Congratulations UNU-FTP fellows 2015/16!

Yesterday, the 18th cohort of the United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme graduated from the six month training course with a ceremony held at the Marine Research Institute. This year, there were 20 fellows from 14 countries participating in the training. They specialized in Quality Management in Fish Handling and Processing, Stock Assessment, and Fisheries Policy and Management. To date, there have been 325 fellows who have successfully completed the six month training from the UNU-FTP, representing a total of 52 nations. 

This year, fellows joined the six month programme from 14 countries, including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Djibouti, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Ghana, Cape Verde, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica. The past six months have been an exciting journey for all of them as they strive to work with complex challenges of fisheries in an international setting. Fellows studied this year with supervisors and instructors from the Marine Research Institute of Iceland, Matis, the University of Iceland, and the University of Akureyri. 

At the graduation ceremony, speeches were given by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, UNU-FTP Director Dr. Tumi Tómasson, and the Director of the Marine Research Institute, Mr. Johann Sigurjónsson, who is the chairman of the board of the UNU-FTP. An address was given on behalf of the fellows by Mr. Mohamad Natsir from Indonesia. 

We at the UNU-FTP extend warm gratitude to all our partners in Iceland who worked tirelessly the past several months to help the fellows produce exciting and relevant research. Also, we wish the UNU-FTP fellows well as they return to their home institutions. We look forward to seeing the great work you will accomplish in the future, and it has been a joy getting to know each and every one of you!