AQUA-TNET NEWSLETTER

January 2014

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 resources management, funded under the European Commission Lifelong Learning Programme, from 2011-2014.

In the 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

AQUA-TNET NEWS

PROGRAMMES, COURSES & PEOPLE
RESEARCH & EDUCATION

OTHER

AQUA-TNET CALENDAR
AQUATT TRAINING NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PISCESTT JOBS


AQUA-TNET NEWS

Steering Committee Meeting

Amsterdam: a city of contrast and the perfect venue for a January meeting! The third Aqua-tnet Steering Committee Meeting was held on 13-14 January 2014 in central Amsterdam. Representatives from all work packages (WPs) attended and provided updates as well as plans for the final year of the project. 

All WPs are on track to complete deliverables on time.

  • WP1 highlighted their continuing work on Aquacase: www.aquacase.org. A visit to the WP1 website is time well spent! If you think you can contribute material to the Aquacase site, please contact Odd Ivar Lekang (odd-ivar.lekang@umb.no).
  • WP2 reported on the successful delivery of their PhD course in microbiology and plans to make some of the material presented available online.
  • The WP3 mobility portal is due to undergo a major overhaul in appearance, with additional content added over the next several months. The new and improved portal will be launched at this year’s annual event in Malta at the end of June. 
  • WP4 continues to develop the generic skills training materials which will comprise of three courses: crafting the message, data management and project management.
  • The largest of our work packages is WP5. Reports were presented by the three subgroups and the date set for the hotly anticipated ICT workshop. If you are interested in taking part in the ICT workshop, run to coincide with the annual meeting in Malta, please email Bernd Ueberschaer (info@bioserve-deutschland.de). 
  • WP6 is developing their Flagship concept and we look forward to their report at the annual event. 

Details of the annual event should be available soon. The dates will be 26-27 June 2014. We hope to see you there!

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Aqua-tnet Digital Teaching Skills Workshop

In combination with the final AQUA-TNET III Annual Event in June 2014, a two-day hands-on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills workshop will be organised by AQUA-TNET Work Package 5 (WP5), “Innovative Lifelong Learning”, under the specific responsibility of WP5C, “Innovative tools and methods”.

This two-day workshop will teach the participants how to handle basic ICTs. Our aim is to help teachers to develop state-of-the-art content for e-learning in general and for blended learning environments in particular. We intend to achieve this by training teachers to create their own e-learning materials and by raising their awareness of innovative e-learning tools.

We would like to customise the planned workshop to meet the needs of the participants and maximise their benefit. Thus it would be helpful to know, for example, about your background in relation to your teaching obligations, your present knowledge related to the use of up-to-date ICTs, and preferences concerning which topics should be communicated in the workshop. In order to acquire such information from potential participants, we have created an online survey.

If you are interested in participating in this workshop, please complete the survey which is accessible at the following URL: www.betterview.de/index.php/71668/lang-en

During the final selection of participants for the workshop, preference will be given to those who have completed this questionnaire. However, we would appreciate your participation in this questionnaire even if you are not interested in participating in the workshop. The deadline for registration for this workshop is 31st of March 2014.

Please note: This workshop is not aimed at advanced ICT users.

Download the course information flier for further details.

Registration: To register or if you have any questions or queries at this point, please contact the organiser of the workshop: B. Ueberschär (info@bioserve-deutschland.de)

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PROGRAMMES, COURSES & PEOPLE

To search for PhD, MSc and mobility opportunities and courses and to access information on your colleagues in Aqua-tnet3, please visit the Aqua-tnet Education Gate. If you have any further additions or would like to make changes to your institution's information please contact Marieke Reuver at marieke@aquatt.ie

If you are a graduate and would like to post your request for an internship, or your company is seeking interns, please visit www.aquatnet.com/index.php/167/internships. 

 

 

 

 

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RESEARCH & EDUCATION

Open Education Challenge

The Open Education Challenge, launched in partnership with the European Commission, invites innovators in education to submit their idea for a chance to get seed funding, support and coaching to launch a start-up. The Challenge will identify 10 promising ideas to participate in the first ever European Incubator for Innovation in Education.

The Incubator takes place in five European cities (Barcelona, Paris, London, Berlin and Helsinki) over an intensive 12 weeks. The participants will receive coaching, mentoring from experts in education, entrepreneurship and technology, as well as up to €20,000 as seed funding. They will also have access to investors throughout the programme.

All projects are welcome; the only condition is that they must contribute to transforming education. Proposals can address, for instance, one or more of the following:

  • Learning contents
  • Devices, tools and connectivity
  • Learning assessment and analytics
  • School management and organisation
  • Learning communities

For more  information or to submit application, visit www.openeducationchallenge.eu

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Member States Urged to Improve Quality Checks in Universities and Vocational Colleges

Member States must shift from a box-ticking approach and upgrade their quality systems if they want to improve the performance of universities and vocational colleges, according to two reports published by the European Commission today on quality assurance in higher education and vocational training. The reports highlight that, although progress has been achieved, further reforms are needed to ensure a 'quality culture' so that teaching is more closely aligned with labour market realities and societal needs. They also call for more emphasis to be given to international cooperation and for students to have a greater say in decision-making. To read more, click HERE. 

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eLearning Papers Topics of 2014

eLearning Papers is an online journal that enables the timely exchange of information on open education, open educational resources (OER), and ICT in education in Europe.

The Editorial Board has already selected the themes for the upcoming issues of the journal:

  • Issue 36 (January): Learning Analytics and Assessment, guest edited by Erik Duval
  • Issue 37 (February): EMOOCs Special Issue, guest edited by Pierre Dillenbourg
  • Issue 38 (March): Digital Literacies, edited by Kirsti Alamutka
  • Issue 39 (May): Learning in cyber-physical worlds
  • Special Issue (June): Best of the best, guest edited by Tapio Koskinen
  • Issue 40 (September): Performance support & learning analytics, guest edited by Fabrizio Cardinali
  • Issue 41 (October): Assessment, certification, and quality assurance in open learning
  • Issue 42 (November): Fostering entrepreneuship education  

For some of the issues, a guest editor has not yet been appointed. Any expressions of interest may be directed to the current Chief Editor Laia Canals (editorialteam@openeducationeuropa.eu).

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Call for abstracts: END 2014 International Conference on Education and New Developments

The International Conference on Education and New Developments 2014 invites researchers to showcase presentations, from the most diverse countries and cultures, to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in education nowadays. The END 2014 conference will take place in Madrid, Spain, on 28-30 June, 2014.

The END 2014 international conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. The goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues.

Submission of abstracts are encouraged for the following types of contributions:

  • Oral Presentations
  • Posters
  • Workshop
  • Company Presentation
  • Virtual Presentations

The topics for the papers can fall into a number of categories, including: teachers and students, projects and trends, teaching and learning, and organisational issues. The papers must report original, previously unpublished findings from the field. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 17 February 2014. For more information, please visit: www.end-educationconference.org

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INNOQUAL Special Call for papers: “Quality in MOOCs”

The International Journal for Innovation and Quality and in Learning (INNOQUAL) is dedicating a special issue to “Quality in MOOCs” which will be published in May 2014.

The call for papers is open now, and can be downloaded here.

The editorial board welcomes submissions on the following topics:

  • Conceptional and theoretical considerations on quality development/management for MOOCs
  • Empirical studies assessing the quality of MOOCs/ large- and medium-scale evaluations of MOOCs
  • Empirical studies on learner achievements and success (e.g. by metrics or surveys) with diversified view of what constitutes success for this new form of online learning
  • Emerging models for quality assessment in MOOCs

INNOQUAL furthermore welcomes practice-based submissions describing and reflecting on concrete experiences.

You can find more information on the INNOQUAL website: www.innoqual.efquel.org

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Ocean Literacy: Educating the Public on Species and Habitat Conservation Intergroup Meeting

On 28 January 2014, an intergroup meeting was held in the European Parliament, Brussels, addressing the topic of ocean literacy. The European campaign for Ocean Literacy began in 2012 and is increasingly attracting attention and participation. It is now recognised that a public that is better informed on the protection and the health of the ocean will play a key role in a more marine-oriented economy and society. It is understood that a more informed and concerned public will better understand the need to manage ocean resources and marine ecosystems in a sustainable way.

The objective of this meeting was to raise policy-makers’ awareness on the concept of “Ocean Literacy” as a way to educate the general public about oceans, about conservation issues, and about the human impact on nature, and to facilitate improved cooperation among governments and stakeholders engaged on this topic. More information, including presentations made at the meeting, is available HERE. 

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VET-Alert - January/February 2014 Issue

Cedefop's VET-Alert for January/February 2014 is now available for download HERE. VET-Alert is a monthly selection of publications on vocational education and training available from Cedefop’s bibliographic database VET-Bib. 

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Free FP7-Funded Training Course on Use of Advanced Monitoring and Communication Tools in Aquaculture Fish Experiments

 

Applications are now being accepted for the fourth training course organised by the FP7-funded AQUAEXCEL (Aquaculture Infrastructures for Excellence in European Fish Research) project. The course, Efficient Utilisation of New Monitoring and Control Systems in Fish Experiments, will be hosted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF), in Trondheim, Norway, on 19-22 May 2014. Course attendance is free, thanks to EC Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funding.

AQUAEXCEL aims to integrate key aquaculture research infrastructures across Europe in order to promote their coordinated use and development. AQUAEXCEL has organised four pioneering new technical training courses in total, with each course focusing on different aspects of aquaculture experimentation. These courses are unique in putting emerging aquaculture infrastructure centres of excellence at the forefront. They also present a valuable opportunity for researchers and technicians in this field to further their experience.

The main focus of the Efficient Utilisation of New Monitoring and Control Systems in Fish Experiments course will be on the use of advanced monitoring and communication tools in aquaculture fish experiments. Experimental methods in first feeding experiments will be introduced, with emphasis on the possibilities offered by instrumentation and control systems. Participants will learn to handle and efficiently use the available cameras, sensors and control systems at the CodTech automated first feeding rig in different types of experiments. Opportunities for applying monitoring and control tools in different production systems will be evaluated. Another objective of the course will be demonstrating how to apply remote access tools in sea-based aquaculture at the Aquaculture Engineering (ACE) exposed farming site. Course participants will visit cornerstone aquaculture companies in the coastal region of Frøya, and will be given the opportunity to interact with Norwegian industry representatives.

The course is aimed at: master’s students in aquaculture, automation and process control, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT); facility operators and researchers in aquaculture research infrastructures; and aquaculture staff with development and operation responsibility (producers, suppliers).

Course attendance is free, thanks to EC FP7 funding. Participants are expected to pay for their own travel, subsistence and accommodation. Applicants are requested to submit their CV and a brief letter outlining their motivation for wanting to attend the course. For more information and online registration, please visit www.aquaexcel.eu/training_courses.

Efficient Utilisation of New Monitoring and Control Systems in Fish Experiments Course Information Leaflet

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AQUAEXCEL 7th Call for Access Now Open

The 7th AQUAEXCEL Call for Access is now open, with a deadline of 14 March 2014.

On a regular basis, the AQUAEXCEL project invites proposals from European research groups for scientific research that utilises the facilities of any of the participating Aquaculture Research Infrastructures. The AQUAEXCEL project unites major aquaculture experimental facilities with capacity to undertake experimental trials on a selection of commercially important fish aquaculture species and system types. These facilities are made available to the research community for Transnational Access (TNA) with the support of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development (Infrastructures).

The facilities available cover the entire range of production systems (recirculation, flow‐through, cage, hatchery and pond systems); environments (freshwater and marine, cold, temperate and warm water); scales (small, medium and industrial scale); fish species (salmon, trout, sea bass, sea bream, cod, common carp etc.); and fields of expertise (nutrition, physiology, health and welfare, genetics, engineering, monitoring and management technologies).

Interested researchers can propose projects that involve visits of one or in some cases two people to the chosen Research Infrastructure for periods of up to three months. The use of the facilities (excluding any additional costs) is covered through AQUAEXCEL partner funding and the associated travel and subsistence expenses for the visiting scientist(s) will be paid through the host institution, according to their internal rules for reimbursement.

For more information, download the AQUAEXCEL 7th Call for Access information leaflet or visit: www.aquaexcel.eu/call_for_access

AQUAEXCEL Annual Meeting 2013

AQUAEXCEL will hold its 2014 Annual Meeting in Vodňany, Czech Republic, from 3-6 March. The meeting will include workshop sessions on the project’s networking and Transnational Access (TNA) Activities and Research Activities. For more information about AQUAEXCEL, visit www.aquaexcel.eu or contact Marieke Reuver, Programme Manager, AquaTT (email: marieke@aquatt.ie)

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Call for Abstracts: EMSEA 2014

The second European Marine Science Educators Association conference (EMSEA) will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1-3 October 2014! One of the objectives of the EMSEA conferences is to address the lack of ocean-related content in science education standards and to envision how to bring ocean sciences into  mainstream science education. Furthermore, the conference will emphasise how marine formal and informal education projects lead to more public involvement and active participation.

The EMSEA conference 2014 in Gothenburg has the ambition to draw formal and informal marine educators from all over Europe and beyond. During the conference they will have opportunity to share ideas, experiences and resources, get to know other educators and to participate in lectures and field trips. EMSEA invites the submission of abstracts for oral and poster presentations. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 1 May 2014.

To learn more about the conference and for abstract submission guidelines, visit: www.emsea.eu/conference-2014-gothenburg

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OTHER

Inseparable: New Campaign to Promote Sustainable Fishing

On 27 January 2014, Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, launched the European Commission's 'Inseparable' campaign to promote sustainable fishing across Europe. The event builds on the momentum of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which came into force in January 2014. The overall objective of the new CFP is to make fishing sustainable. This message is taken up as the core principle of the Inseparable campaign which provides practical information to European consumers and other market actors on how they can eat, buy, and sell sustainable fish.

The campaign's hub will be online through a dedicated website (ec.europa.eu/fisheries/inseparable) - and through social media, including twitter (@inseparableeu) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/InseparableEU).

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STAGES Joint Stakeholder Consultation Workshop, 12 February 2014, Brussels

STAGES is organising a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop, which will be held on 12 February 2014 in the Regus Centre in Brussels, Belgium. The workshop is planned as a joint activity with the FP7 DEVOTES project. One of the key tasks of the FP7 STAGES project is to develop a concrete proposal for a science policy interface (SPI) to support implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in the long-term. As part of this process, STAGES is conducting a stakeholder consultation to collect the views and needs of a broad range of MSFD stakeholders from science, industry, civil society, NGOs, and the national MSFD competent authorities and implementing agencies. An extensive online questionnaire survey has already been completed.

The programme will include a mix of presentations and discussions, including four topic-focused breakout groups. The discussions and views collected will be used to directly inform the development of a STAGES proposal for a durable long-term European SPI to support implementation of the MSFD. A full programme will be available on the dedicated webpage soon.

There is no fee for participation in the workshop, but registration is necessary as places are limited. You can register for the workshop HERE. For more information, click HERE, or contact Doris Abele, European Marine Board Secretariat (dabele@esf.org).  

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World Ocean Council Launches Professional Internship Programme

The World Ocean Council (WOC) – the international, multi-industry leadership alliance for “Corporate Ocean Responsibility” - has created an internship programme to provide opportunities for professional development and training. The WOC Internship programme creates a unique opportunity for early professionals and graduate students from around the world to work with the WOC and the ocean business community in advancing industry efforts on ocean sustainability, science and stewardship. The closing date for applications is 11 February 2014.

Currently, the WOC has three open internship positions:

1. Membership Coordination/Information Management
The Membership Coordination/Information Management Intern will work directly with the WOC Secretariat to help with overall membership coordination and information system improvements.

2. Communications/Website
The Communications/Website Intern will work directly with the WOC Secretariat to identify and implement the best methods to communicate with WOC Members and interested parties and to grow a community of ocean businesses involved with WOC programmes and initiatives.

3. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Programme
The MSP Programme Specialist Intern will work directly with the WOC Director of Programmes/MSP Project Director to develop a series of tools and products useful for the engagement of the ocean business community in the process of marine policy and planning, with a focus on the U.S.

Full internship descriptions and information on the application process can be found at www.oceancouncil.org

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Ramon Margalef Summer Colloquia, 7-18 July 2014, Barcelona, Spain

In 2013, the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, founded the Ramon Margalef Summer Colloquia, a series of annual two-week summer encounters aimed at recent PhDs and advanced graduate students. Its main objective is to explore special topics of the Earth Sysem, promoting the exchange of ideas between young and experienced researchers.

The central topic of the colloquium is planned to change every year. This year the topic will be: “What Ecology can learn from natural and human-induced disturbances – A cross-system view”. The colloquia will include theoretical and practical activities, all within this central topic, as well as group discussion sessions.

The Colloquia is jointly organised by the Institute of Marine Sciences (www.icm.csic.es), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) and the Catalan Association of Oceanographers (www.acoio.org).

For further information, visit www.acoio.org/margalef-summer-colloquia or write to margalefcolloquia@acoio.org

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MEDCOAST Institute 2014

The 10th International Training Workshop on Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (MEDCOAST Institute 2014), will be held from 26 August - 11 September 2014 in Dalyan, Turkey. MEDCOAST Institute 2014 is a unique 17-day long workshop which offers an opportunity for hands-on training on the latest ICM developments in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere and includes a study tour along the southern Turkish Aegean coast for seven days on traditional Turkish wooden sailing boats (gullets). The maximum number of participants for the final MEDCOAST Institute will be 25. The latest date for application is 30 May 2014.

For more information, visit: www.medcoast.net

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Results from STAGES Workshops on Research Needs for Assessing Good Environmental Status

In an effort to improve the current scientific understanding for assessing Good Environmental Status (GES), the STAGES project organised three workshops to understand where knowledge gaps exist. Presentations and reports from these workshops are available from the STAGES website (www.stagesproject.eu).

European Member States with marine territories are required to implement measures to ensure that their marine waters achieve GES by 2020. Defining what actually constitutes GES is a significant challenge for Member States. The Marine Strategy Framework Diretive (MSFD) outlines 11 key qualitative descriptors of GES to assess the marine environment. These descriptors are intended to provide guidance on achieving overall GES. Although significant advances are being made in marine research which can support environmental assessment, there is a significant knowledge deficit for certain descriptors which may influence implementation of the MSFD and the achievement of GES in European waters.

The STAGES workshops focused on the following areas:

The aim of the workshops was to highlight where specific knowledge gaps occur for the five Thematic Groups:
  • Biodiversity
  • Contaminants & Nutrients
  • Disturbances
  • Commercially Exploited Fish
  • Hydrographical Conditions

In the workshop reports, the results from the six days of discussion involving 79 experts have been presented thematically; highlighting where specific knowledge gaps occur and providing short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations for further research which can inform managers and decision makers in developing future research programmes.

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AQUA-TNET CALENDER

Please check the Aqua-tnet calendar for a live update of upcoming events, courses and workshops.


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AQUATT TRAINING NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

AquaTT's Training News is a free monthly e-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 related sectors. CLICK HERE for the latest edition.

Please email news@aquatt.ie to submit your news which will reach more than 5,000 international subscribers.

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PISCESTT JOBS

PiscesTT Jobs is a free online recruitment service used by over 300 companies globally in Aquaculture, Fisheries and Marine Science. At the moment there are 10 interesting jobs/study opportunities. If you are interested in viewing or posting a vacancy please go to www.piscesttjobs.com or contact aquatt@aquatt.ie. Subscribe at www.piscesttjobs.com/feeds for live RSS updates.  

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About Aqua-tnet

This update is published by the Aqua-tnet Secretariat. For further information e-mail aquatnet@aquatt.ie Previous editions are archived on www.aquatnet.com. Aqua-tnet welcomes any feedback regarding content, presentation and user-friendliness of the newsletter. If you would like to post a news item or event details on the next issue of the Aqua-tnet Newsletter or on the Aqua-tnet 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.