EU4Ocean Summer School on Ocean Literacy & Collaboration

The EU4Ocean Summer School on Ocean Literacy & Collaboration is an intensive 5-day training program aimed at building essential skills and fostering collaborative approaches in the design and implementation of ocean-related projects. The fourth edition of the Summer School will take place in Venice, Italy, from June 29 to July 4, 2025, with a specific focus on the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, highlighting nature-based solutions as a central theme.

This program will bring together 20 selected students and early-career professionals from international universities and institutions from EU and non-EU countries of the interested region. Participants will be equipped and empowered to lead a cultural shift in ocean science, advancing transdisciplinarity, equity, inclusion, diverse knowledge systems, and international cooperation. 

Key learning outcomes

The Summer School is designed to achieve the following key learning outcomes:

• Familiarization with key international initiatives: understand the objectives and actions of the EU4Ocean Coalition, Youth4Ocean Forum, and the United Nations Ocean Decade.
• Scaling up youth efforts: learn how to amplify youth-driven ocean initiatives within the framework of the UN Ocean Decade.
• Effective collaboration in ocean projects: acquire practical skills for successful collaboration in the development of ocean-related projects, emphasizing shared responsibility and collective action.
• Diverse knowledge systems: consider various knowledge systems for ocean science and policy.
• Improving communication and storytelling: explore strategies for enhancing communication of ocean projects.

The Summer School offers a unique opportunity to connect with peers and experts, exchange knowledge, acquire skills for advancing in a blue career, and contribute to the global effort for a sustainable ocean future.

Application process and participants’ selection

The EU4Ocean Summer School will gather twenty youths from EU and non-EU countries of the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea region who are students enrolled/graduated in a Master Degree/PhD programme, or already early career professionals. No matter your background, we welcome people coming from all the sectors but with a shared passion for the ocean.

Interested students and early career professionals can apply to the summer school by filling up this form.

The deadline for applications is March 16th 2025 by 11:00 PM CET, and successful candidates will be notified by March 21st 2025 (please, check your spam box).

Participants will be selected according to the following criteria:

• Gender balance
• Geographical representation
• Age range: people up to 35 years old who are enrolled / graduated in a Master Degree / PhD programme, or already early career professionals
• Background: all the sectors are encouraged to apply. We will pay attention to create an interdisciplinary group.
• Priority will be given to youth from the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, as well as members of the Youth4Ocean Forum and ECOPs
• 4 extra sports will be reserved for applicants coming from the partnering institutions (no accommodation provided by the organizers in this case)

Programme

The in-presence programme will host different international guests and speakers to address the following topics at local and regional level: empathy for collaboration, storytelling and communication, impact measurement, project management, ocean policy and governance, stakeholders and community engagement, nature-based solutions.
The Summer School will have an online self-paced module prior to the in presence activities.

All the activities will be held in English.

Logistics and grants

• Accommodation in shared rooms will be provided for all the participants, excluding the 4 extra participants selected from the partnering institutions.
• Lunches and a social dinner will be provided for all the participants.
• In addition, UNESCO-IOC will provide 5 travel grants that will cover the cost of the transport tickets (round trip).

Partners

The training is organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) in partnership with the European Commission-DG MARE under the European Ocean Coalition (EU4Ocean) framework and in the context of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), in collaboration with the CNR-Ismar, the University of Padova, IUAV, the Climate-KIC, and with the patronage of the City of Venice.