Training News - October 2004

Author: AquaTT

Date: 07 Oct 2005

OCTOBER 2004

A free e-mail news service provided by AquaTT on European Education & Training in Aquaculture.
Please submit any relevant information for dissemination in the newsletter to
news@aquatt.ie 

About AquaTT

Contents
1.
Education
- New Socrates Pre-Proposal - AQUA-TNET: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management
- E-Aqualex: the new face of the Aqualex Glossary of Aquaculture Terms

- Aquaculture Educational Posters - The PISCES Series 

2. Collaboration 
- Sharing Experience - Assessment of Women Achievers in Aquaculture Workshop

3. Announcements
- Conference of Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers - "Innovation in the Mollusk Shellfish Sector", 4th-5th November, Oban, Scotland
- Framework Training Courses - 16th-18th November 2004, Brussels
- Marie Curie Information Day - 26th November, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Valorisation Conference: Optimising Leonardo - 21st - 23rd November 2004, Dublin


4. Other
- Commission publishes Marie Curie call for proposals

- Post your Job, Student placement and MSc/ PhD vacancies on PISCESTTJOBS

5. Student Corner
- Aquaculture Education and Training - Investing in the Future
(Article by Vivian Paraveski Mara, University of Crete)



Education

New Socrates Pre-Proposal - AQUA-TNET: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management
 
Building on the results and achievements of the Socrates Thematic Network AQUA-TNET in its aim to assess and analyse the aquaculture higher education sector and to identify key curriculum development and assessment objectives, the network is now moving to submit a new proposal to expand its range to encompass aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic resources management. (For more information on the network visit http://www.piscestt.com/pisces/educational/intro_en.asp)
 

The network has been funded under the European Commission Socrates Programme since 1996 and is again seeking an extension to the funding under the Socrates call for Erasmus Thematic Networks. The application process is split into two phases; pre-proposal, deadline 1st November 2004 and full proposal March 2004.
To date over 120 institutions have registered an interest in being involved in this new network.
Partners are eligible to participate if they come from any of the following 31 countries; Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom;
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey
 
Network Structure
The network will be coordinated by a higher education institute and supported by AquaTT. The proposed network will be split into working groups. Each work package will have a coordinator and a core group of ~ 5-10 partners who will work together on initiatives, arrange meetings and produce deliverables for the overall network.
List of Work Packages:
- Curriculum Development - Transparency in Teaching & Qualifications
- Innovation in Teaching & Learning Methods - Student Mobility Issues
- Responding to the Needs of Industry - Responding to the Needs of Society
- Importance of Languages & Linguistic Diversity - Dissemination of Network Outcomes

REGISTRATION FOR THE FULL PROPOSAL STAGE IS CLOSED - Should you be interested in registering your institute for full proposal stage, please fill out the registration form on http://www.aquatt.ie/aquatnetproposal/index.php
If you require more information or have any queries related to the above information please contact David Murphy, Aqua-TNET coordinator, Tel: +353 1 644 9008, david@aquatt.ie
 
  
E-Aqualex: the New Face of the Aqualex Glossary of Aquaculture Terms
 
Aqualex, the popular aquaculture glossary, is now available online at http://www.aqualexonline.com. Users can now register for a free 7-day trial and will soon be able to sign up for full E-Aqualex access as an annual member for the impressively low subscription rate of €25. Multiple user rates are negotiable upon request.
 
DEFINES
E-Aqualex stores scientifically credited terms and definitions for over 3,000 aquaculture and marine science terms.

TRANSLATES
E-Aqualex provides terms & full definitions, through text and sound, in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish.

COMPLEMENTS
E-Aqualex is an invaluable tool for professional, personal or academic pursuits in marine science & aquaculture.
 
For further information on the glossary visit the website or contact Erin at info@aqualex.org
 
 
Aquaculture Educational Posters - The PISCES Series

A series of educational posters comprising 9 exciting titles on aquaculture has been produced under the framework of the PISCES project. PISCES, found at www.piscestt.com, is a now well established forum for aquaculture education and training, spearheaded by AquaTT and partners, under the auspices of the Leonardo da Vinci programme.

This first series consists of life-cycle and special interest topic titles posing broad appeal for students from second level upwards, and for those wishing to gain an understanding of the stages and technical methods currently being used within the aquaculture sector. The life-cycle posters graphically represent the various stages of the wild life cycle of the species through text, graphs, distribution maps and cyclically linked photographs. Each stage of the life cycle is linked to its stage in commercial aquaculture.

PISCES partner, La Tene Maps, with pledged support from individuals, development agencies, academic institutions and companies, was responsible for the ultimate design, compilation and production of the series.

AQUACULTURE EDUCATIONAL POSTERS - SERIES 2004
The funded titles of 2004, currently available in English but with provision for translation are “Farming Atlantic Salmon�, “Farming Turbot�, “Farming European Perch�, “Life-cycle of Seahorse�, “Life-cycle of Sea Bass & Sea Bream�, “Waste Management in Aquaculture�, “Local Area Management Systems in Aquaculture�, “Traceability� and “Recirculation Systems in Aquaculture�.

Print runs are now complete with 5000 of each title and planning underway for a follow on series. A dissemination strategy is now in operation with all titles available in B2 size (500mm by 700mm) from AquaTT direct, the dissemination sponsors and for download from the PISCES forum in pdf format. The posters will have presence and free distribution at all workshops, conferences and exhibitions attended by AquaTT and poster sponsors.

Special thanks is extended to the 2004 dissemination sponsors: Bord Iascaigh Mhara/Irish Sea Fisheries Board, Taighde Mhara Teo (Ireland), TIC Teo (Ireland), Skretting, Biomar, Coppens International, Schering Plough, AquaMedic, Tropical Marine Centre and Project Seahorse.

AQUACULTURE EDUCATIONAL POSTERS - SERIES 2005
To date an exceptionally high level of interest has been expressed for further development of the series with requests for specific titles within the existing series to be translated into Hungarian and Korean among other languages. Requests for the current titles has seen the posters sent as far a field as the U.S, Canada, South America and China for use in school, university and vocational training programmes, and to complement companies’ support information and resources. Thus, planning is now underway to devise a second series with the first titles in this being made available for the AquaNor Trade Show in Trondheim, Norway in August 2005.

At this stage, a list of potential topic titles is being aired for initial feedback. AquaTT in conjunction with La Tene Maps aims to produce at minimum, a series of six posters. The list is non-exhaustive and represents the documented needs and suggestions from sponsors of the first series. Initial interest in suggesting a title or supporting a named title through content and/or financial contribution can be expressed to Mr. John Coleman of La Tene Maps (contact details below). The intention is to devise a list of topics, flagged by the industry, and then to work to produce these as comprehensive poster titles through 2005 and 2006. Suggestions may include for example the update and/or reprinting of an existing poster in a different language.

AquaTT, a non-profit service provider, invites industry members to nominate posters and to contribute financially to the content development, printing and distribution of their select title. AquaTT would be looking for a minimum contribution of €1500 per poster sponsored. In turn the sponsor will benefit from direct link association with the specific poster and the series in its entirety. The innovative series will cover many subjects which have never been broached in such manner, format and detail to such a wide scope audience. Sponsorship is evidenced and acknowledged through print of company logo, website and contact details on the posters. Sponsors receive bulk copies of the posters for their own use and distribution. On any given poster there is room for 6 sponsor logos in total, however, exclusive sponsorship of a poster can be arranged.

Potential Posters for 2005:
Life Cycle of Cod
Life Cycle of Pike/Perch
Life Cycle of Sturgeon
Life Cycle of Trout
Life Cycle of the European Eel
Life Cycle of Tilapia
Life Cycle of Trout
Life Cycle of Halibut
Life Cycle of the Mussel
Life Cycle of the Oyster
Life Cycle of the Prawn
Life Cycle of the Abalone
Life Cycle of the Lobster
Life Cycle of the Scallop
Renewable Energy Systems in Aquaculture
Quality Labels in Aquaculture
Organic Aquaculture
Depuration Systems
Salmonid/Finfish Disease Diagnostic Chart/ Disease Identification Chart
Shellfish Disease Diagnostic Chart/ Disease Identification Chart
Rotifers
Microalgae
Larviculture

The posters are successfully researched designed and produced by La Tene Maps whose chief executive John Coleman is also the Treasurer and a Director of AquaTT. Further information on these new posters can be had from him in the first instance at:

John Coleman, Chief Executive, La Tene Maps, Tel: +353-12847914
E-mail: johncoleman@latene.com

For information on the current series, please contact:
Caoimhe Boylan, Project Executive, AquaTT, Tel: +353-16449008
E-mail: aquatt@aquatt.ie

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Collaboration  

Sharing Experience - Assessment of Women Achievers in Aquaculture Workshop

Aspiration and determination, can be deemed clear themes of the recent workshop “Assessment of Women Achievers in Aquaculture�, which took place in Rochefort, France between 7th-8th October 2004. A group of 36 men and women of differing aquaculture-related backgrounds gathered from France, Spain, UK, Ireland and Finland to exchange their opinions and experiences within the inspirational setting of the locally established "route de l'huître" (oyster trails) project.

 

The workshop programme included a synopsis of the important desktop study, “Role of Women in Aquaculture & Fisheries in Europe�, an overview of the FEMMES (Women in fisheries and aquaculture in Europe) thematic network activities, and examples of best practice through keynote speaker “success stories� specific to the four lead themes of the workshop: Women in Aquaculture-Tourism Initiatives, Women in Education & Research, Women in Production and Women in Networking/ Mentoring & Associations.

Opening presentations broached the theme of an almost invisible industry with women’s almost invisible role. Small informal working groups were established where participants discussed this further and documented the key elements to effective networking, communication, decision making, negotiation and life/ work balance for success in their respective roles. Moving from a point of self-reference, the participants went on to identify the wide-scope challenges and needs within the themed areas of discussion from local, national and European points of view.

Building further on the themes of leadership and innovation, the final day of the workshop was dedicated to visiting two local entrepreneurs who are actively extending the scope of their traditional businesses. Ms. Dominique Richiero guided us through the stages of her oyster operation with technical demonstrations and explanations of the history involved, the current situation and business avenues being explored all of which culminated in a “degustation� (tasting) within the cabin from which she operates. Ms Helen Bodin provided a tangible overview of the developments and changing role of women in the sector with her linking of aquaculture and tourism in the region through her saltworks and accompanying on-site shop for sale of her products.

All workshop outcomes will be uploaded to the workshop forum on PISCESTT (www.piscestt.com) shortly. All queries relating to the workshop should be addressed to Caoimhe at aquatt@aquatt.ie 

The event, devised and organised by AquaTT in collaboration with Aqualex Multimedia Consortium (AMC), the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers (ASSG) and Centro Tecnologico del Mar-Fundacion (CETMAR), was supported by the European Commission, Directorate General for Fisheries.

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Announcements

Conference of Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers - "Innovation in the Mollusk Shellfish Sector", 4th - 5th November 2004, Oban Scotland

The Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers (ASSG) will be holding an international conference �Innovation in the Mollusk Shellfish Sector" at McTavish's Kitchen in Oban on 4 & 5 November.

Previous ASSG Conferences have explored themes as varied as environment, legislation and management of biotoxin events all relevant to shellfish growers, but at a strategic level.

This years Conference will focus directly on tangible and practical aspects of a shellfish growers life, specifically novel and innovative elements of the profession ranging from hatchery operations and new species through on-growing techniques to next years water charges as a result of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and EU requirements for enhanced traceability.

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Framework Training Courses - Brussels 16th - 18th November 2004
Three one day courses on participating in the EU's research framework programmes will take place in Brussels, Belgium, between 16 and 18 November.

The courses will address the following topics:
- how to write a competitive proposal for the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) - 16 November
- how to negotiate, manage and administer an FP5 or FP6 contract - 17 November
- how to write and eTIP (technology implementation plan) - 18 November

Data Source Provider: Cordis
For further information please
consult the following web address: http://www.hyperion.ie

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Marie Curie Information Day - 26th November, Edinburgh, Scotland

The UK Research Office (UKRO) will hold an information day on the EU's Marie Curie actions in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 26 November. The day will provide an outline of the Marie Curie actions for both individuals and groups, and will offer guidance on preparing proposals. The event will focus on the new work programme for the Marie Curie actions, providing an outline of the key changes as well as the lessons learned from the first round of calls for proposals.

Data Source Provider: Cordis
For further information, consult the following website:
http://www.ukro.ac.uk

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Valorisation Conference: Optimising Leonardo - 21st - 23rd November 2004, Dublin

The Irish Leonardo Da Vinci National Agency is hosting a valorisation conference in Dublin to showcase practical examples of innovation in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Ireland and to discuss the progress of the programme nationally from 2000 and 2006 and on into the future. Commission representatives, VET experts, National Agency representatives, policy-makers, project promoters, social partners and end-users will attend. The Conference will run for a day and a half on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd November 2004 in Dublin and will include product demonstrations (PISCES Project, DEVELOP Project, Archiwood Project and MoFIT Project etc). For further information on this event visit www.leonardo-ireland.com


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Other

Commission publishes Marie Curie calls for proposals

The European Commission has published eight calls for proposals under the Marie Curie Actions of the Sixth Framework Programme. The details are as follows:

- Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (2.3.2.1 in the work programme)
Budget: 65 million euro; closing date: 16.2.2005

- Marie Curie Outgoing International Fellowships (2.3.2.2 in the work programme)
Budget: 20 million euro; closing date: 19.1.2005

- Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowships (2.3.2.3 in the work programme)
Budget: 20 million euro; closing date: 19.1.2005

- Marie Curie Excellence Grants (2.3.3.1 in the work programme)
Budget: 40 million euro; closing date: 16.2.2005

- Marie Curie Excellence Awards (2.3.3.2 in the work programme)
Budget: 250,000 euro; closing date: 16.2.2005

- Marie Curie Chairs (2.3.3.3 in the work programme)
Budget: eight million euro; closing date: 16.2.2005

- Marie Curie European Reintegration Grants (2.3.4.1 in the work
programme)
Budget: ten million euro in 2005, 13 million euro in 2006; closing
dates: 19.1.2005; 19.4.2005; 19.7.2005; 19.10.2005; 19.1.2006; 19.4.
2006; 19.7.2006. This is an open call and proposals will be
evaluated in batches;

- Marie Curie International Reintegration Grants (2.3.4.2 in the work programme)
Budget: ten million euro for 2005, 13 million euro for 2006

closing dates: 19.1.2005; 19.4.2005; 19.7.2005; 19.10.2005; 19.1.2006; 19.4.2006; 19.7.2006. This is an open call and proposals will be evaluated in batches. For further information visit http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/calls_activity.cfm?ID_ACTIVITY=594
 

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Post your Student placement and MSc/ PhD vacancies on WWW.PISCESTTJOBS.COM

piscesttjobs.comPISCES TT Jobs, an exciting and valuable free online service provided by AquaTT UETP Ltd. to employers and potential employees in aquaculture and related science sectors. Using a secure and innovative site format, employers and job searchers can post job vacancies and CVs, respectively, thus facilitating human resource development in the industry.

Upon registration, companies can post and instantaneously edit job vacancies, including permanent, temporary, MSc/PhD and student placement positions. Companies will only receive CVs of those applicants who are qualified for the position requirements. To ensure privacy and lessen the hassle of unsolicited calls and queries, company/organisation contact details will not be published online.

Prospective employees can use the online registration facility to obtain a username and password, post and edit their employee profile, upload a CV and apply online for positions.

If you are interested in posting a job vacancy or registering for the service, please contact aquatt@aquatt.ie

AquaTT, the European Network for Education and Training, is providing the site as an additional service to compliment their flagship project, PISCES TT, found on the web at www.piscestt.com and host to a comprehensive education database, occupational profiles, virtual tours, a discussion forum, and marine sciences activities for children.

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Student Corner

Aquaculture Education and Training - Investing in the Future
(Article by Vivian Mara, University of Crete, GREECE)

Education (teaching and learning) has very ancient roots in society. In Greece, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, to mention only the best-known, were great youth mentors, whose main educational target was to provide and to develop knowledge, a critical ability and a sense of creation to the young people of their society.
The overall accepted criteria for a proper educational system are not much different than those above. What has really changed and is still changing, however, is the relationship that education has with a very well known parameter known as “time�.
In most educational institutions, students have to try to learn as much as they can in a very short time span and during the time they invest in their studies, they have to acquire: (1) a degree (Bachelor, Master, Ph.D.); (2) ideas and knowledge capable of producing something new and interesting for the marketplace; and (3) a “good� job with a good salary to catch up after all the years spent in attending classes.
All this can be expressed in a few words by using mathematical symbols as:

(f(education)) time = (be synchronized +no room for mistakes +try to be perfect)

But is it possible to achieve all the above? And if, hypothetically speaking, it is, which is the success rate in these three time-related targets?
In my personal opinion the first target, a degree, is something that a very high percentage of students can manage. The other two targets are very relevant to each other, since you must keep up with the needs and the trends of the market, in order to be an expert in something that market wants, which will finally lead you to a “good� job.
But is it possible to keep up with the market and to be fully informed on what is going on, and at the same time attend your university lectures? I don’t know if it can be done (I certainly don’t seem to be able to manage all three successfully). It is at this point that students need help, since it is very useful for them to be able to have the privilege of getting relevant professional information along with solid market information, all gathered together in one place.
That is exactly what AquaTT offered to more than 45 students from all over Europe in the Student Workshop which they organized in Glasgow, in May 2004, during the Glasgow Aquaculture and Fisheries Exhibition. In a most efficient way, they managed to collect information concerning the market and, more specifically, the trends, the needs and some new ideas taking place right now in the aquaculture industry, for the students.
All the information given as part of the Workshop came directly from people who are excellent speakers, fully occupied with these issues, and have a great deal of experience in the aquaculture sector. This resulted in a very powerful combination of information, since the invited speakers were in a position a) to present real data from the real world, b) to express their personal opinions and c) to make a future prediction for the needs and probably the obstacles that could come from new activities.
Furthermore, the idea of having people with academic careers in well-known European Universities as guest speakers, underlines the fact that even if students are familiar with the technological sector, they still have to create and to adapt communication skills, in order to introduce themselves to the market.
The Ithaca case study (a very clever “game� that Dr. Lacroix, designed especially for the students) presented us with a great opportunity to do a recapitulation since we had a) to use all the educational and the professional skills gathered during the 3 -day Workshop; b) to work on a case study that wasn’t far from the real situation; and c) the chance to make a self assessment of our skills.
Finally, in the end of my letter, I would like to focus on one point. Things are changing in a very rapid way, that’s why gathering information, networking and generally feedback are mandatory elements in the 21st century. I would strongly recommend that educational institutions, businesses from the private industrial sector and even global organizations lend their support and backing to this kind of event, because investing in knowledge and generally in students, it’s like investing in the future.


Vivian Paraskevi Mara
University of Crete
Hellas

If you would like to write an article for the student corner please contact Caoimhe at aquatt@aquatt.ie

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About AquaTT

AquaTT through its extensive network has realised that essential information on upcoming changes is not being effectively disseminated to all parties. Thus, AquaTT is producing this free news service "TRAINING NEWS" specifically for the Aquaculture industry. The newsletter is intended to keep you informed of developments in Education & Training and related areas. Support material will be available on the new European Education Forum website www.piscestt.com . All old Training News will be archived on the piscestt site.

The main target audience for this newsletter is teachers, trainers and students in the aquaculture area but will also be of interest to policy makers, companies and associations.

AquaTT welcomes any feedback regarding content, presentation and user-friendliness of the newsletter. Please forward this mail to any colleagues that may be interested. Please submit any relevant information for dissemination in the newsletter.

DISCLAIMER: AquaTT provides this newsletter as a free service to interested parties. Most of the information is provided by AquaTT. Where it is not, the source of the news is provided in the text of the news brief or else AquaTT attributes the news to the coordinating body as the "Data Source Provider". In no way does this newsletter, by promoting events not coordinated by AquaTT, intend to wrongly or inappropriately claim projects, news, etc. as its own nor is it responsible for incorrect information provided from other sources. "Training News" is a promotional tool and forum for both AquaTT and other organisations.

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