Congratulations to three doctoral candidates in biocultural diversity-related research that have successfully passed their viva voce: Nejm Benessaiah (Authority, anarchy and equity: a political ecology of social change in the Algerian Sahara), Erika Ikemoto (Agroforestry extension and protected areas of Brazilian Amazon: lessons from on-going experiences), and Meed Mbizo (Integrated Forest and Wildlife Management in Namibia: Implications for Governance and Rural Livelihoods).