GIST-Caltech Evolutionary Biology course explores the Galápagos Islands

□ The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST, President Seung Hyeon Moon) is closely cooperating with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the United States to open a short, intensive course on 'Evolutionary Biology' with a field trip to the Galápagos Islands * in Ecuador.

* Galápagos is known for its unique biology since the British biologist Charles Darwin explored the islands in 1835 during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. It is called a 'field experiment of biological evolution' and is a place that formed a unique biology from its special environment. There are many endemic species that have been isolated from the continent and have evolved on their own. Since 1935, the area has been controlled to prevent overfishing. It was registered in 1978 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was registered as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2001, including the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

∘ Since 2011, GIST has been involved in student exchange with Caltech through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and the regular semester exchange program. GIST has also invited full-time professors from Caltech during the vacation and opened intensive short-term courses. From 2011, Professor Rob Phillips of Caltech's Applied Physics Department has taught Physical Biology of the Cell and Evolutionary Biology to GIST College students during vacation sessions.

∘ This course will be taught by Professor Rob Phillips of the Department of Applied Physics at Caltech, who has visited GIST during every summer and winter semesters since 2011 to conduct courses on 'Cell Physiology' and 'Evolutionary Biology.'

Lectures at Caltech: Discussing the plants and animals before going to the Galápagos Islands

∘ Caltech only has exchange programs with only two universities because of strict partnership criteria: the University of Iceland and GIST.

□ Professor Kyungrae Cho of the School of Life Sciences has planned and organized the "Evolutionary Biology" course for the past seven years, and he took 13 GIST College students to take classes at Caltech for 8 hours a day for one week before travelling with them to explore the Galápagos Islands for another week.

Galápagos Islands: Students learn about the uniqueness of the marine iguana

∘ The Galápagos Islands are historic islands that have changed Darwin's life. The endemic species and geologic specificities of the islands are unrivaled by any other place in the world. From the start of the program, being able to explore the Galápagos Islands was the ultimate goal of 'Evolutionary Biology' course.

∘ However, taking into account more than 30 hours of travel time and the vast geographical distance, it was never easy for GIST to incorporate Galápagos into a class-linked field trip. However, through three past field trips that explored other areas relevant to evolution, the accumulated know-how made it possible to undertake an expedition to the Galápagos Islands.

□ The GIST College students visited three Galápagos Islands (Baltra, Santa Cruz, and Isabella) and spent two days camping on Isabella Island to observe its natural environment and unique vegetation. The GIST students hiked 32 km to observe the caldera and the exposed sulphur crystals of Volcan Sierra Negra, which is the largest active volcano on Isabella Island.

Hiking at Volcan Sierra Negra: Observing the geological formation and its influence on the flora and fauna

∘ Students also visited a breeding center for the Galápagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra), a protected species of the Galápagos, to remove the twigs and stones around the enclosure and to feed the turtles. As members of the global community, the students volunteered to participate in activities related to conservation. Many unique species of flora and fauna were also observed in the sea and in the wetlands, especially a reptile known as the marine iguana, which are endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

∘ The expedition led to the observation of vegetation under the sea to a 2000-meter-high crater, moving from wetlands to drylands. Students wore wet suits to body temperature and use snorkeling gear, and they initially trained for a day in a mangrove wetland inlet and swam alongside sea lions. They also observed sea turtles eating green algae in the sea while conducting underwater photography. After four nights on Isabella Island, students returned to Santa Cruz Island and visited the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Snorkeling around Isabella Island: Observing the marine wildlife that lives around the volcanic island

□ GIST-Caltech's "Evolutionary Biology" course with a field trip is centered on the theme of "Dynamic Earth" and is the only program in Korea that directly explores the area of evolutionary biology that before was only accessible through textbooks and papers. The course has received praise from GIST College students who have taken courses.

∘ Previous GIST-Caltech 'Evolutionary Biology' courses, which has been held three times so far, has taken field trips to the Wallace Line and the Lombuck Islands in Indonesia as well as a field trip to New Zealand's South Island, which has a variety of geological and ecological diversity due to the climate characteristics of having temperate rain forests that are in close proximity to glaciers.

□ Professor Kyungrae Cho of the School of Life Sciences. He said, "Understanding the concept of evolution in the natural sciences, especially life sciences and applied life sciences, is critical in the process of growing into an independent, creative researcher. The 'Evolutionary Biology' course, which combines a field trip that follows Charles Darwin's exploration of the Galápagos Islands, is currently only done by a handful of universities, such as Caltech and Cornell University in the United States. Exploring the Galápagos Islands is, in a word, the pinnacle of evolutionary biology field trips."

□ Several GIST College students made the following comments about the course: ▲ Juhee Kim (Life Science Major, 2015) said, "I was able to understand Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by vividly seeing and experiencing the factors affecting evolution, such as the surrounding natural environment. Through the exploration of the Galápagos, I realized the importance once again of projects and many people's efforts to preserve ecosystems and preserve rare species." ▲ Jihun Jeong (General Studies Division, 2016) said, "The most important thing that I learned in this course is that mathematical quantification of evolution is possible, and I was surprised to learn that computer coding and simulation can help us understand the process of evolution." ▲ Ju Young Oh (General Studies Division, 2016) said, "In the Galápagos Islands, you can actually observe theories you have learned, such as the beak of the finch, the difference in height of cacti depending on the characteristics of the area, and the change in appearance of the tortoises differentiated by volcanoes. It was fun and exciting."

∘ Together with Professor Kyungrae Cho, the students are preparing a book and a photo exhibition of their experiences in the Galápagos Islands.

□ On the other hand, as a liberal arts college, the field trip is a unique educational program unique to GIST College. The course was first opened in 2013 to overcome the limitations of existing teaching methods in which professors teach materials in classrooms and students are evaluated by assignments and exams. The course was held four times between 2014 and 2016, followed by Galápagos in January 2018. All have been successful.