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AQUA-TNET NEWSLETTER

May 2011

This is a free e-mail news service provided by Aqua-tnet for the Aqua-tnet network and its partners. Aqua-tnet is the European Thematic Network in the field of aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic resource management, funded under the European Commission Lifelong Learning Programme, from 2008 - 2011.

In the Aqua-tnet Newsletter you will find an update of Aqua-tnet and its activities, as well as information from the European Commission related to European education matters.

Please forward this newsletter to your colleagues and students. Please submit any relevant information for dissemination in the newsletter to aquatnet@aquatt.ie.

Contents

1. AQUA-TNET News

2. Research & Education

3. Other

5. Bibmail

6. Information of Interest

7. AquaTT Training News and Announcements

8. PiscesTT Jobs

1. AQUA-TNET News


WP3 core group meeting, Summer 2011, Trabzon, Turkey

WP3 - Mobility - is organising their last year core group meeting in Trabzon, Turkey, to finalise WP3 results. The meeting will most probably be held in Summer 2011. Please contact Marieke (Marieke@aquatt.ie) and Lluis Tort (Lluis.tort@uab.es) as soon as possible in case you are interested in attending this meeting.

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Aqua-tnet Annual Event 2011, 8-9 September 2011, Faro, Portugal

All Aqua-tnet members and stakeholders are invited to attend to find out about the activities and results of the FINAL year (2008-2011) and debate the hot topics in Education and Training. This year the Annual Event (8-9 September) will take place in Faro, Portugal and will be preceded by several events on the 7th of September:

1.   Workshop: "Innovative teaching tools – creating content for learning environments”, organised by WP5/8
2.   Larvanet workshop - Microbial Management in Fish & Shellfish Larviculture, in cooperation with the EATiP

Click here for the Registration Form with more information regarding the logistics as well. Please send back the Registration form to Caroline.VanGeeteruyen@UGent.be, cc marieke@aquatt.ie as soon as possible, but latest by Friday 15th July 2011.

Further information and an agenda will follow later and will also be published on the AQUA-TNET website (

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Workshop Announcement "Innovative teaching tools - Creating content for learning environments", 7 September 2011, Faro, Portugal

The team from Workpackages 5 & 8 are pleased to invite all Aqua-tnet members involved in teaching to a one-day workshop on "Innovative teaching tools - Creating content for learning environments" to be held immediately prior to the Aqua-tnet Annual Event in Portugal on 7th September 2011.

Topics are likely to include:
  •     Video production and sharing
  •     Producing podcasts
  •     Creating multi-media resources
  •     Creating and analysing surveys
  •     Image production, editing and sharing
  •     Tools for collaboration
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come - first served basis. For full details click here.

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Larvanet workshop - Microbial Management in Fish & Shellfish Larviculture, 7 September 2011, Faro, Portugal

The LARVANET workshop in cooperation with Aqua-tnet and the European Aquaculture Technology Platform (EATiP), on Microbial Management in Fish & Shellfish Larviculture will be held on the 7th September as a side-event to the Aqua-tnet Annual Event 2011. For more information click here.

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WP2: PhD portal: uploading data on courses and thesis's

A vital part of our Aqua-tnet website are the portals. This is an appeal to start uploading the PhD portal. There are 2 databases: the PhD courses and PhD thesis’s.

Within our own WP2 feedback was limited with PhD courses available only from Wageningen University (http://aquatnet.djangofoo.com/institutions/view/64/), University of Naples (http://aquatnet.djangofoo.com/institutions/view/130/), NUI Galway (http://aquatnet.djangofoo.com/institutions/view/133/) and NTNU (http://aquatnet.djangofoo.com/institutions/view/95/) and soon uploaded information from Insubria University.

We would now like to widen our search and look within our entire consortium for more PhD courses. Does your university/institute provide PhD courses? We would be more than happy to hear about it. We are especially looking for purposely designed PhD courses. In other words we are aware of the fact the PhD students often follow master courses as part of their training. Yet master courses should appear in the master course portal. In the PhD portal we are looking for specific courses that are given in a short period of time, so that through mobility, these courses could become available to European students.

Click here for the guidelines on how to upload and update information alternatively complete the information required in the excel and email to Caroline Van Geeteruyen (caroline.vangeeteruyen@ugent.be). E-mail addresses are used as log in and the password is aquatnet, settings can be changed. If you experience any general website related problems please contact Marieke Reuver at marieke@aquatt.ie with your queries.

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Innovation in teaching and learning: Survey report

WP5 and WP8 have recently published their findings from a survey carried out among teachers and students. The aim was to capture a snapshot of the status of teaching and learning in the area of European aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic resources management, particularly with respect to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and other innovative tools. The report, available at http://www.aquatnet.com/client/files/aquatnetwp5surveyreport_web.pdf, presents the key findings, considers trends and poses further questions for sector stakeholders to help in the development of future programmes and support.

The report should be of interest to teachers to see the overall picture across the Aqua-tnet network and the working group are very interested in receiving comments and feedback on the issues raised in the report. One of the key findings was to improve links between industry and academia and the working groups have recetly made an appeal for people working in aquaculture, fisheries or other aquatic resources industry or allied research organisations to share your experience and expertise. See news item below and http://www.aquatnet.com/index.php/137/experience-share/ for further information.

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Share your experience & expertise

The Aqua-tnet project recently carried out a survey of teachers and students which found they would welcome greater opportunities to link with industry and researchers; to hear practical experience and current thinking and perhaps visit either physically or virtually, aquaculture installations, businesses and research projects.

If you are working in the aquaculture, fisheries or other aquatic resources industry or allied research organisation, please consider offering just a little of your time to help enhance the teaching in this sector by completing the form at:
http://tinyurl.com/aquatnet-linksform For more information please download the flyer (Word doc. 68KB)

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Researchers give your opinion on your needs and challenges!

In order to fully understand the needs and challenges for Research Institutes, the Research group has designed this survey to carry out a sector wide analysis. The data will be analysed and a report will be produced identifying current practice with regards to training, mobility, lifelong learning and CPD (Career Progression and Development). Conclusions and recommendations on how interaction can be improved, in particular with Aqua-tnet (CLICK HERE to fill out the survey.

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2. Research & Education

Progress towards the common European objectives in education and training (2010-2011) - Indicators and benchmarks

EU countries have improved their education systems in key areas over the past decade but they have achieved only one out of five benchmarks set for 2010, the European Commission's new progress report on education and training reveals. The report, covering all EU Member States, plus Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Turkey, Norway and Liechtenstein, contains overviews and detailed statistics identifying which countries perform above or below the EU average and which are catching up or falling behind compared to the others. To read the report visit http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/report10/report_en.pdf

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ECVET Magazine No 4 - April 2011

The latest issue of ECVET Magazine is now available for download at http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news/18074.aspx.

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Portal on European Qualifications Framework launched

The European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) provides a common reference framework which assists in comparing the national qualifications systems, frameworks and their levels. In order to make the EQF work, European countries participating in "Education and Training 2020" are invited to relate their national qualifications levels to the appropriate levels of the EQF and to indicate in all new qualification certificates, diplomas and Europass documents the relevant EQF level.

The EQF portal provides the results of the national process for relating national qualifications levels to the levels of the EQF. In "Compare Qualifications Frameworks" page, it is possible to compare how national qualifications levels of countries that have already finalised their referencing process are been linked to the EQF. Visit the portal at http://ec.europa.eu/eqf/home_en.htm.

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Public consultations: which way forward for EU education and youth programmes?

The European Commission has just published the results of public consultations on the future generation of EU programmes for education and youth from 2014. Between September and November 2010, anyone interested was invited to give their opinions on the design of the funding programmes under the next multiannual budget of the European Union. For more information and to read the full report visit http://www.eaea.org/news.php?aid=118199&k=2088&utm_source=emailcampaign29&utm_medium=phpList&utm_content=HTMLemail&utm_campaign=EAEA+News+May+2011.

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New education benchmarks on employability and mobility

The Commission has unveiled plans for new European targets on the employability and the mobility of students to stimulate and guide education reforms in Europe. For more information and to read the full report visit http://www.eaea.org/news.php?aid=118200&k=2088&utm_source=emailcampaign29&utm_medium=phpList&utm_content=HTMLemail&utm_campaign=EAEA+News+May+2011.

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New MSc course in Biotechnology for Aquaculture, University of Stirling, United Kingdom

Aquatic Biotechnology offers huge opportunities for the discovery and manufacture of a wide range of novel and valuable products, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, vaccines, fuels and also for aquaculture. This one year Masters programme aims to provide hands-on training to equip students with the skills to sustainably unlock the biotechnological potential present within the enormous biodiversity of aquatic environments. Modules will include instruction in modern genetics, genomics, and recombinant DNA, protein and immunological technologies.

The programme runs from September 2011 and places are still available. For more information visit http://www.aqua.stir.ac.uk/news/2011/biotech

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3 joint PhD degrees available in Aqua-tnet domain

3 joint PhD degrees are now available in Aqua-tnet domain:

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3. Other


Marine Genomics 4 Users project meeting, 16-17 June 2011, Barcelona, Spain

The EU-funded Support Action Marine Genomics 4 Users (MG4U) will hold their next project meeting in Barcelona on 16-17 June, to discuss the preliminary results coming out of the knowledge analysis of European and national marine genomics projects. External policy and industry experts are invited to give input on potential gaps in knowledge outputs and to give advice on best practice knowledge transfer.

Currently, project coordinators of marine genomics related national or FP6 and FP7 projects are being invited to respond to a dedicated e-mail helping the project in its aim to maximise the exploitation of results from recent and on-going projects in marine genomics and to allow fast and efficient knowledge transfer to end-users.

For more information please contact Marieke Reuver at marieke@aquatt.ie

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Aqua-RET 2: Free Strategic Planning Course for the marine renewables sector, 21 June 2011, Brussels, Belgium

The Aqua-RET 2 consortium are offering the opportunity to attend a newly developed Strategic Planning Course developed by the Aqua-RET consortium which will be held as a side event to the Ocean Energy 2011 Conference (22nd-23rd June) in Brussels. The course will take place on the 21st June from 13:00-17:00pm in room D in The International Auditorium, rue du Roi Albert II, 1210, Brussels, Belgium Map. The course will be followed by a networking reception from 17:00-18:30pm. The Strategic Planning Course is one of a series of new face-2-face courses being developed by the Aqua-RET consortium.

The target audience of this course includes Government, Regulators, Utilities, Project and Technology Developers and Communities involved in regional strategic planning for marine renewable sectors. Topics covered will include:
  •     Roles, principles, outputs and outcomes of strategic planning
  •     Testing and demonstration infrastructures
  •     Offshore Grid Connection Components
  •     Onshore Grid Connection
  •     Ports, Shipyards and Logistics
  •     Other onshore capacity building
  •     Major challenges faced by deployment of offshore marine energy projects
  •     Significant siting and planning challenges
  •     Introduction to marine spatial planning (MSP)
The course will be 4 hours in duration and there will be a maximum of 30 places. Participation is free and registrations will be accepted on a first come basis so register immediately if you are interested. Each participate will also receive a free training manual. Click here to register.

The Strategic Planning Course is one of a series of new face-2-face courses being developed by the Aqua-RET consortium. The target audience of this course includes Government, Regulators, Utilities, Project and Technology Developers and Communities involved in regional strategic planning for marine renewable sectors. We would be very grateful if you could also bring this email to the attention of your colleagues who may also be interested in attending. For more information please contact Olivia Daly (Project Officer) olivia@aquatt.ie 

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Call for abstract submission: The Oceans of Change Early Career Scientists Conference (ECSC), 24-27 April 2012, Majorca Island, Spain

To encourage the participation of early career scientists in international scientific investigations and to promote their involvement in the management of the marine environment, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) invited a group of early career marine scientists to form the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) to plan and organize an international conference for their peers on a marine topic of their own choosing. The resulting conference will be held on Majorca Island, Spain from 24 to 27 April 2012. Abstracts submission is now open. For more information visit http://www.ices.dk/marineworld/oceans/index.asp.

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Students, are you getting ready for the 2011 Innovation in Aquaculture Award?

In 2008, AQUATT along with AMC Ltd set up the Lindsay Laird award for the most innovative poster (in English) submitted by a student. This event takes place at the annual EAS International Conference, this year to be held in Rhodes. Areas of research are deliberately set very wide, in order to maximise opportunities for participation: environmental impact in aquaculture, new candidate species, hatcheries/early life history, stock production, fish diseases, new technologies and genetics/genomics.  So far, three hard-working students have benefited (you will hear more about them nearer the event). AQUATT is now on the search for the 2011 entries for this prestigious award. So let's break the record for entries for 2011. See you in Rhodes!

The Lindsay Laird Award consists of a certificate and an award of a laptop (to the value of 500 euros) of the winner's choice. Entries submitted by students for the best student poster at the EAS annual conference in Rhodes are eligible.

The jury will be composed of an AQUATT representative, an academic representative (University of Crete) and a representative from the industrial sector (to be nominated later). The award will be presented by the EAS President.

Photo: Lindsay Laird Student Award 2010 winner Ms Dalila Serpa, from IPIMAR (Portugal) for her poster “Optimisation of stocking density and feed formulation in semi-intensive production systems: how it can minimise the environmental impacts of earth pond aquaculture”.

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4. AQUA-TNET Calendar

Please check the Aqua-tnet calendar for a complete overview of upcoming events, conferences and workshops

 

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5. Bibmail

BibMail is a biweekly updated overview of the content tables of the major aquaculture-relevant scientific journals.

To go to the BibMail archive on the Aqua-tnet site please CLICK HERE

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6. Information Interest

Information of Interest is a biweekly updated overview of interesting publications, reports, and manuals relating to aquaculture in a broad sense, with links to the respective files or information points.

To go to the Information of Interest website link on the Aqua-tnet site please CLICK HERE

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7. AquaTT Training News and Announcements

AquaTT's Training News is a free monthly electronic newsletter. With the latest news from the European education community, opportunities for collaboration, announcements and a student corner, Training News is an important dissemination channel for education and training opportunities for the aquaculture and fisheries sectors.

CLICK HERE for the latest AquaTT Training News and Announcements (May 2011)

Please email news@aquatt.ie to submit your news which will reach almost 6,000 international subscribers interested in aquaculture and related sectors of education.

8. PiscesTT Jobs


PiscesTT Jobs is a free online recruitment service used by over 300 companies globally. The innovative system, updated daily, lists jobs, PhD vacancies and student placements in Aquaculture, Fisheries and Marine Science worldwide. This service facilitates human resource development in the industry.

At the moment 4 interesting jobs/study opportunities. If you are interested in viewing or posting a job vacancy please go to http://www.piscesttjobs.com/ or contact aquatt@aquatt.ie Subscribe at http://www.piscesttjobs.com/feeds/ for live RSS updates of new job postings.

    About AQUA-TNET

    This update is published by the Aqua-tnet Secretariat. Please forward this mail to any colleagues that may be interested. For further information e-mail aquatnet@aquatt.ie All old Aqua-tnet Newsletters and other Aqua-tnet information is archived on the Aqua-tnet website ().

    Aqua-tnet welcomes any feedback regarding content, presentation and user-friendliness of the newsletter. If you would like to post a notice, news item or event details on the next issue of the Aqua-tnet Newsletter or on the Aquat-net website, please send details to Marieke Reuver at marieke@aquatt.ie  or aquatnet@aquatt.ie. 

    DISCLAIMER: AQUA-TNET provides this newsletter as a free service to its partners. Most of the information is provided by AQUA-TNET. Where it is not, the source of the news is provided in the text of the news brief or else AQUA-TNET attributes the news to the coordinating body as the "Data Source Provider". In no way does this newsletter intend to wrongly or inappropriately claim projects, news, etc. as its own nor is it responsible for incorrect information provided from other sources. The AQUA-TNET Newsletter is a dissemination tool and forum for both AQUA-TNET and its partners.

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