CETAF – Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities

The ancient University of Coimbra joins CETAF!

Posted on by Alessandro Marchi

The UNESCO-recognised institution was approved as CETAF member during the 55th Gen...

During the last General Assembly in Oslo (27-28 May 2024) four new members joined the community, becoming part of CETAF. The Nature Research Centre in Vilnius, and three Portuguese Universities: the University of Porto, Lisboa and Coimbra. Let’s know better the latter, thanks to this chat with Teresa Girao.

How would you describe your Institution?
The University of Coimbra (UC) is a public higher education institution founded in 1290, and it was classified as World Heritage by the UNESCO in 2013. It comprises 12 research and education units: the Faculties of Law, Medicine, Arts and Humanities, Pharmacy, Economics, Sciences and Technology, Psychology and Education Sciences, Sport Sciences and Physical Education; the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, the Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, the European Judicial University Court and the College of Arts. There are also several units supporting cultural, training and education activities, such as the University Stadium, the Science Museum or the Botanic Garden. The mission of UC comprises three pillars: Education, Research and Knowledge Transfer. UC offers 36 undergraduate degrees, 123 master degrees and 72 doctorates. It has 38 centers of fundamental and applied research that are responsible for the production of knowledge in several scientific fields, bringing together around 2000 researchers. The UC is part of the national Research Infrastructure PRISC (Portuguese Research Infrastructure for Scientific Collections) and of the national e-infrastructure PORBIOTA (Portuguese E-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity), both included in the national Research Infrastructures Roadmap since 2014.

Paço das Escolas
Museu da Ciência
Which is the highlight, the main feature that characterizes your institution?
By signing the “Scientiae Thesaurus Mirabilis“, King Dinis created the oldest university in the country and one of the oldest in the world. The document, dated 1290, established the General Studies, which were recognized by Pope Nicholas IV in the same year. The University of Coimbra was founded one century after the birth of the nation. It began its activities in Lisbon, but in 1308 it was transferred to Coimbra, alternating between the two cities until 1537, when it was finally established in the city of the Mondego River. Initially confined to the Royal Palace, the University spread throughout the city of Coimbra, transforming its landscape and making it the University City. It later expanded with the creation of a second campus dedicated to Engineering and Technology, and a third campus dedicated to Health Sciences. With more than seven centuries of history, the University of Coimbra has a unique tangible and intangible heritage, a cornerstone in the scientific culture of Europe and the world.
Paço das Escolas
Jardim Botânico
Which are the main collections hosted?
The main collections are hosted at the Herbarium of the University of Coimbra (COI) (c.a. 800,000 specimens), and the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra (amongst others, the Zoology collections comprise c.a. 500,000 specimens). The Herbarium COI is the largest in Portugal. Over its 144 years it assembled important collections, scientifically and historically, from Iberia, Mediterranean basin, and Portuguese former colonies (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Principe, Angola, Mozambique, East Timor): Vascular African plants, from the Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa plus the other sub-Saharan countries; a particularly important collection (c. 220.000 specimens); Vascular Portuguese plants, the largest collection of Portuguese plants anywhere (c. 100.000 specimens); General vascular plant collection, the largest collection in Portugal of plants of the whole world (c. 207.000 specimens); Cryptogams, type specimens and the São Fiel collection are particularly valuable (64.500 specimens); Moritz Willkomm’s Historical Herbarium (1821-1895), valuable collection kept separate, with many type specimens and including the material used for the publication of the first Flora of Spain, Prodromus Flora Hispanicae, its databasing and imaging being finalized (31. 012 specimens); Henri Sudre’s historical collection of Rubus (the Batotheca) on which he based his publication Rubi Europaea (1908-1913); Books of exsiccatae, bound collections of cryptogams (86 books); Collection of duplicate material, valuable specimens used for exchange with other reputable herbaria; Carpological collection, large fruits linked with herbarium specimens (362 dried specimens fully digitized and databased + 26 in spirits); Seed collection (4.119 specimens fully databased). The Zoology collection at the Science Museum is its most extensive and is estimated at 500,000 specimens, of which only 10,000 are vertebrates, the remaining are invertebrates, of which 300,000 are insects. The Science Museum collections began with the creation of the Natural History Museum in 1772, and have grown to the present day, through Domenico Vandelli direction (1775-1788), continuing with great impetus in late 19th century, continuing with the museum’s explorations in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries until the mid-20th century and with the addition of collections focused on the research work of various naturalists.
Torre da Universidade
Biblioteca Joanina
Why did you decide to join CETAF?
The University of Coimbra safeguards diverse collections, preserve the natural heritage, and represent global assets of biodiversity and genetic pool. By maintaining its historic network spirit, the University of Coimbra gives access to the collections and corresponding data, which can benefit the CETAF community.
 
What do you expect from this community?
By joining CETAF, we can in turn benefit from participating in a dynamic community of taxonomists and curators, from training opportunities and updated science policies, and potentially create awareness – even internally – of the importance of taxonomic research.

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