BIODAQUA Meetings

2nd project meeting, 17-19 February 2002, Athens, Greece.

Present: Prof. Sofronios Papoutsoglou (AUA), Mrs Margaret Eleftheriou (IMBC), Dr Antonio (U.Ancona), Dr Mark J. Costello and Ms Coral Cargill (HMSC), Dr Jim Ballantyne (U.Guelph), Dr Bruce MacDonald (UNB), Dr Susan Bjornson (St Mary's), Dr Gavin Burnell (UCC), Dr Susan White (U.Maine).

Apologies: Dr Bill Freedman (DAL), Dr Mike Sinclair (DFO, BIO), Dr Ellen Kenchington (CMB).

Brief account of the main discussion points covered in the Start-up meeting.

The meeting was held in the conference room of the Hotel Titania (17th February), then in the Department conference room in the Agricultural University of Athens (18th and 19th February). The meeting was chaired by the Coordinator of the project, Prof. S.Papoutsoglou, Agricultural University of Athens.

1. Opening session

Representatives from each partner institution in attendance made presentations concerning their organisations, covering the organisation as a whole as well as its provision of courses relevant to BIODAQUA. Most partners had filled out the previously circulated questionnaire requesting details of relevant courses, and hard copies of all material received were distributed. Presentation and discussion of details took place in order to clarify and elucidate exactly what would be most appropriate for the joint syllabus, and how teaching, assessment and credit transfer might be carried out. It was felt that this was an appropriate use of time for several reasons: though each of the European universities is involved in ECTS, yet each had a different degree structure and none had previously worked directly with the other partners in an educational project; there are major changes to the European educational system in the pipeline, directly affecting first and second degree courses, in an attempt to harmonise the structure of the higher education area; the Canadian partners were quite diverse in their educational function and focus, and these differences needed to be spelled out before any meaningful discussion on joint agreed syllabus, or credit transfer, could take place.

2. Institutional presentations.

  1. AUA
    • aquaculture focus
    • provide credits for work experience
    • first degree is 5 years (10-11 semesters) and includes 6 mo project
    • Have new MSc in fish culture (1 semester theory + 1 semester project)
  2. UCC
    • 4 year degree, final year project, degrees Zoology and Applied Ecology
    • special "early-start" course in Irish Ecosystems for overseas students for 3 weeks in September
    • have MSc fisheries and applied sciences
  3. Univ. Ancona
    • 5 year degree programme now split into 2 levels, 3y and 2 y,
    • students in second level most likely to participate in exchanges
    • teaching in Italian but course materials in English, free Italian lessons at university for visiting students
    • offer a course in scuba diving
    • can offer tutorials to visiting students in case they have any study difficulties
  4. UNB
    • have plans for a positive action to enable 25% UNB students to study internationally, including financial contributions to students exchange costs
  5. St Mary's
    • BSc degrees include co-op programs
    • About 10% students at St Mary's and UCC are international
  6. U. Guelph
    • can offer course work and research experience
    • same credit recognition system as at St Mary's
    • run field courses in Arctic (Canadian), tropics (Australia) and Atlantic (at HMSC)
    • MSc studies are primarily by research but do involve a few courses
  7. HMSC
    Does not have students to send, but can receive students for field courses, projects, work experience. Similarly DFO may receive students for projects and work experience in at least Dartmouth (near Halifax)
  8. Dalhousie and Ghent
    Available information indicated both the universities of Dalhousie and Ghent indicated they had the breadth of opportunities for course studies.
2nd project meeting, 17-19 February 2002, Athens, Greece








Students applications will be evaluated on basis of

  1. Subject of study is marine and/or freshwater biodiversity, including fisheries, aquaculture, ecology and ecosystems.
  2. Exchange will add to their existing programme of study, and not duplicate it
  3. The longer the period of exchange the better, minimum of 1 month.
  4. Must provide a report on their exchange including a non-technical summary for the project website.
  5. They have completed at least one year of university study including courses in biology.
  6. They are contributing to the spirit of the program in promoting scientific and cultural exchange between Canada

Exchanges may involve

If a student's courses at the host university do not provide a workload equivalent to that at their home university, then they may arrange project work (e.g. literature review, lab and/or field work) including language and cultural studies.

Students arrange their own details of travel.

Students may not necessarily study everything about biodiversity within their course of studies, but this program will aim to identify areas of gaps that should be considered by students and universities.

Financial

  1. Canadian students will receive $1,000, and EU students will receive 950 euro, contribution towards their exchange expenses. It is realised that travel and living expenses will vary but these cannot be accommodated by the program.

Action

Compile table of courses available, their workload (including as ECTS in EU) and group in broad categories (e.g. aquaculture, fisheries, ecology, biology).

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