Train Global Talent to Protect High-Seas Biodiversity... KIOST to Run Korea's First IOC Training Center

Training for scientists and policymakers from developing countries and small island states

Includes training aboard the research vessel Isabu... for five years starting in 2027

International experts will be trained in Busan to protect biodiversity in the high seas.

The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) has been designated to operate an official specialized training center under a UNESCO-affiliated international organization, and will train talent from developing countries in the marine environment field.

KIOST President Lee Heeseung announced on November 2 that KIOST had become the first institution in Korea designated to operate STC Korea, a Specialized Training Centre of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

The designation comes amid growing international demand for training following the entry into force in January this year of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The BBNJ Agreement is an international treaty to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in the high seas and the deep seabed, which lie beyond national jurisdiction. Implementing the agreement requires specialists to manage marine genetic resources, conduct environmental impact assessments, and operate marine protected areas.

STC Korea is a specialized training center in a specific field within the IOC's OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA), an international ocean education program. Only one institution worldwide is designated for each field. KIOST received IOC approval to operate the center in July and will run it for five years starting in 2027. It is the first Korean institution to be designated an official IOC specialized training center.

The program is intended for scientists and policymakers from developing countries and small island states. Its curriculum will focus on key areas of the BBNJ Agreement, including marine genetic resources, environmental impact assessments, and marine protected area management. In addition to online courses, it will include field training and onboard training aboard the ocean research vessel Isabu.

KIOST also plans to offer coordinated training through partner institutions in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The aim is to build practical skills needed to implement the agreement and expand the foundation for international cooperation in marine science.

Park Hansan, a KIOST researcher in the Office of External Relations and the center's coordinator, said, "We plan to provide practical, hands-on training needed to implement the BBNJ Agreement," adding, "We will showcase Korea's capabilities in marine science and technology to the international community."

KIOST President Lee said, "As the first Korean institution to operate an IOC specialized training center, we will begin training international talent in the field of the BBNJ Agreement," adding, "We will develop STC Korea into an international education hub, drawing on KIOST's research infrastructure and educational experience." He added, "We will work with the IOC to expand the scope of international cooperation into education."

Lee is scheduled to meet with an IOC delegation at KIOST's headquarters in Busan today, including Julian Barbiere, Director of the IOC's United Nations Decade of Ocean Science Coordination Office, to discuss cooperation in marine science and technology, including ways to strengthen STC Korea.

Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.