Frederick University's Rector, Prof. George Demosthenous attended the Marine, Coastal, and Urban Sustainability Week, organized by the UCV and EU-CONEXUS, where partners committed to the sustainable development of our coastal cities.

Valencia, the EU Green Capital 2024 for Sustainability, was the perfect setting for the Marine, Coastal, and Urban Sustainability Week, held on July 8–12, 2024. The event hosted over 450 participants from the EU-CONEXUS Alliance and other partners to promote sustainable development and address pressing challenges in marine, coastal, and urban environments.

Key role of cooperation with socio-economic partners

EU-CONEXUS has always emphasised the importance of the cooperation between universities, industry and public institutions and the responsibility to carry out the academic and research activities of the Alliance to respond to the challenges of our coastal cities.

Representatives of these actors, primarily from Valencia, gathered together at the welcome event at Valencia City Hall, hosted by the Mayor María José Catalá.

This reception underscored the city’s commitment to sustainability and provided a platform for meaningful dialogue among key stakeholders.

In her welcoming words, Mayor Catalá emphasised Valencia’s dedication to environmental stewardship and the importance of the event in fostering international collaboration. “As the EU Green Capital of the Mediterranean, we have a mission to protect our seas and oceans. It’s an honour that Valencia has been chosen by EU-CONEXUS for its university partnership days on sustainability in coastal cities and ports,” the Mayor noted.

The reception was a testament to Valencia’s leadership in sustainable urban development, showcasing the city’s innovative approaches to integrating environmental sustainability into its urban planning and policymaking.

The events

• Blue Growth Leaders’ Academy
  
  23 participants from 8 countries gathered in Valencia after 3 months of intensive meetings online on the aspects of Blue Growth and Smart Cities. During a visit to the Valencia Port, participants engaged in an interactive workshop where they worked to propose solutions for a real-life challenge presented by the Port Authorities and Foundation of Valencia Port. This hands-on experience was pivotal in understanding the complexities of port management and sustainability in the context of the city development.
• International Symposium on Marine Science
  
  The symposium, organized by six universities in Spain offering programs of study and carrying out research in marine sciences, gathered more than 300 researchers from Europe, America, and Asia to discuss the latest challenges and research results on the topic. This event highlighted the importance of scientific research in designing informed sustainable practices. Some EU-CONEXUS joint Master in Marine Biotechnology (JMPMB) students also presented their research results achieved in 2 years of studies.

• Blue Innovation Day
  
  With opening remarks by Ester Olivas, Director for Internationalisation and Entrepreneurship at the Valencia Municipality, the networking event aimed to gather researchers, students, and the companies working in Blue biotechnology sector which gains a significant importance globally, including Valencia region. Jesus Agüero, Director of Bioval, also emphasised the role of innovation in driving sustainable development. The graduates of Master in Marine Biotechnology had an opportunity to get feedback on their research results from experts from the sector and even some offers for further careers. The event culminated with an award for the best student poster, recognising the innovative contributions of young researchers.

• Graduation Ceremony
  
  23 graduates from 17 countries, the first class of EU-CONEXUS joint Master programme in Marine Biotechnology, gathered in Valencia after passing several semesters in various universities across the globe. The awarding of graduation stoles and certificates by the Rectors of the nine partner universities was a momentous occasion, to celebrate the achievements of the students and to acknowledge the achievements of the Alliance towards the transformation of universities and higher education at large.

Watch the Graduation Ceremony here.

During their stay at Valencia, the Rectors of the nine Universities held meetings on the strategic development of the EU-CONEXUS Alliance. Members of the External Advisory Board attended the meetings as well.