IOI-Malta Course 2007 Announcement

The IOI-Malta Operational Centre will be again organising for the third consecutive year the IOI Malta Training Course on Ocean Governance for the Mediterranean and Eastern European Countries between 12th November and 14th December 2007 (5 weeks). The flyer describing the course concept and targets as well as details on the call for applicationscan be found on the course website http://capemalta.net/ioimoc/course2007.

The course is supported by the International Ocean Institute (IOI) with sponsorships by the Lighthouse Foundation, United Nations University/EHS and the International Maritime Organisation, and is accredited by the University of Malta. The course has become a flagship activity of the IOI and a very prestigious international course for our University.

It is specifically designed to benefit mid-career professionals, government officials, educators, researchers and civil society participants, preferably with coastal/marine-related responsibilities. We are expecting to have 15 foreign participants, preferably from developing countries of the Mediterranean and Eastern European countries, but the course is also an opportunity for locals (including University students doing their second degree in relevant subjects). The course faculty includes 15 foreign lecturers and experts as well as several local lecturers.

The theme of the course draws upon the conduct of maritime affairs in line with the Lisbon Strategy, targeting the Millennium Development Goals and building upon a holistic and integrated maritime policy following the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It focuses on the linkages between the natural, social and economic sciences to the development of sustainable ocean governance, and on the research-management interface that can render governance operable. The Course stresses the inter-linkages of multi-disciplinary inputs, and on the support of technology to enable the effective achievement of ocean management and sustainable development. The course also exploits innovative methods of delivery with interactive and hands-on sessions together with field trips, group work, simulation exercises and direct contributions from participants.

The emphasis of the course this year will be on the implications of the EU maritime policy for the European regional seas. We have managed to get special support from Comm. Joe Borg and the EC Task Team on the Green Paper on Maritime Policy. A dedicated 2-day seminar will be held during the course with the intervention of experts from the Task Team. Our target is to promote the IOI Malta course as a supportive means in the practical implementation of the EU maritime policy especially in relation to stronger coherence between the EU and its neighbours in their engagement in the governance of the regional seas, promoting inter-regional comparisons, shared experiences and exchange of best practice.