BLUE4SEAS project aims to build a strategic partnership between five maritime academic institutions “to bridge” the Baltic, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, to place a “brick” in the foundation of European universities in order to obtain competitive advantages through the exchange of good practices and the exchange of knowledge within the network in improving teaching skills and learning methods through simulation, providing a solid ground for excellence in teaching and skills development processes. Maritime officers are educated and trained in naval academies and maritime universities and the specific curricula have also to comply with Bologna higher education requirements and their related quality standards. The differences between national education maritime systems can lead to problems with the recognition of educational qualifications from other countries and of periods of study taken abroad. Into the maritime European space BLUE4SEAS will lead to an increase in the competitiveness of maritime higher education institutions (MHEI) providers supporting the implementation of the Bologna principles, implicitly by giving and recognizing ECTS credits and developing a successful EEA. The protection of environment has now become a topical issue and IMO initiatives provides ample opportunities and catalysts for MET institutions to review their provisions while at same time incorporating changes in STCW requirements. The risks of an incident likely to cause massive pollution by oil or other hazardous substances continues to be high and organized, equipped, well-trained and competent human resources able to cooperate with all stakeholders is absolutely necessary. Regional cooperation and mutual assistance are indispensable when dealing with a major marine pollution accident. Also, in context of current crisis created by COVID 19, it is even more important to focus on developing online courses and creating virtual online simulation platforms. A prerequisite for such cooperation are best practices and knowledge sharing, education, keeping up with new technological achievements and development of information system. BLUE4SEAS will facilitate the use of the digital technologies and of innovative and open pedagogies in MHEI through virtual online training platform (VOTP) on the environmentally friendly maritime shipping industry as an open source. The innovative educational resources and training facilities developed could be shared as a pilot module to other interested MHEI. The intensive training courses are multidisciplinary (Europass) recognized in all HEI involved in this project, facilitating exchange of students through ERASMUS + programs and flatting the skills gaps and mismatches in maritime education and training system, based on networking with a high potential not only in education but also in research. These courses will use new innovative tools for teaching, research and innovation to prepare future maritime graduates to deal successfully in increasingly demanding international labor markets. Models and scenarios simulated in teaching activities are based on real-world applications. Courses are based on ICT being designed to be modular; the assessment will be both online and face to face; based on the collaborative practices of all partner universities involved in the project. Target groups teams are made of students/professors from all 5 countries participating in the project Main objectives of the BLUE4SEAS are: - Creation of strategic partnership between the 5 MHEI located in countries bordering on three of four seas of the Europe. The creation of Network of research and innovation on maritime environment protection is designed to support academic exchanges, to share knowledge, to promote infrastructure facilities and research activities between these maritime institutions with aim to be extended at European and international level. - Enhancing the capacities of MHEI participating in the project through cooperation in the field of marine environment protection with a view to their modernization and internationalization, to promote innovation and to exchange best practices and know-how materialized by the VOTP, common courses with ECTS credits, joint research studies on simulating environment efficiency and effectiveness for maritime education and training, a student competition, video tutorials in order to enhance the learning process by accessing digital resources, common syllabuses and course materials to be harmonized with STCW where the simulators are used, conferences and transnational meetings, and training courses. Expected impact consists in the logical project's follow-ups which would be the expansion of the common syllabus to joint study programmes and also the building of research. BLUE4SEAS results can eventually offer possibility of starting consistent joint degree study programmes between the partners and could be replicated at the European and international Maritime Higher Institutions.
The project team aimed to create a strategic partnership bridging 5 MHEI located in countries bordering four seas of the European region. The project has been carried out transnationally, promoting the use of research, learning and training infrastructure in field of pollution within interregional network formed by 5 MHEI with similar specificities but which complement each other in terms of skills, experience, facilities and portfolio. The settlement of Network of research and innovation on maritime environment protection has been designed to support academic exchanges, to share knowledge, to promote infrastructure facilities and research activities between these maritime institutions with aim to be extended at European and international level. The project has promoted innovation and best practices exchange, materialized in 4 joint harmonized courses with ECTS credits for students and for teaching staff (enriched with laboratory video tutorials) and a wide portfolio of joint research studies in environment efficiency and effectiveness, open in digital format (marplat.eu). For dissemination purposes, the partners have organized 5 transnational meeting, but also 8 training activities delivered for teachers and students.
The project has been applied in order to provide a valuable contribution toward the curriculum improvement and development in compliance with the requirements of the EU in the field of marine pollution and maritime safety and security, following up the sustainable development principles and EMSA recommendations in this area, within the inventory of EU Member States’ Policies and Operational Response Capacities for Hazardous and Noxious Substances Marine Pollution. The Blue4Seas project is focused on the environment protection policies and strategies curricular alignment, as an imperative topic of IMO initiatives, providing ample opportunities and catalysts for MET institutions to review their learning and training resources, while at the same time incorporating changes according to the STCW requirements. Also, the project has aimed to contribute for building an European culture of safety of life at sea and marine environment (ME) green policy for sustainability, improving the professionalism and competences of the HEI graduates as future seafarers, preventing the pollution and protecting the marine environment. The Blue4Seas project has aimed to build a knowledge network, among the partners covering 4 EU bordering seas.