13 June 2014
Serge Wich will be researching the conservation of the great apes, using fundamental and applied research to study their behaviour and distribution as well as the threats they face. As part of his applied research, Wich will also study ways of enhancing conservation efforts through the use of new technologies, such as small unmanned aircraft known as eco-drones. This research will be conducted in close collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature. Wich will also give guest lectures at the UvA and supervise Master's students.
Wich has been professor of Primate Biology at Liverpool John Moores University since 2012. He was previously research director at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme of PanEco. Wich is chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), which is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).