ISA-Egypt Joint Training and Research Centre
About the JTRC
ISA and the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Egypt are collaborating to establish a joint regional training and research centre, as approved by the Assembly of ISA at its 28th session (July 2023). This centre will focus on enhancing capacity development, marine scientific research, and technology transfer in the Middle East and Africa.
Background
The proposal for this initiative came from the Group of African States at ISA, emphasizing the need for tailored training programs to meet the specific requirements of member states in the region.
Following the adoption of ISBA/28/A/13 during the 28th session of the Assembly, the ISA-Egypt JTRC will be established as the first regional joint training and research centre in Alexandria (Egypt).
The joint centre will be affiliated with the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Egypt, located in Alexandria, and will be funded through contributions from development partners and donations.
The ISA-Egypt JTRC will serve as a hub for various functions, including offering comprehensive training programs in marine science and technology, conducting collaborative research projects, organizing conferences and seminars, and promptly disseminating research findings. It will also foster technical cooperation with other states, especially focusing on developing countries and those with unique geographical challenges.
A steering committee will be established to provide guidance to the director of the centre, who will oversee daily operations.
- Promote training and capacity-building opportunities and programmes developed for nationals of developing States in activities relating to the seabed.
- Stimulate and advance the conduct of marine scientific research by developing States.
- Foster cooperation in marine scientific research and technological development, including, where feasible and appropriate, the transfer of marine technology.
- Increase the participation of developing States in activities in the Area.
- Develop and implement specific activities and programmes to advance women’s empowerment and leadership in deep-sea research.
- Provision of training programmes in marine science and technology, as well as in techniques for marine scientific research, that are designed to facilitate the full participation of developing States in activities in the Area, including, where appropriate, training programmes to be provided by contractors under exploration or exploitation contracts with the Authority.
- Conduct of collaborative research programmes related to the latest developments and trends concerning activities in the Area.
- Organization of conferences, seminars, workshops and symposiums relating to marine scientific research in the Area and activities in the Area.
- Prompt dissemination of the results of marine scientific and technological research in easily accessible publications.
- Foster technical cooperation with other States, especially with developing countries, including least developed States, landlocked developing States and geographical disadvantaged States and small island developing States.
- Other functions as agreed by both parties.
Training courses
Training course on Environmental Impact Assessment for exploration activities carried out in the Area: 14 - 26 September 2024 - Alexandria, Egypt
In June 2023, the Board of the ISAPF, endorsed the development and implementation of a Training Course on Environmental Impact Assessment for activities carried out in the Area for officials, as well as scientists from ISA Members States, involved in deep-sea related matters.
The two-week course, held from 14 to 26 September 2024 in Alexandria, Egypt, brought together 18 national experts from 12 different Member States. Among the successful participants, one was a national of a least developed country, three from Big Ocean States and six were women.
Women in Blue: training opportunities in ocean science
The Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) launched the initiative Women in Blue: training opportunities in ocean science, organized in partnership with the Italian National Research Council (CNR) within the framework of the ISA-Egypt Joint Training and Research Centre to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ISA.
The training articulates in two parts. The first consists of a winter school in Marine geology – Deep Sea Frontiers that will be held from 27 to 31 January 2025 in Bologna, Italy at the seat of the Institute for Marine Science of the CNR.
The initiative is financed by the ISA Partnership Fund and the CNR to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ISA. It will be opened to 10 women scientists from ISA Member States.
The call for applications has closed and successful candidates have been notified.
JTRC Steering Committee
The JTRC Steering Committee is the governing body of the JTRC. It was established in 2020 with the purpose of guiding the institutional set-up of the Centre and the work of the JTRC Secretariat. The Committee has held three meetings so far (in 2020, 2021 and 2022). The Committee was responsible for creating the Centre’s structure and work plan, and adopted documents related to the JTRC training activities.
The JTRC Steering Committee is composed of the following members:
- Prof. Amr Hamouda, Director of the Steering Committee and President of the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt
- Dr. Marie Bourrel McKinnin, Chair of the Steering Committee and Chief of Staff and Head of the Strategic Planning Unit, ISA
- Dr. Marzia Rovere, Research Scientist at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council, Italy
- Dr. Suzan Mohamed El-Gharabawy, Head of the Marine Geophysics Department at the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt
- Dr. Mohamed Nassar, Marine Geophysicist and Hydrographic Surveyor at the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt
Further links:
- About the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Egypt
- ISBA/28/A/13 – Memorandum of understanding between ISA and the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Egypt
JTRC News
