The ‘BEING SEA-EU’ Conference held at the UM Valletta campus last June was the first international scientific conference to showcase academic advancements in multidisciplinary fields among the nine partners of the SEA-EU Alliance. It was also an opportunity for discussion and reflection on the future of sustainable coastal and marine ecosystems.
Dr Lisa Pace from the Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation shared: “When I approached Prof. Alan Deidun with the idea of organising a futures workshop at the Being SEA-EU conference he was very enthusiastic and supportive”.
The futures workshop engaged conference participants in exploring different pathways towards sustainable coastal and marine ecosystems and reflecting on how present-day challenges and opportunities could bring us closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 ‘Life Below Water’.
Dr Pace, who lectures on foresight and sustainability innovation, claims that: “Scientists as well as policymakers need to be equipped with foresight and futures skills to pro-actively respond in a timely manner to the imminent challenges that the oceans and coastal areas are facing”.
The participants were enthusiastic to participate in the hands-on workshop. It was particularly interesting to obtain the perspectives of scientists that hailed from interdisciplinary and multi-cultural backgrounds. “This is a unique opportunity that the SEA-EU Alliance offers”, says Prof. Deidun, who is also the Rector's Delegate and Convener of the ‘BEING SEA-EU’ Conference.
The closing plenary of the ‘BEING SEA-EU’ Conference served as a space were the SEA-EU partners shared the strengths and weaknesses of their coastal regions as well as future opportunities in four domains relating to: the establishment of marine renewable energies, the generation of marine ecosystem services, the circular economy and spatial planning of socio-economic activities. This is part of the work of a task force, led by the University of Malta, that is developing a SWOT analysis of the coastal areas.
Professor Deidun explained the importance of this exercise: “The outputs will be used to prepare a ‘state of the coast’ report and presented at the SEA-EU Governing Week to be held at the Valletta campus during the last week of November 2024”. This is one of many initiatives spearheaded by the University of Malta during its current presidency of the SEA-EU Alliance.
In fact, during the last SEA-EU Governing Week held in Bodo, Norway, the Rector of the University of Malta, Prof. Alfred J Vella, officially assumed the role of Rotating Rector Coordinator of the SEA-EU Alliance. This significant appointment is part of a rotating presidency scheme that sees each university rector lead the alliance for a six-month term.