Goals

Main objectives for students:

• to take part in an interdisciplinary real-life research project;
• to experience the academic and social diversity of an international research community;
• to work with colleagues from other schools and with different scientific backgrounds;
• to be acquainted with the importance of the oceans in pursuing the sustainability of our planet;
• to recognize the ocean as an important source of resources and wealth;
• to identify the sources of ocean pollution (especially plastic pollution), their impact and the main techniques used to mitigate them;
• to explore future education and career perspectives.

At the end of the project, students will be familiar with: 

• the fundamentals of different disciplines related to ocean science;
• the central principles of material science related to polymers;
• the impact of plastic pollution on the metabolism of biological systems;
• the basic principles of robotics and the design of autonomous vehicles for sea exploration;
• the basic techniques to recycle materials and the principles of circular economy;
• project management methods.

The students will also be able to: 

• develop a goal-oriented solution to a complex problem through interdisciplinary collaborative research work;
• discuss possible solutions and take informed decisions based on relevant criteria;
• connect with their peers in an international and interdisciplinary environment and appreciate the corresponding academic and social diversity;
• plan, organize, and carry out tasks independently;
• plan and manage their online study process independently and use the functions of a digital learning environment for their learning process;
• learn and use the functions of collaborative online tools, e.g., video conferencing tools, collaborative whiteboards, collaborative writing and presentation tools;
• improve their English language skills.