The SEA-EU Alliance is celebrating its 5th anniversary!
Few could have predicted that the energy brought by the European University of the Seas in the autumn of 2019 would bring in so many innovations to the academic community, higher education area, and society as a whole. Yet, five years later, we are witnessing the transformative changes that have taken place - and those that still underway - for the betterment of all. Transformation is exactly that: change for the better! This is the core goal of the alliance - to reshape the European education space, making it more competitive and better equipped to tackle today’s challenges.Six European universities—University of Cádiz, University of Brest, University of Gdańsk, University of Malta, University of Kiel, and University of Split - formed the European University of the Seas alliance, which officially launched on October 1, 2019, under the motto: “Living sustainably by, from, and with the sea.”
The first three years of the project’s initial phase were largely marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted one of the alliance’s key objectives - increasing mobility across the entire academic community, including students, faculty, and administrative staff. Nevertheless, SEA-EU successfully promoted other initiatives, such as virtual mobility, which has since become a necessity of modern education and teaching. By hosting international lecturers and/or welcoming foreign students into their classes, SEA-EU institutions have fostered new networks of researchers and educators with shared interests.These collaborations have led to joint research, knowledge exchange, publications, and ultimately - new projects.
Thanks to the synergy among SEA-EU’s like-minded partners, new projects have been created (such as SEA-EU Doc, reSEArch SEA-EU, and Era Shuttle, to name just a few), while others continue to be developed - including one where cities such as Brest, Kiel, and Split play a key role alongside universities. This is a great example of how universities can engage with their communities and actively contribute to civic life.
In addition to the promotion of virtual classrooms, the first phase of the project also saw the establishment of the Observatory for Blue Growth and Economy and the promotion of service-learning as an innovative pedagogical methodology, initiatives that will continue to develop during the next stage of the project development. Exploration of new digital technologies and pathways and digital resilience, formation of an open science base, and the commitment to open science remain key goals of the second SEA-EU, which officially set sail on January 15, 2023.
The alliance has since expanded, welcoming three new partners: Nord University in Bodø (Norway), University of Algarve in Faro (Portugal), and University of Naples Parthenope in Naples (Italy).
With 77 associated partners (including ports, cities, NGOs, research institutes, and companies), SEA-EU has continued its journey with even greater momentum - especially in promoting various types of mobility and expanding its educational offers.
The crown moment of these endeavours is the development of four joint degree programs at all three academic levels - bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral.
These programs, deeply connected to the theme of the sea, are the result of intensive efforts by numerous faculty members, administrative staff, and external stakeholders. Student and teaching mobility, interdisciplinarity, and academic excellence is essential component of these study programmes. These programs will educate a new generation of students who will gain their academic experience in a pan-European environment, engaging with diverse interpretations of knowledge, skills, and experiences, and ultimately becoming active agents of societal change.
Furthermore, embracing the motto of SEA-EU’s second phase - “SEA-EU for All” - the alliance is calling on everyone to take part in this transformation: institutional leaders, faculty members, students, and administrative staff. This is evident in the numerous organized staff weeks (42 in just two past years), intensive blended programs on various topics for students and administrative staff, student-led projects, free language courses (a remarkable 22 in total!), workshops, webinars, and much more.
In line with core European values, SEA-EU activities promote equality, inclusivity, and a holistic approach to education, where sports and cultural values play just as crucial a role in shaping the next generation of academic citizens.
SEA-EU has undoubtedly contributed to enhancing the visibility of universities, strengthening connections between students and faculty, improving regulations, and changing perceptions of the university’s role in society.
So, let us wish SEA-EU a happy 5th anniversary and continued success in the years to come!
