TEMPUS Joint European project Underwater Science and Technologies

TEMPUS Joint European project Underwater Science and Technologies Kick-off meeting University of Zadar 16 th and 17 th October 2007

About TEMPUS: “The Trans-European Mobility Scheme for University Studies funds projects between the higher education sector in the EU and its 26 partner countries to facilitate university modernisation, mutual learning between regions and peoples and understanding between cultures. The Tempus partner regions are the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. “ [http: //ec. europa. eu/education/programmes/tempus/index_en. htm l]

About TEMPUS It is financed by European Commission and there are 3 types of projects: • Joint Europaen Projects – JEP (2 -3 years) • Structural and Complementary measures (up to 1 year) • Individual Mobility Grants (few weeks) JEPs can be used for: Curriculum Development University management Institutional building Our project is a Curriculum Development JEP and it will last 2 years. Our objective is to develop a curriculum for interdisciplinary university study in the area of underwater science and technologies.

Motivation: There are numerous underwater activities in Adriatic and many of them require highly educated professionals (construction, ship building, inspection, marine bilology, mariculture, archaeology. . . ) Training for professional divers in Croatia has been either military or informal and non-institutional, and in neither case at the higher education level with formal qualifications There is no higher education program for divers anywhere in the Mediterranean area The only European country with well defined higher education of diving professionals is UK

Why Zadar? Zadar is ideally situated since the town has a central position on the Adriatic coast and is relatively easily accessed from the whole area Many local industries need trained professionals for underwater work: there are many fish farms in the Zadar area, there is a ship yard and underwater construction work is often required There are many underwater archaeological sites in the vicinity and the Center for underwater archaeology was recently established in Zadar has a long diving tradition, many scuba-diving clubs and, since last week, an antichamber

We can not copy the UK studies, but we can learn from them! UK and Croatia are very different in terms of size, geographic location, climate, economical development, higher education system. . . With population of 60 millions it makes sense to have a study of e. g. underwater civil engineering that enrolls 50 students. With population of 4, 5 millions, that makes no sense and having a study that enrolls 10 students is not sustainable. Therefore, we need an interdisciplinary study that combines all underwater technologies and creates professional divers competent for organization of complex underwater activities as well as for collaboration with experts in various areas.

The consortium Grant holder (university from EU): University of Plymouth Coordinator (university from partner country): University of Zadar Members (educational, research or government institutions or private companies from either EU or partner country): National Institute of Biology (Marine Biology Station in Piran) University of Zagreb (Faculty of Science) Archaeological Museum Zadar Maritim d. o. o. KPA Zadar Ministry of Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development

The project First consortioum meeting (Kick-off meeting), Zadar, October 2007 Presentation of the consortium members and the project. Work on the curriculum (resulting with the first draft containing provisional titles of the courses, their duration and ECTS points) Second consortioum meeting, Plymouth, November 2007 Creation of the final draft of the curriculum containing titles of the courses, their duration, ECTS points and brief description of the courses.

The project Seminars (Presentation of courses taught at UK universities. Developing detailed course syllabi. ) Seminar on basic courses, Plymouth, January 2008 Seminar on marine biology and environmental studies , Piran, January 2008 Seminar on archaeology courses, Plymouth, January 2008 Seminar on civil engineering courses, Plymouth, February 2008 Seminar on coastal policy courses, Plymouth, February 2008 Seminar on diving training, Plymouth, February 2008

The project Workshops (Education and training of Croatian teaching staff. Further development of the course syllabi. ) Workshop on marine biology, Plymouth, May 2008 Workshop on marine environmental sciences, Plymouth, May 2008 Workshop on underwater civil engineering, Plymouth, June 2008 Workshop on off-shore technologies, Plymouth, June 2008 Workshop on underwater operations, Plymouth, June 2008 Workshop on small submersibles, Plymouth, June 2008 Workshop on underwater archaeology in shallow waters , Plymouth, July 2008 Workshop on underwater archaeology in deep waters , Plymouth, July 2008 Workshop on general diving training, Plymouth, July 2008 Workshop on medical aspects of diving, Plymouth, July 2008

The Project Third consortioum meeting, Piran, September 2008 Evaluation of the current status of the curriculum. Planning the future activities. Development and updating of the professional skills through individual visits, October 2008 – September 2009 Obtaining the equipment and literature, writing and translating textbooks, October 2008 – September 2009 Fourth consortioum meeting (Final meeting), Zadar, September 2009 Public presentation of the project outcomes. Initiation of the follow-up activities.

So. . . Two years from now we will have: • well defined curriculum • detailed course syllabi • competent teachers and instructors • equipment for laboratory exercises and field work • text books and other literature for all courses In other words, we will have the first interdisciplinary undergraduate study Underwater science and technologies that will hopefully atract students from other parts of Croatia and from other Mediterranean countries.