About the OceanTeacher Global Academy

The OceanTeacher Global Academy promotes an active exchange of knowledge on diverse research disciplines for the marine and coastal environments in order to boost national capacities in ocean sciences around the globe. It is funded by FUST and carried out by the IOC, and ultimately aims to contribute to more sustainable development, better protection, and better management of marine and coastal environments. In doing so, it implements the IOC Capacity Development Strategy 2015 – 2021, extended to July 2023 by the IOC Assembly Decision IOC-A-31/3.5.3).

Training centres and courses

The OTGA has developed a global network of training centres to boost national capacities in ocean sciences. With a total of 17 training centres around the world, both specialised (STCs) and regional (RTCs), the OTGA project has successfully delivered over 220 courses and has instructed over 3.000 learners from 130 IOC Member States (2015-2019).

The aim is for each TC to achieve autonomy. Training programmes are self-driven with great attention to local requirements, culture and language, and by relying on the local expertise and facilities to teach the students. In addition to this, all TC exchange data, information and knowledge, to achieve equal capacities related to ocean sciences in all IOC Member States.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, OTGA continued running training activities: it rolled out 32 online courses attended by 3250 people in 2021, which allowed the e-learning platform to further improve its tools, making it more user-friendly and improving the distance learning experience. The OTGA platform now offers courses in 4 different languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French) and 3 teaching formats. The TC can be held face-to-face in a classroom setting or via videoconference by using the e-learning platform. Blended training is offered by mixing classroom and videoconference formats. The courses cover topics such as data management, natural disaster forecasting, prevention of marine pollution, and international marine law, among other IOC program-related matters.

OTGA endorsed in the UN Ocean Decade

Through increased exchange of marine technology, ocean studies, and training activities around the world, the OTGA contributes to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The project helps build the scientific and institutional capacity needed for sustainable management of the ocean and marine resources by 2030 (SDG14s). Additionally, the OTGA fully supports the IOC capacity development strategy, through the courses taught.

Aims and future of OTGA

• To roll out new courses (tsunami awareness, ocean acidification, ocean best practices) and keep attracting new learners, in order to spread information as widely as possible
• To keep developing the Training Centres network, especially the specialized training centres, which are topic-focused
• To keep developing the e-learning platform, to make it accessible to more people, and to make it the main teaching platform for all the IOC’s programmes.
• To enable equitable participation of all IOC member states and IOC programmes, in decision-making for the future of our ocean