Action Lines and Methodology

To strengthen higher education in aquatic ecosystem resilience and management in Egypt and South Africa, INNAQUE focuses on the following key action lines:

• Curriculum Development
  Interdisciplinary, internationally aligned curricula in aquatic ecosystem management and NBSs.
• Innovative Teaching
  E-learning, flipped classrooms, fieldwork, project-based and game-based learning.
• Capacity Building
  Staff training, exchanges, mentoring, and knowledge transfer from EU partners.
• Networking & Digital Collaboration
  A shared platform for materials exchange and long-term cooperation.
• Inclusion & Sustainability
  Equity, diversity, and green practices embedded across all activities.
• Quality Assurance
  Continuous monitoring, evaluation, and performance improvement.

INNAQUE follows a structured, outcome-oriented methodology implemented over a three-year period, combining sequential and parallel activities to ensure effective delivery of results.

• The project applies a work-package-based approach, with clearly defined tasks, responsibilities, timelines, deliverables, and milestones.
• Continuous quality control and evaluation mechanisms are embedded to monitor progress, measure performance against indicators, and implement corrective actions when needed.
• Stakeholders from academia, industry, public authorities, and civil society are actively engaged to ensure relevance, applicability, and sustainability.
• EU partner institutions support EG/ZA universities through training workshops, academic exchanges, and expert consultations during curriculum development and implementation.
• The methodology ensures efficient use of resources, considering economic constraints and institutional contexts in Egypt and South Africa.

Project Activities and Work Packages

INNAQUE is implemented through five interlinked work packages (WPs) that integrate curriculum development, capacity building, quality assurance, and dissemination. Inclusivity, gender equality, digital transformation, and environmental sustainability are embedded across all activities.

WP1 – Project Management and Coordination
Ensures effective governance, financial management, risk monitoring, partner coordination, and compliance with Erasmus+ requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

WP2 – Curriculum Development and Digital Platform
Develops the AquaSMART undergraduate curriculum, learning materials, and a digital collaboration platform, ensuring Bologna alignment and relevance to labour market needs.

WP3 – Capacity Building I: Skills, Mobility, and Infrastructure
Strengthens academic and institutional capacities through staff training, student and staff mobility, competence framework development, labour market analysis, and establishment of INNAQUE laboratories.

WP4 – Capacity Building II: Quality Assurance and Monitoring
Implements continuous quality control, evaluates curricula, mobility schemes, teaching effectiveness, and the collaboration platform to ensure high academic standards.

WP5 – Dissemination, Exploitation, and Sustainability
Promotes project results through events, publications, digital communication, and stakeholder engagement, while ensuring long-term sustainability and impact beyond the project duration.

Expected Impact

INNAQUE will produce highly skilled graduates capable of identifying, monitoring, assessing, and managing aquatic ecosystems using sustainable and innovative solutions. The project will expand career opportunities across environmental, industrial, agricultural, health, energy, and public sectors, contribute to economic development, and support long-term ecosystem resilience and sustainability in Egypt, South Africa, and beyond.

Project Consortium

The INNAQUE consortium brings together 7 universities and key non-academic partners from the EU, Egypt, and South Africa, building on strong prior collaboration to enhance higher education capacity in aquatic ecosystem management, nature-based solutions, and biotechnological applications.

Coordinator

• Alexandria University (Egypt) – Marine science and EU project leadership

Egyptian Partners

• King Salman International University – Marine biology & biotechnology
• PROMEC – Project management, capacity building, and sustainability

European Partners

• University of Palermo (Italy) – Blue economy & biodiversity
• University of the Aegean (Greece) – Marine and coastal management
• EMUNI University (Slovenia) – Euro-Mediterranean sustainability hub
• Microphykos (Greece) – Algae biotechnology & industry collaboration

South African Partners

• University of South Africa (UNISA) – Environmental science & e-learning
• University of Fort Hare (UFH) – Aquatic resource management