UNESCO/IOC Chair in Oceanography and Coastal Management (Chairholders: Prof. J. Stuardo, 1993-May 2002; Dr. S. Pantoja, from May 2002) was established at the University of Concepcion (Chile) in 1993. Focused on advanced training, the Chair is based on the graduate programme in Oceanography of the University of Concepcion. It provides international annual intensive courses that serve the interests and needs of specialization in oceanography in the whole Latin American Region.

Advanced courses that were given by the Chair between 1993-2001 covered over a dozen of marine science disciplines. Over 30 visiting professors have become involved, from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, S. Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, as well as from other universities of Chile. Courses given included: Advanced Physical Oceanography and Modeling, Satellite Oceanography, Remote Sensing Techniques, Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions, Biological Oceanography, Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics, Coastal Geomorphology (discontinued), Coastal Zone Management, Marine Chemistry and Environmental Pollution, Marine Geology, Marine Microbiology, Fisheries Oceanography (discontinued), and Fisheries and Aquaculture. On the average the courses have the duration of two to three weeks of well-planned, daily activities to keep close contact between students and lecturers. One small research vessel and several small boats are available to the Chair for work and training at sea.

From 1996 onwards, the preference is given to courses in Physical Oceanography, Ocean-atmosphere Interactions, Coastal Management, Aquaculture, and Marine Microbiology. Strong need in developing courses in Satellite Oceanography has been recognized at the regional level. In general, the Chair searches for a balance towards disciplines complementing the graduate programme at the University of Concepcion, as well as those poorly (or not at all) developed in countries of the Region.

The courses credited as formal specialized learning activities, are directed to the graduates (Chilean and foreigners) registered at the graduate programmes in Oceanography, University of Concepcion, to graduates from other related programmes existing at the University and to young researchers, academics and professionals working in other Chilean and Latin American Universities, research institutions and governmental bodies conducting oceanographic research. Graduate studies are conducted in the following three lines of advanced specialization: M.Sc. Programme in Oceanography, Doctoral programme in Oceanography and M.Sc programme in Fisheries and Fisheries Oceanography. An additional M.Sc. programme in Aquaculture in under study.

As an example, in 2001 63 applicants were admitted to the courses. Of this total, 43 were Latin American graduates largely registered in the programme at the University of Concepcion and 20 Chilean and foreign professionals.

Annually the Chair provides five to seven travel grants to trainees from the region (outside Chile). As the result, the benefits of the graduate programmes in Oceanography at the University of Concepcion and the International Courses organized by the Chair serve the interests of applicants from Mexico in the north to Argentina and Chile in the south. In fact, between 1993 and 2002, the Chair has helped over 340 young Latin American graduates, academics and researchers belonging to 12 countries and 35 different institutions to participate in the International Courses, thus truly helping them in different levels of their advanced education and specialization in Oceanography. All of them have gained or are gaining credits through the international courses, demonstrating the intrinsic value and twinning benefits of the incorporation of these courses as a formal part of the graduate programme at the University of Concepcion. Further, four to five Latin American (non-Chilean) graduates who enter the doctoral programme are provided grants, annually, under a fellowship program offered by the German Academic Exchange Service. Moreover, the Chair can report that of 64 PhD students registered until now (2002), 14 already obtained their doctoral degree and went back to their countries and institutions. They belong to the following countries: Peru (3), Colombia (1), Argentina (2), Uruguay (2), Costa Rica (1), Nicaragua (1), Chile (4).

In addition to IOC and the German Academic Exchange Service, as well as national funding, equally remarkable has been the support provided by the South African Foundation for Research Development, the Swedish Institute, and the Embassies of Canada, France and Switzerland. Scientists from Japan and Australia were able to raise their own funds to contribute to the Chair activities. All in all, the positive attitude of the international oceanographic community to become part of the Chair’s program has to be stressed. Countries that have benefited so far from the Chair activities include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. A high demand against the few available fellowships is a clear indicator that the needs of advanced education and training in the Region are overwhelming, requiring prompt solutions by the individual countries and ad hoc international programmes. The fact remains, however, that there are very few attempts within the Region to cope with these problems.

However, of major relevance is the proved interest of the international academic community to participate actively in the development of Oceanography in developing countries, and the realization that individual efforts through any of these intensive courses, has a profound effect in the overall development of marine science in Chile and Latin America in general.

It is hoped that the international backing of the relevant bodies like SCOR and IOC to the Chair’s ongoing programme, and its very positive impact in the development of oceanography in Latin America, will help to guarantee its continuation for at least five more years. The great demand for the international courses as a clear indicator of the lack of any similar undertaking at the sub-regional and regional levels, so requires it. On the other hand, the graduate programme in Oceanography, University of Concepcion itself is interested in helping the continuity of the Chair, due to the important number of Latin American (non-Chilean) graduate students entering annually the Doctoral programme. Furthermore, the experience and support of UNESCO/IOC is considered fundamental to overcome some of the partial shortcomings in the original twinning objectives of the Chair.