EU-CONEXUS - European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability

EU-CONEXUS (European university for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability) is a transnational European higher education and research alliance established in 2019, that covers the smart urban sustainable coastal development from a global point of view. EU-CONEXUS partner institutions are:

• La Rochelle University, France
• Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
• Klaipeda University, Lithuania
• Catholic University of Valencia, Spain
• University of Zadar, Croatia
• Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Romania

Associated partners are:

• Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland
• University of Rostock, Germany
• Frederick University, Cyprus

• to provide common European degrees and common European diplomas;
• to implement 50% mobility of students and academic personnel;
• to create a European higher education inter‐university ‘campus’ based on an ever‐closer academic and administrative integration;
• to integrate bachelor, master and PhD programmes combining our strengths in education, research and innovation;
• to integrate multidisciplinary, multilingual and innovative European University programmes; 
• to connect and enhance education and business clusters;
• to become a global leader in higher education and research in the area of smart urban coastal sustainability, with a perspective of expansion beyond the size of its founding consortium.

This joint Master programme in Marine Biotechnology (JMPMB) is an integrated multidisciplinary programme offered within the framework of one of the first transnational European universities.

The programme provides students with a high-quality academic education, building professional competences in the area of marine biotechnology (also called blue biotechnology) and helping to address its global challenges.

We ensure:

• essential interdisciplinary training in key topics related to Marine Biotechnology;
• opportunities to specialise within one of the four thematical tracks: (1) Innovative Bioproducts for Future; (2) Blue Biomass; (3) Marine Biorefinery; (4) Aquaculture Biotechnology;
• a tailored study programme according to their aspirations via individual professional practice (internship), individual research (academic research integration) and thesis work.

This study programme provides a great opportunity for students on multiple study and travel options within the alliance.

Students are integrated into a multicultural study group and a professional network, offering an immersive system of project-based learning in the ‘real world’ economy.

The final EU-CONEXUS goal is to become a global leader in higher education and research in the area of smart urban coastal sustainability.

EU-CONEXUS gathers 65 research institutes, 4000 research staff, and 98 research groups to provide our students their expertise on Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability.

Moreover, EU-CONEXUS is strengthening the links of research with coastal industries, businesses, and social actors to ensure the transfer of knowledge and the improvement of quality of life in and around coastal areas.

Career opportunities

In 2016, the Blue Economy provided 3.48 million jobs in the EU and the average wage increased by 14.2%.

The EU-CONEXUS countries represent more than 50% of the EU`s Blue Jobs.

You will be able to assist companies in

• the health, cosmetics, and agri-food sectors to reach new markets and segments;
• the manufacturing of new functional products from marine resources;
• the various uses of Biotechnology to the aquaculture sector such as managing advanced breeding programmes, estimating significant diseases of aquatic organisms, modifying the metabolism of molecules in living organisms, and supporting modern research for practical aquaculture development and seafood processing.

Professional skills:

EU-CONEXUS has built this programme in collaboration with stakeholders to match the actual needs of the biotechnological sector. Moreover, companies and research centers are involved in the teaching of the programme.

It will prepare employable students to get the following skills and knowledge:

• Understand the process of discovery and development of marine-derived molecules and set up an efficient biotechnological pipeline to develop innovative marine natural products using state-of-the-art techniques.
• Integrate problem-solving skills, specialized knowledge, and understanding from current challenges to innovative solutions regarding the sector.
• Acquire skills related to the management of biotechnological innovation projects, transfer of R&D, and protection of industrial and intellectual property in the marine biotechnology sector.
• Communicate efficiently scientific results to colleagues, customers, and collaborators using highly organized, coherent, and cohesive both written and oral discourses to contribute to the betterment of the field.
• Work as part of multidisciplinary and international teams, following and maintaining a high quality of work and high productivity.