An agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources and the Maldives National University to develop the curriculum for a Bachelor's Degree in Fisheries and Aquaculture.
At a ceremony held at the fisheries-ministry today, Director of Finance Inas Naseer signed the agreement on behalf of the ministry. Vice Chancellor Dr. Aishath Shehenaz Adam signed on behalf of the National University.
Under this agreement, the Maldives National University will prepare the complete curriculum and course materials for this program in accordance with the standards of the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA). This includes modules such as fisheries science, aquaculture, resource management, climate resilience, and sustainability.
The agreement stipulates that this work will be completed within 43 months from the date of signing, and once the curriculum is prepared, the course will be conducted by the National University. Under the sponsorship of the TRANSFORM project, the course will open study opportunities for students from the Maldives and countries in the Southwest Indian Ocean region.
This agreement between the fisheries-ministry and MNU is a program conducted under the Transforming Fisheries Sector Management in the South-West Indian Ocean Region and Maldives Project (TRANSFORM Project), which is funded by a World Bank loan and grant. Under this project, scholarships have previously been awarded to 17 Maldivian students to study abroad in various fields related to fisheries, mariculture, aquaculture, and agriculture.
This program is scheduled to begin with a one-year foundation program in the field of fisheries and aquaculture. Following that, a diploma and bachelor's degree can be completed. This course is a full-time course that includes classroom education and practical experience. At the foundation and diploma levels, students will study main 'core' modules. From the advanced diploma level upwards, students will have the opportunity to choose elective subjects. This program will provide the opportunity to specialize in the fields of fisheries science and aquaculture. Additionally, upon completion of each program, students will have the option to exit the program and receive a certificate for the level they have completed.
The College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences has been conducting many courses for those who wish to pursue education in the fisheries sector.
