Chinese;
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural team.
How to apply
Please send us an email to
qhe@wcs.org clearly stating in the subject the internship type and location of your interest and including:
• a cover letter introducing yourself and explaining why you are interested in WCS and what you are expecting from this experience;
• the time frame of your availability (earliest date, expected length, part-time/full-time)
• your updated CV.
As your application moves forward in the selection process we will try our best to update you on its status, however we apologize in advance if we are unable to respond to applicants who are not shortlisted.
All information is collected for recruitment purpose only and will be kept in our database for 6 months.