EDWIN ARRIGUI TORRES

Originally from El Pital, Huila, he has dedicated his academic and professional life to building bridges between continents—America, Europe, Africa, and Asia—in the constant pursuit of knowledge and a firm commitment to conserving the biodiversity that sustains life on our planet.

PhD student in Biology and Biodiversity Conservation at the University of Salamanca in Spain. He holds a Master's degree in Habitat Analysis, Conservation, and Restoration from the University of Jaén, Spain, with a scholarship from the AUIP. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from the Universidad Surcolombiana in Colombia with cum laude honors. He excelled with a thesis in Botany and Socioecology, contributing five new plant species to global science. He has experience in research, teaching, and scientific production, with 20 publications in books, chapters, catalogs, and abstracts. He is vice president of the Huila Biodiversa Association of Colombia. He has participated in 39 academic events as a speaker, organizer, and assistant, and has received eleven national and international awards and five scholarships, including Erasmus+ in Spain. His training is complemented by 38 courses at world-renowned universities. He has volunteered various times, such as with the Berber tribe in Morocco, Africa, providing ethnobotanical research and support. He is currently the coordinator of conservation and scientific research for the Western Iberian Peninsula for the Nature and Man Foundation of Spain, part of the Spanish committee of the IUCN. He has coordinated LIFE, INTERREG, POCTEC, Nexteration, and privately funded projects, combining this with personnel management, biological reserves, and terrestrial and aquatic habitat actions. With a career that integrates research, management, and international cooperation, he focuses his scientific work on strengthening global strategies for biodiversity conservation. He currently works in biological corridors in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Portugal, and Spain, based on the conviction that species recognize no borders and that the protection of life demands a common vision for all humanity.