Aquaculture Education for Development: Empowering a Diverse Community of Aquaculture Researchers and Professionals

Building aquaculture educational capacity at the individual, community, and institutional levels among a diverse audience using a variety of tools is central to the mission of the AquaFish Innovation Lab. Across many years of successful, solution-based aquaculture research and education, AquaFish has established a continuous pipeline of highly trained graduates who are able to lead and empower the next generation. The AquaFish education effort reaches students at nearly every level of academia, and throughout the global fish farming community by mobilizing an interdisciplinary team of researchers who work collaboratively across disciplines to address the crosscutting problems of food security and sustainable aquaculture in the developing world. As a way to involve a wide audience, gender equity is an integral theme of this capacity building effort, and AquaFish researchers are deliberate about creating equitable learning opportunities for men and women and strive to meet a 50% benchmark for women's participation.

AquaFish enhances the educational capacity of aquaculture scientists and researchers through short- and long-term trainings, institutional strengthening, and curriculum development. Since inception in 2006, AquaFish has supported 1,171 students pursuing certificates, Bachelor's and Master's degrees, PhDs, and Post Doctorate fellowships in a range of disciplines, including nearly 800 women. These long-term trainees constitute a pipeline of educated professionals who move on to careers in government, academia, and private enterprise, further expanding collaborations and networks far into the future. Additionally, AquaFish has sponsored and facilitated over 250 trainings or workshops around the world, reaching more than 8,000 participants, one third of whom have been women. Topics include pond construction, fish supply chains and marketing, record keeping, and best management practices, which reach diverse stakeholders. Beyond the individual, AquaFish further expands its educational reach through the development of new curricula and degree programs in the aquatic resources sectors. These efforts increase the capacity for institutions to admit more students and improve facilities, and help establish these institutions as leaders in higher education and research.