Die Merian-Initiative
MECAM is one of five international centers for advanced studies in the humanities and social sciences funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in collaboration with local institutions and funding agencies.
The Merian Initiative is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, tha was launched in 2015. Its main objetifve is to support research in the humanities and social sciences in countries of the South by establishing and maintaining international centers of excellence for up to 12 years.
Maria Sibylla Merian
The Merian Centers are named after Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717), a German-born naturalist and scientific illustrator. She was one of the first naturalists to closely observe insects. Because of her careful observations and documentation of butterfly metamorphosis, she is considered to be one of the most important contributors of the field of entomology.