Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Management of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SMFA) , Funded by the EU (Erasmus+)

Program Description

Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Management of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SMFA) , Funded by the EU (Erasmus+)

Learning Outcomes

• Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Management of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SMFA) Introduction The idea of establishing an M.Sc. in sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture sciences is to contribute to the development of scientific research in the various fields of aquatic resources based on the principles of sustainable management, with the aim of providing solutions to the problems facing the aquatic production sectors in both capture fisheries and aquaculture as well as directing innovation towards finding ways to develop these sectors and make optimal use of aquatic resources. The idea was formulated at the initiative of representatives of the European parties (Aveiro University, Palermo University, Dubrovnik University, Euro-Mediterranean University, and four Egyptian universities (Alexandria University, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Aswan University and Matrouh University) to prepare a project proposal to support and develop higher education, which is the establishment of a joint master’s degree entitled: Knowledge Exchange in sustainable management of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean region / FishAqu Under the program: Erasmus+ KA2 Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education – 2019 The funding of the project was approved aiming at establishing an M.Sc degree program in the four Egyptian universities, with the following benefits and outcomes: 1. This program provides opportunities for exchanging scientific and research experiences between faculty members and students in participating Egyptian universities as well as European universities. 2. Taking advantage from the experiences of the participating European universities to prepare, with Egyptian specialists, the content of the program, in which the equivalence of courses in the European Credit Hour System (ECTS) was taken into account, as well as benefiting from the various possibilities offered by those universities to keep pace with the needs of the regional and global market. 3. Linking the academic research outputs with active participation in providing solutions to the problems and challenges facing the sectors of aquatic resources, taking into account the principles of sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture. 4. Developing the capabilities of postgraduates in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture through the optimal use of modern technologies that support the development of aquatic resources through applied research conducted during the study of the program under the supervision of experts and specialists. Vision The M.Sc. Program in Sustainable Management of Fisheries and Aquaculture aims to be one of the leading academic programs that prepare scientific and professional cadres, capable of innovation and providing creative solutions, keeping pace with modern technological techniques in fisheries and aquaculture sectors at the local, regional and international levels. Mission Qualifying specialized calibers in the field of sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture, enabling them to compete at the local and regional levels, by creating an appropriate university environment, in order to serve the community depending on sustainable development plans. Objectives The M.Sc. program aims to provide graduates with the necessary knowledge and understanding of scientific and practical aspects, policies and legislative frameworks, as well as providing them with different skills in the field of sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture through: 1. Establishing an M.Sc. program in sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture within the framework of the FishAqu - Erasmus+ project funded by the European Union in a partnership with four European countries that follow the Bologna Agreement (Portugal - Italy - Croatia - Slovenia) and four Egyptian universities (Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport - Alexandria University - Aswan University - Matrouh University). 2. Creating a field for scientific cooperation between the universities of the European Union countries and the Egyptian universities. 3. Allowing M.Sc. students to benefit from experience and scientific training between different universities. 4. Scientific staff exchange between European and Egyptian universities. 5. Developing the scientific curriculum offered to M.Sc. students in the field of fisheries and aquaculture. 6. Giving students the opportunity to learn modern technologies in aquatic production sector and increasing interest in the field of aquaculture as one of the solutions to the problem of animal protein deficiency. 7. Qualifying cadres working in companies, governmental institutions and research centers that participate in developing plans to marine conservation and sustainable aquaculture. 8. Providing graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to enable them to plan and implement fisheries development projects. 9. Linking scientific research to applied fields through benefiting from specialized calibers in fisheries and aquaculture sectors from industry and research centers. 10. Contribute to scientific studies that lead to addressing the short and long-term challenges in fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Job Opportunities Graduates of the MSc in Sustainable Management of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences will be eligible to work in various locations such as: - Governmental and regional entities working on the management of the various activities of fisheries and aquaculture. - Research institutes working to develop the sector through sustainable management of capture fisheries and aquaculture - Working on private aquaculture projects as well as those of national companies. - Designing and development of capture fisheries management plans. - Working with companies and factories that serve the sector, such as fish feed factories, net factories, and fish processing companies.   M.Sc. Program intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 1. To provide graduates with a sufficient amount of fundamental knowledge and understanding as the following: GENERAL COMPETENCES DETAILED COMPETENCES A1 Acquisition of conceptual and analytical knowledge to enable the critical evaluation of projected impacts of aquaculture/fisheries on the environment, society and economy to safeguard sustainability. A1.1 Acquisition of base knowledge on fisheries and aquaculture A1.2 Application of fundamental principles from related areas (e.g. chemistry, biology, physics, ecology, geology) A1.3 Understanding processes, functions and services of aquatic ecosystems A2 Development of an holistic understanding of fisheries and aquaculture management through integration of innovative technologies and local ecological knowledge. A2.1 Provide recommendations and alternative solutions for sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture A2.2 Full valorisation of fisheries and aquaculture products through innovative technologies fostering circular bioeconomy A3 Integrate knowledge to address the challenges of aquaculture and/or fisheries sectors through conflicts resolution at local and national levels. A3.1 Aquaculture and fisheries management towards sustainable practices A3.2 Strategies for conflict resolution at local and national levels 2. To provide the graduate with the following intellectual skills: GENERAL COMPETENCES DETAILED COMPETENCES B1 The skill to analyze novel challenges in the field and to plan innovative strategies. B1.1 Integrate multidisciplinary approaches to identify novel challenges and provide solutions interacting with others B1.2 Integrate base knowledge and critical thinking to address novel challenges and solutions B2 The ability to use suitable tools to search, analyze and interpret data and associated uncertainty. B2.1 Data mining of scientific and grey literature B2.2 Assessment of data deficiencies and uncertainty B2.3 Knowledge and application the FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reliable B3 The holistic approach to the taking of professional decisions by balancing the production aspects (costs, profits, security) with impacts. B3.1 Knowledge on social-economics of fisheries and aquaculture B3.2 Knowledge on supply and value chains To develop the following professional and practical skills: GENERAL COMPETENCES DETAILED COMPETENCES C1 Development of advanced technical skills related with fisheries and aquaculture. C1.1 Knowledge on entrepreneurship, business and economics applied to fisheries and aquaculture C1.2 Knowledge on operational aspects of fisheries and aquaculture C1.3 Knowledge on innovation and IT technologies (IoT-Internet of Things) applied to fisheries and aquaculture C1.4 Knowledge on marketing and trade (post-harvest processes) C2 Development of problem-solving skills. C2.1 Analytical skills to identify problems C2.2 Statistical skills for planning experiments, data analysis and interpretation C2.3 Skills to design and conduct analytical and monitoring studies, simulations, and experimental research C3 The skills to use and customize computer modelling tools designed for fisheries and aquaculture. C3.1 Population dynamics and Stock assessment C3.2 Nutrition and feeding C3.3 Waste management in fisheries and aquaculture C3.4 Development of environmental scenarios for the management of aquatic ecosystems 3. Graduates should possess the following general and transferable skills and meet the following socio-cultural requirements: GENERAL COMPETENCES DETAILED COMPETENCES D1 The ability to share knowledge to others D1.1 Become familiar with fundamentals of scientific and technical writing D1.2 Skill to present work outputs and outcomes in the written and oral forms to wider audiences D2 Effectively access and use available information resources. D2.1 Efficiently use information technologies to support problem solving and decision making D2.2 Identify knowledge gaps, innovation needs and opportunities D3 The ability to deal with legal and normative documents. D3.1 International regulations and conventions D3.2 Regional and National legislation and conventions D4 Develop general skills and attitudes towards research and applied activities on the field of fisheries and aquaculture D4.1 Skills in project development and management D4.2 Learning to promote capacity building in fisheries of aquaculture D4.3 Identify correct channels to reach decision makers D4.4 Quality assessment of seafood to select marketing channel   Matrix of knowledge and skills of the M.Sc. program courses Courses knowledge and understanding Skills Intellectual Skills Professional and Practical Skills General and Transferable Skills Applied Fish Biology A1.1, A1.2, A1.3 B1.2 C3.1 D2.2 Applied Statistics in Fisheries and Aquaculture A1.2 B2.1, B2.2 C2.2 D2.1, D2.2 Aquaculture Nutrition and Production A2.1, A3.1 B3.2 C2.3, C3.2 D2.2 Fishery Analysis and Stock Assessment A1.1, A1.3, A2.1 B2.3 C3.1 D3.1, D3.2 Aquaculture Systems and Engineering A1.1, A1.2, A1.3 B1.1 C1.2, C1.3, C2.3 D2.1 Sustainable Fisheries Management A2.1, A3.1 B3.1, B3.2 C3.1, C3.4 D3.1, D3.2 Transferable Competences in Fisheries and Aquaculture A1.2 B1.1 C1.1 D1.1, D1.2, D2.1 Genetics in Fisheries and Aquaculture A1.2, A2.1 B1.1, B2.3 C2.1 D2.1 Fish Diseases and Biosecurity A1.2 B3.1 C1.4, C2.1, C3.3 D3.1, D3.2 Advanced Fishing Gears and Methods Technology A2.2 B3.2 C1.2, C3.4 D3.1, D3.2 Challenges in Fisheries and Aquaculture A3.2 B1.2, B3.2 C1.1, C1.4 D4.2 D4.3 Seafood Processing and Technology A1.2, A2.2 B3.2 C1.4, C3.3 D3.1, D3.2, D4.4 Management of Fish Hatcheries A1.1, A2.1 B1.1 C1.2, C2.1 D3.1, D3.2, D4.1 1. Acquires the necessary basic knowledge to assess the expected impacts of fisheries and aquaculture on the environment and society. 2. Familiarizes oneself with scientific knowledge in fields related to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors (such as chemistry, biology, physics, environment, and geology). 3. Learns about the principles and legal and ethical regulations related to practicing the profession in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture. 4. Becomes familiar with the standards and performance specifications in the field of sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture. 5. Learns about the concepts of sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture by integrating innovative technologies and local environmental knowledge. 6. Acquires the necessary knowledge to address the challenges facing the fisheries and aquaculture sectors by resolving conflicts at the local and regional levels. 7. Understands the scientific foundations specific to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.