BIODAQUA Meetings

Visit of BIODAQUA team to the Project Directors Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from 3-6th November 2002.

During the EU/CANADA Project Directors' Conference, the BIODAQUA partners were able to have two meetings; the first took place at the conference itself, and the second took place at the Huntsman Marine Science Center in St. Andrews' Nova Scotia, at the end of the study visits paid by the BIODAQUA coordinator and project manager. A full description of these visits (with photos) is given in Annex 1.

During both meetings , the progress and future development of the project was discussed in detail. Although the Canadian partners had been conspicuous by their absence at the Project Directors' meeting, the visits to the actual university campuses were able to provide some answers to some of the questions which had been raised. It was therefore possible to construct a new Action Plan for the project.

Present at the first meeting were Prof. Papoutsoglou and Mrs M.Eleftheriou, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, Dr Mark Costello, Director, Huntsman Marine Science Center, St.Andrews. Nova Scotia, and Dr Bruce Hatcher, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia.

Present at the second meeting were Prof. Papoutsoglou and Mrs M.Eleftheriou, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, Dr Mark Costello, Director, Huntsman Marine Science Center.

The following BIODAQUA timetable of events and action was agreed by the partners present at the final consortium meeting at the Project Directors Meeting held in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 6th November 2002 and at the Huntsman Marine Science Center on 11th November 2002.

  1. The most important priority for the project is the signature of the revised Memorandum of Agreement, agreed and verbally accepted but not yet signed by the European partners (University of Cork, University of Ghent, University of Ancona, Agricultural University of Athens). This was verified by N.Versijp, the EU Programme Coordinator. It was agreed that no changes were needed to the contract, apart from the insertion of the names of three new (no-cost) partners, two Canadian (Mount Alison University, Malespina University) and one European (University of Kiel). (end of November)
  2. 2. The next most important priority is to get the BIODAQUA website online. (end of November). Any materials not forthcoming by then to be so designated online, so as not to delay website construction any longer. Online information concerning student applications must be available.
  3. Reports of
    1. the Meeting held in Huntsman Marine Science Centre (31st Nov - 2nd Nov)
    2. the Project Directors' Meeting (3rd Nov. 6th Nov)
    3. the Consortium meetings (2nd, 3rd Nov)
    4. the EU partners' visits
    to be ready by end of December
  4. Preparation of Recruitment Package to be complete by end of January, 2003, in order to be used for visit by 3 EU partners to Canada from 217-21st February. It was recommended that, if the University of Guelph presentation is no longer available, then poster or brochure materials should be collected from International Offices for distribution. Canadian Coordinator to arrange visits to Canadian partners for those dates. (end of January).
  5. Application forms with all necessary permissions, visas, to be ready by end of January.
  6. BIODAQUA partners visit to Canada 17th-21st Februa
  7. Pre-orientation programmes to be ready in draft form (end of March)
  8. Lists of possible student exchanges to be circulated by end of March Kiel (2) Gent (2) AUA (3)
  9. Interim Report to EU (end of April)

B. Visits paid to Canadian partners in October and November, 2002 by M.Eleftheriou and S.Papoutsoglou on behalf of the BIODAQUA project.

The description of these visits is informal and gives first impressions only. Prospective visitors (both staff and students) should also consult the formal descriptions now available on the project website.

If you want to go to Huntsman, you have to be aware of the fact that it is a long way from Halifax and the best way to get there is to hire a car and drive. It is probably a little easier if you go to St. John New Brunswick, which is more than halfway from Halifax to the Huntsman. You will have to plan carefully. Canada is a big country.

Visits:

BRIEF NOTES OF VISITS

Mount Alison University
63B York Street
Sackville
New Brunswick
Canada E4L 1G7
Tel: 506 364 2514
Fax: 506 3642505

Beautiful campus, open site on hill, many mature trees. Biology Dept has good facilities, with well-maintained teaching labs. There are some facilities for graduate students though mostly courses are undergraduate courses. However, we saw some undergrad thesis projects. One of the highest ranking undergraduate universities Speciality endocrinology.


University of New Brunswick
P.O.Box 5050
Saint John
New Brunswick
Canada E2L 4L5

University of New Brunswick has several campuses and you can find out information about all of these on the website. We visited the Saint John campus.

A meeting had been arranged with Prof. Thierry Chopin, Department of Biology, who also runs the Centre for Coastal Studies and Aquaculture.
Tel: 506 6485507
Fax: 506 6485811
E-mail: tchopin@unbsj.ca

Though we were rather late (because Canada is a big country), Professor Chopin stayed on to show us round his department facilities. These are very good, with several teaching labs, excellent sampling lab with wet and dry facilities. Specialises in physiology and biochemistry of Seaweeds and Integrated Aquaculture.

Another beautiful campus on a striking site high above the town. St John is quite a large and busy town.


Huntsman Marine Science Centre, St. Andrews
1 Lower Campus Road
St.Andrews New Brunswick
Canada E5B 2L7
Tel: 506 5291224
Fax: 506 5291212
E-mail: costello@huntsmanmarine.ca

We stayed there for three days. Very beautiful site on bay, close to very picturesque small town of St.Andrews. Student accommodation on site, very acceptable (photo 4). Students from Cork stayed there summer 2001. It is quite isolated, and is really only accessible by car or by taxi. The buses are few and far between and there are no trains.

It took us 5 hours by car from Halifax.

Aquarium, teaching lab facilities reasonable, though not as good as UNB. However, aquaculture facilities very good. Sturgeon, halibut, rainbow trout, lobster, great possibilities for project work. Huntsman is not a university as such but runs courses for all the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Universities. Guelph also runs courses and has its own facilities there.


Sea and Ocean Dept. Govt. Dept, St. Andrews

Situated very close to HMSC. Provided project work and supervision for one of the three of Cork students. Very interesting work on lobsters being carried out. Some good possibilities.

Dalhousie University
Impressive and huge campus very near the centre of Halifax. We were given a tour as part of the EU/Canada meeting. Library can take up to 160 students in the newly opened Learning Centre (Learning Commons) which has the very latest in IT and ICT. Will take exchange students. Great campus, with many faculties open to town inhabitants, i.e., Arts Centre, modern Art Gallery. Large amphitheatres for lectures. Has a very lively international student exchange programme, Contact from the international office (Pat Rody).
A visit was arranged by Prof. Bruce Hatcher of the Marine Affairs Programme
Address: 1234 Seymour Street
Halifax
NOVA SCOTIA B3H 3J5
Canada
Tel: 902 4946530
Fax: 902 494100

We spent some time visiting the AQUATRON
Manager John Batt
Life Sciences Centre
Halifax
Nova Scotia B3H 4J1
Canada
Tel: 902 494 3874
Fax: 902 494 3877
E-mail: John.Batt@dal.ca

This was most impressive. The facilities are world famous and include the Tower Pool and the big pool. They maintain 14 wetlabs for the Biology Department. We saw the beginning of a study in cod spawning being carried out with the FRS Aberdeen and the University of Bergen. There is also research into tilapia, medical aquatic toxicology. Some facilities can be made available for students.

St. Mary's University
923 Robie Street
Halifax
Nova Scotia B3H 3C3
Canada
Contact Dr. David Richardson, Dean of Science
Tel: 902 4205493
E-mail: david.richardson@stmarys.ca

Shown around by Dean of Science Faculty, Dr. David Richardson. Facilities traditional as in general purpose teaching labs. Chemical Analysis facilities, for sediment, etc, good. Fish Parasitology Dept. has good facilities.

It must be noted that these were brief and hurried personal impressions only and are being shown here in order to provide a different perspective for those staff and students who are contemplating a transatlantic exchange.

Full details of the very wide range of facilities of all partner universities and establishments can be found on the appropriate websites and paper publications concerned.

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