UNU-FTP in ICELAND

 

Report of activities in 2007

 

6 November 2007

 

Tumi Tómasson,

programme director

 

Summary

The UNU-FTP was established in 1997 and the first six fellows arrived in August 1998 for six month post-graduate training in fisheries.  The training is applied in nature and fellows admitted to the programme must have a minimum of a first university degree or the equivalent and two years’ work experience.  To date 144 fellows have completed the six month training and in 2007 23 fellows commenced their studies.  The six month training consists of one week orientation, five week introductory course, six week specialist course and a final project for the last 14 weeks.  The programme emphasizes the application of science to solve important issues facing the fellows in their home countries. 

 

In the first year of the programme six fellows completed their training, but number of fellows increased gradually and the annual intake has been around twenty for the last five years.   In all, fellows from 25 countries have completed the six month training and about one-third of the fellows are women. There is a strong demand for the training and it is necessary to find the right balance between adding new countries and continue cooperation with existing partners. Regional cooperation is an important criterion in the selection of partner countries. Two recent partners are the island states in the South Pacific, where there is a strong cooperation with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and Caribbean states, through cooperation with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism.

 

The programme is now in its tenth year and has expanded considerably, especially in the last few years.  The programme is financed through contributions from the UNU, special contributions from the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Icelandic International Development Agency, and annual contributions from the Icelandic government budget which have been increasing rapidly over the past few years. The total budget in 2007 exceeds 2 million USD. 

 

In addition to the regular six month training, the UNU-FTP now contributes to the development and implementation of short courses in partner countries.  Courses completed this year include a four day courses on Project Cycle Management and Vessel Stability in Sri Lanka, and a 10 day course on Profitability Assessment in Fisheries and Aquaculture Enterprises, which is expected to be held in Cuba later this year.  Several other short courses are in preparation and two will be delivered in January and February next year.  The short courses are usually developed and implemented in cooperation with a training institution in the partner country and other organisations, and involve former fellows of the UNU-FTP

 

The UNU-FTP started awarding fellowships for post-graduate studies of former fellows in 2005.  The first fellow completed her M.Sc. degree at the beginning of the year.  At present three former fellows are pursuing their M.Sc. studies and one Ph.D. students at the University of Iceland.  In the future, we expect 4-5 fellows to enter post-graduate studies in Iceland each year.

 

At the beginning of the year, the UNU-FTP participated in an international conference on International Seafood Trade, Challenges and Opportunities, which was held at the University of Akureyri, one of the Icelandic partners in the UNU-FTP.  Several UNU-FTP fellows and former fellows and associates in partner countries attended the conference. Prior to the conference, meetings and workshops were held to strengthen cooperation and prepare short courses in partner countries.

 

In lie with UNU recommendations, the UNU-FTP is increasing cooperation with other UNU entities.  This year, one fellows comes from Brazil at the recommendation of UNU-PREP and a researcher from the network is here for a six week specialist course in Policy and Planning with wiew of organising a short course for leaders of fishing communities in the Pantenal region.  The deputy director of the UNU-FTP visited Ghana and has enjoyed good cooperation from UNU-INRA, which will hopefully develop into formal cooperation in the region.

 

Further description of the programme can be found at www.unuftp.is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six month training in Iceland

The training in Iceland starts at the beginning of September and ends in late February or early March. The training is organised as one week orientation, a five week introductory course, six week specialist course and a 14 week project. Of the 19 fellows who started in 2006, 18 completed their studies successfully in 2007, while one left after completing the formal coursework and preparing a project proposal.  This is the first time a fellow has not completed his/her studies, which reflects on the thorough preparation and selection process laid down by the UNU. An overview of the 144 fellows who completed the full programme during the first nine years according to countries and areas of specialisation is given in Table 1.

 

 

Table 1.  Fellows of the UNU/FTP in 1998-2006, according to country and area of specialisation.

 

Area of specialisation

Country

Quality Management

Policy &  Planning

Resource Assessment

Fishing Technology

Company Management

Environmental  Studies

Total

Angola

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

Argentine

 

1

 

 

 

 

1

Cape Verde

2

 

1

1

2

 

6

China

5

2

1

 

1

1

10

Cuba

4

1

3

 

3

1

12

Estonia

1

2

2

 

 

 

5

Iran

3

1

1

 

 

1

6

Kenya

2

 

2

 

1

2

7

Malawi

 

1

1

2

 

 

4

Malaysia

1

 

 

1

4

1

7

Mauritius

1

 

1

1

 

1

4

Mexico

2

 

 

2

 

1

5

Mozambique

4

1

 

1

1

1

8

Namibia

1

4

 

2

 

 

7

North Korea (DPRK)

1

 

 

1

 

 

2

PICs*

 

2

1

 

 

 

3

Russia

1

 

2

1

 

1

5

South Africa

 

2

 

 

 

 

2

Sri Lanka

5

1

1

2

2

 

11

Tanzania

2

3

 

1

 

1

7

The Gambia

1

 

3

1

1

 

6

Uganda

7

3

2

 

1

 

13

Vietnam

7

1

2

1

1

 

12

Total

50

25

23

17

17

12

144

*Pacific Island Countries: Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu

 

This year, 23 fellows from 14 countries started their studies.  For the first time women outnumber men in the programme 12:11.  The emphasis on Small Island Development States (SIDS) continues with participation form both the South Pacific and Caribbean.  Other new countries include Bangladesh and India, which both rank among the largest fishing nations in the world.  For the first time the UNU-FTP offered a specialisation in Aquaculture, which is taught at Holar University College in North West Iceland.  Other areas of specialisation offered this year are Fisheries Policy and Planning, Marine and Inland Waters Resource Assessment and Monitoring, and Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing.  In addition to the 23, five more joined the programme for the six weeks of specialisation, three in conjunction with preparation of short courses the UNU-FTP is developing in partnership with their institutions.

 

All fellows are selected through an interview process and in consultations with cooperating institutions.  This year visits were made to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia, Ghana and Liberia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa.  Several of the visits were undertaken in conjunction with preparation and implementation of short courses or participation in conferences. 

 

MSc fellowships to former fellows

In 2005 the UNU-FTP started to offer MSc fellowships to former fellows who gain entry into Icelandic universities.  One started studies in 2005 and graduated at the beginning of this year.  In August 2006 two more commenced their studies.  In 2007 the study programme of one of the fellows was changed to a Ph.D., two more started their MSc studies and one came to Iceland for four weeks and worked on a proposal for her PhD studies which was accepted.  The fieldwork will be done in Sri Lanka as a part of an FAO funded project.  It is expected that this part of the activities will continue to expand in the next couple of years, with 4-5 new fellows being admitted each year. Former fellows who are accepted into graduate programmes at the University of Iceland have been awarded 12-15 credits towards their graduate studies, the equivalent of one semester’s full studies. 

 

Development and implementation of short courses in partner countries

Substantial progress has been made on the development and implementation of short courses which are held in partner countries.

 

A short course on vessel stability was held in Sri Lanka in October.  The course is in two parts – a four day train-the-trainers for twelve instructors from the National Institute for Fisheries and Nautical Engineering and three government vessel inspectors, followed by several half-day courses for fishermen.  The course is part of a cooperative project between FAO and the UNU-FTP and carried out in association with NIFNE.  The team from NIFNE included two former UNU-FTP fellows

 

A four day course in project cycle management for managers in the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and its institutions and departments in Sri Lanka.  The topic was identified at a stakeholders’ workshop in March.  After two course development workshops, the course was held in June, July and September, with increased responsibility of local counterparts each time.  The course focuses on the logical framework approach required by the EU, DIFID and several other large donors.  In total about 60 professionals completed the course, which was carried out in cooperation with ICEIDA.

 

Preparations for a ten day course on profitability assessment in fisheries and aquaculture were completed during two course development workshops in Iceland and in Chile in cooperation with FAO.  Implementation of the course has been delayed, but the course is expected to be held in Cuba later this year.   Two former UNU-FTP fellows form a part of the counterpart team.  

 

A two week course on fisheries statistics and stock assessment in coastal fisheries in Pacific Island Countries was held in December 2006. This year participants have been working on a project using standardised under-water survey data and available catch statistics under the guidance of the experts from the UNU and a lecturer from the University of the South Pacific.  A workshop to finalise preparations for the second part of the course was held in Reykjavík during the first three days of November, but the two week course will take place on the USP campus in Samoa in January 2008.  Of the 25 who took part in the first course, 19 are expected to take part in the second course.   The course is a cooperative project between the UNU-FTP, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the University of the South Pacific.

 

Preparations for a two week course on Fisheries Policy and Planning in Pacific Island Countries started in 2006. A course development workshop was held in June in Fiji and materials for the course are being finalised. The course will be attended by heads of fisheries from 21 Pacific Island Countries.  Following the course, there will be a two day meeting to review regional policy in fisheries.  The course will be held at the USP campus in Samoa in January-February 2008.  It is a cooperative project between the UNU-FTP, the Commonwealth Secretariat, FAO, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the University of the South Pacific.  One or two former fellows will present the research projects they carried out during their studies in Iceland at the course, providing case studies for the course.

 

At the request of the Department of Fisheries in Kenya, a team of experts from the UNU-FTP conducted a field study in June and held a first course development workshop on a course for fisheries inspectors in Kenya. The course will include trainee inspectors who will become accredited inspectors and qualified inspectors who need to keep up with developments and regulations of main import markets in the EU, USA and Japan.  At present one inspector who will participate in the development and implementation of the course is undergoing six month training in Iceland. A lecturer from Moi University, the institution who will be responsible for the implementation of the course, is currently participating in the six week specialist course in Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing, in preparation for a second course development workshop which will be held in Reykjavík at the end of November.  It is expected that an expert from FAO will participate in the second workshop, but the organisation of the work and financing rests with the UNU-FTP.

 

The short courses have so far been a success.  They have opened up an avenue for continued and expanded support to former fellows and their institutions, and also given lecturers and supervisors in Iceland the opportunity to study the conditions in the home countries of our partners and work with international organisations.  This undoubtedly strengthens the programme in Iceland and makes studies here even more practical and relevant.   There is a strong interest in many of our partner countries and organisations to work towards the development and implementation of short courses in various fields of fisheries and several short courses are now in the early stages of preparation. 

 

Cooperation with other UNU institutions and programmes.

The council of the UNU and CONDIR meetings have recommended a closer cooperation among different UNU entities.  During a visit to Ghana, UNU-INRA assisted in planning the visit and cooperation has been discussed, not least in the regional context which would then most likely include other international organisations. 

 

Last year the director of UNU-FTP was invited to visit UNU-PREP in Brazil.  This year, two candidates proposed by UNU-PREP are studying in Iceland.  One is doing the six month training, specialising in Quality Management of Fish Handling and Processing, while the other will complete the six week specialist course in Fisheries Policy and Planning, with view of cooperating in the development and implementation of a short course for community leaders on fisheries management in the Pantanal region. 

 

 

 

Conferences and workshops

A seminar on International Seafood Trade, Challenges and Opportunities was organised by the University of Akureyri, one of the formal partners of the UNU-FTP on 1-2 February 2007.  The UNU-FTP supported the seminar, contributed a presentation, many of the UNU-FTP fellows attended and we also invited former fellows and partners from Cuba, Malaysia, China and Mozambique to participate.  At the same time, invited guests took parts in workshops on the development of short courses.  The UNU-FTP visiting lecturer of the year, Prof Jim Anderson, was also one of the main speakers at the seminar.