Interests in COSEE-China

---My Personal Perspectives

Dr. Minhan Daimdai@xmu.edu.cn

College of Oceanography & Environmental Science

(COE)

Xiamen University

(XMU)

State Key Lab of Marine Environmental

Science (MEL)

Overview

• Ocean science education at various aspects is underdeveloped in China

• “Ocean” is becoming one of the top priorities in China’s strategic development, and ocean science research has been growing in a fast trend ever in China, which needs outreaches

• The success of COSEE network and concept set a model for ocean science education

• COSEE-China is much needed and is timely to be developed as a national program with strong international partnership

About the Ocean and our vision

Demand in ocean science education

Issues in ocean science education in China

Motivations and timing of a COSEE-China

Outline

Ocean from Space

Cover 71% of the surface of the Earth

NASA

Qingdao

Guangzhou

Xiamen

ShanghaiPacific OceanPacific Ocean

Beijing

Ancient Chinese’s View:Natural barrier & the mother of the mankind

From a 7-grade student

• Home of marine life and food source• Area of discovery

-Yuri Dai

From non-marine-program college students

• ….• Blue color…

About the Ocean and our vision Demand in ocean science education

National development priorities (enterprise, jobs, general publics….)

Fast growing of ocean research

Issues in ocean science education in ChinaMotivations and timing of a COSEE-China

Outline

Revenues

• 2001-2006 ， marine related revenue

~14.7% ，

• In 2007, $ 2.5 K billion, ~ 10.11% GDP

(from 8.58% in 2000)

• In 2010 ， > 11% GDP 1 M jobs/yr

MEL SCI Papers

Ocean Research growing dramatically

•NSFC budget: 25% increase in the past 5-10 yrs

•Research output: ex:

■ SCI journal■ International journal

About the Ocean and our vision Demand in ocean science educationIssues in ocean science education in ChinaMotivations and timing of a COSEE-China

Outline

Grade Age

Higher Education in various formats C1~ 19

~

Vocational &

Technical High

School

Upper Secondary (Senior High

School)

H3 18H2 17

H1 16

Lower Secondary (Junior High School)

9 158 147 136 125 11

Primary School

4 103 92 81 7

Kindergarten 3~6

Science Education in the Curriculum StructureGrade

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Moral Education

& Life

Moral Education & Society

Moral EducationHistory & Society (or History, Geography)

Science Science (or Biology, Physics, Chemistry

Chinese LanguageMathematics

Foreign Language

Physical Education Physical Education & HealthArt (or Music, Fine Arts)

Comprehensive & Practical Activity

Local & School-based Curriculum

At Colleges

High educations of ocean science are limited to some of the universities

Not Yet as a significant component of the general educations

Xiamen University

Ocean Sciences Research in China

First started in the 1920s in Xiamen University

Focused primarily on marine biology

Issues to be concerned in ocean science education

Chinese culture used to view the ocean as a natural barrier rather than an asset of living

General publics rarely participated in ocean society More vision on the land Education policy:

“Watch” the ocean from the land General public Curriculums of general education/trainings are lacking

Lags between human resources & national enterprise demand

• Quantities

• Quality

• Capacity vs demand

Xiamen University

Summary

‘Ocean Literate’

Outreaches of ocean research

International network

Demand vs capacity

Reef Check in China

In Guangdong since 2005

Training seminar annually

> 6 sites and 30 volunteers

About the Ocean and our vision Demand in ocean science educationIssues in ocean science education in ChinaMotivations and timing of a COSEE-China

Outline

Motivations

• National Interests:– Job market: 500 K – 1 M increase/yr

• Global vision needs international cooperation in education in ocean science (in contrast with on research cooperation)

Timing

• NSFC’s strategic planning (2020) is

underway

• SOA has a strategic plan in place to submit

to the national council for the next 10 years,

emphasizing the community building

• MOE is making strategic planning for ocean

science research and education

COSEE-China?

Increase ocean awareness in college/schools and in the general public

Build up infrastructure for ocean science education with better bridges between research and educations

Increase number of students choosing careers in ocean sciences

Increase number of students from under-represented groups in ocean science

Increase knowledge and interest in ocean sciences resulting in an increase in science literacy

Xiamen University

COSEE Mission:

Scientists and educators working together to advance ocean discovery and make known the vital role of the ocean in our lives

US NSF, COSEE-US

NSFC, SOA, MOE

All participants

Let’s work together!