AquaVET is implemented by a consortium of universities and specialised institutions across Egypt, Nigeria, Italy, and Croatia, with associated partners in Egypt.
Alexandria University (AU) — Egypt (Coordinator)
Alexandria University is one of the oldest and biggest universities in Egypt since 1942. It consists of 24 faculties and institutes covering the majority of disciplines. AU has around 120,000 students and almost 30,000 employees and staff members. AU is a key partner in EU-funded projects, ranging from FP7 and Tempus to H2020 and Erasmus+, and the university has approximately 450 international agreements with other universities, institutes, and entities. Because of its geographical location, on the Mediterranean Sea, AU has a unique, distinguished, and multidisciplinary department in the whole of Egyptian universities, the Oceanography Department, where AU team members of the current project are affiliated. It was founded in 1948 and is concerned with multidisciplinary training, education, and research in oceanography. The importance of the department has increased a lot in the last few years, especially after addressing the UN SDG 14 concerning life below water; hence, it has become important now in Egypt to start working on the implementation of that goal and its tasks, especially since Egypt has a national strategy for sustainable development for 2030. The Department offers B.Sc., Diploma, M.Sc., and PhD degrees in various disciplines of Marine Science. It has a unique M.Sc. programme in climate change and a diploma in coastal management. Website: https://alexu.edu.eg/index.php/en/ |
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) — Egypt
The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) is part of the Arab League. The AASTMT was established since 1972 providing numerous educational services to the people of the Arab World, ranging from middle/high school programs to undergrad/postgrad studies. The AASTMT campuses in the Egyptian cities of Alexandria, El-Alamein, Cairo, Port Said and Aswan have had many achievements in education, training, consultation, and research within the field of climate change and related subfields (maritime transport, engineering, environment, and management sciences) for more than 48 years now. Since its establishment, AASTMT has been involved in the various fields of education, training, scientific research, and community service. Being a multi-purpose, multi-task institution, AASTMT basically offers its services to students from the entire Arab world, as well as those from African countries. AASTMT undertakes teaching, training designed to qualify students in all fields of knowledge, including sciences, technology, and humanities. Currently more than 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, and 1000 researchers work and study on the various campuses of AASTMT, located all over Egypt. AASTMT offers educational programs to serve the community of Alexandria, and other cities in Egypt. |
University of Nigeria (UNN) — Nigeria
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) is Nigeria’s first indigenous public university and a leading African institution in teaching, research, and innovation. With 17 faculties, over 100 departments, and 13 institutes/centres, UNN has strong interdisciplinary capacity and a long-standing tradition of excellence in veterinary, agricultural, biological, and environmental sciences.Within the AQUAVET project, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UNN, serves as a coordinating partner, contributing expertise in aquatic animal health, aquaculture disease surveillance, veterinary public health, animal welfare, and One Health. UNN provides aquaculture-relevant infrastructure that support applied research, skills-oriented training, and evidence-based solutions for sustainable aquatic food systems in low- and middle-income contexts.The AQUAVET Coordinator at UNN is Professor Chinedu Athanasius Eze, a senior academic and veterinary professional with extensive experience in veterinary education, animal welfare, institutional leadership, international collaboration and provides overall scientific and administrative coordination for the project. Website: www.unn.edu.ng |
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) — Nigeria
The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, originally the Federal University of Agriculture, is a federal university in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. It was established as a specialized University by a Federal Government of Nigeria in 2nd November 1992. MOUAU was renamed in 2000 in honor of Dr. Michael Iheonukukara Okpara due to his significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the Eastern Region of Nigeria, particularly in agriculture and industrialization. The university currently runs on eleven Colleges and a School of General Studies with fifty-seven departments. The university aims to provide the knowledge base for achieving food security by producing highly-rated graduates in Agriculture, Science and Technology. MOUAU provides high quality practical training to students to become professionally competent and confident persons capable of self-employment. MOUAU offer courses in developmental anatomy, histology, immunohistochemistry, aquaculture production, infectious and non-infectious diseases of aquaculture, aquatic environmental management and ecosystem health. The university operates a trans-disciplinary research delivery in Centre for Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology that focuses on research and educational services in molecular biology. AquaVET project objectives align with the university core values, mission and vision, therefore will enhance innovative learning methods, boast productivity in aquaculture and improve economy. The project manager for AquaVET in MOUAU is Dr. Chigozie Stanley Ukwueze, Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine with specialty in infectious diseases and a Member of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association. MOUAU official website and social media link MOUAU website: https://mouau.edu.ng/ |
Università degli Studi di Palermo (UNIPA) — Italy
The University of Palermo (UNIPA) is a well-established cultural, scientific, and educational institution located in central-western Sicily. With 5 Schools and 16 Departments, UNIPA covers a broad range of contemporary scientific and technological fields, welcoming more than 500 incoming Erasmus+ students from EU and non-EU countries in the academic year 2021–2022. Within the AQUAVET project, the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DISTEM) plays a leading role thanks to its strong expertise in marine biology, aquaculture, ecological sciences, and Animal Care and Welfare, contributing to the development of training materials and scientific outputs related to marine aquaculture, aquatic organism health, and environmental monitoring. UNIPA provides modern and extensive scientific facilities that support high-level research and training in marine science, including a wide range of mesocosm systems, advanced laboratories for environmental, chemical, biochemical, and immunological analyses (featuring mass spectrometers, coulter counters, flow cytometers, HPLC instruments, and specialized immunology labs), a research vessel for coastal surveys and field experiments, and zebrafish facilities used for research and educational purposes in developmental biology and aquatic organism husbandry. These infrastructures allow UNIPA to effectively support the objectives of AQUAVET and to contribute to innovative, high-quality teaching and research in aquaculture and aquatic veterinary sciences. The UNIPA contact person for the AQUAVET project is Prof. Maria Giovanna Parisi, Professor of Comparative Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Developmental Biology; Rector’s Delegate for the Internationalization of Research and Educational Activities and for relations with APRE (Agency for the Promotion of European Research); and member for the science area of the Scientific Council of the Center for Advanced Studies. Website: https://www.unipa.it |
Sveučilište u Dubrovniku (UNIDU) — Croatia
The University of Dubrovnik (UNIDU), established in 2003, comprises four faculties, four departments and two institutes, covering fields such as maritime studies, aquaculture, applied ecology, economics, tourism, electrical engineering, Mediterranean history, and health sciences. UNIDU has approximately 1,500 students and about 250 employees. It actively participates in EU-funded projects, including Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe alliances such as EUNICoast, and maintains numerous international partnerships with institutions worldwide. UNIDU's Department of Applied Ecology, where the project team members are affiliated, focuses on multidisciplinary education, training, and research in applied marine ecology, sustainable aquaculture (mariculture), and conservation of coastal ecosystems. In recent years, the department has expanded its activities in line with global and European priorities for marine conservation and sustainable development. The department offers a B.Sc. in Applied Marine Ecology, an M.Sc. in Mariculture, and a joint Ph.D. in Applied Marine Sciences. Website: https://www.unidu.hr/eng/ |
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVE) — Italy
The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) is an Italian public health body which conducts control and research activities and provides services in the fields of animal health, food safety and zoonoses. It was founded on June, 14, 1929 in Padua and today it is part of the Italian National Health Service, together with other nine other similar institutes, each of which covers a specific geographical area of Italy. Within the Italian National Health System, the IZSVe is responsible for the North East of Italy, and its headquarter is located at Legnaro, Padova. It employs about 650 people, including veterinarians, biologists, chemists, technicians and administration staff. Website: www.izsvenezie.it | www.izsvenezie.com Social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/izsvenezie/ |
