GenoMar Genetics Group introduces the GenoMar Tilapia Knowledge Outreach Program, an initiative to promote collaboration between academia and the industry for sustainable tilapia breeding.
As technologies advance in the industry, there’s a pressing need to nurture new professionals in tilapia genetics and breeding. This program offers students valuable opportunities, enhancing their skills and closing the gap between theory and practice.
Four pillars of the GenoMar Tilapia Knowledge Outreach Program
The program covers four key pillars of academia-industry collaboration. Each pillar is designed to empower students into future leaders and create meaningful partnerships with the academic community:
1. GenoMar Apprenticeship Program
GenoMar recognizes the value of practical experience in shaping careers and addressing the skills gap in the tilapia industry. This program offers on-the-job training, enabling students to work with industry professionals and gain hands-on experience in aquaculture operations. Participants develop essential skills, and GenoMar may hire qualified candidates based on their training.
āIn the Philippines, GenoMar is selecting three candidates twice a year for a paid GenoMar Apprenticeship Program. We are hosting interns from various universities in the Philippines at different GenoMar facilities in the country. In 2023, interns from College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology, Mariano Marcos State University were hosted at our facilities in Munoz, Philippinesā
Anna Pacis, Finance and Admin Manager at GenoMar Supreme Philippines
At our facilities in Vietnam, we have consistently hosted four students annually under the GenoMar Apprenticeship Program since 2022 from several universities in Vietnam. These students receive financial assistance throughout their apprenticeship, and we have already hired many of them at our facilities.
āIn Vietnam, we had an internship of students from the Aquaculture and Fisheries Department at Can Tho University in 2024. These students represented various faculties, including Fisheries Management and Economics, as well as the Aquaculture Technology departmentā
Trung Van Nguyen, General Manager Vietnam & Malaysia at GenoMar Genetics
GenoMar Apprenticeship Program is not limited to the students of the country where our facilities are located. Rather it is available to students anywhere in the world interested to gain hands-on experience in aquaculture operations in our facilities. For example, two MSc interns from Nord University, Norway were placed at different GenoMar facilities in Brazil in 2024.
2. GenoMar Financial Assistance Program
In commitment to nurturing talent and fostering academic excellence, we offer scholarships to deserving students. These scholarships provide financial support to help students pursue their educational goals. By investing in their education, GenoMar hopes to inspire and enable these students to reach their full potential.
GenoMar Financial Assistance Program is available to two students from CLSU, Philippines. One from College of Fisheries (CF) and another from College of Veterinary Science and Medicine (CVSM).
3. Collaborative research projects
GenoMar strongly believes in the power of collaboration and the mutual benefits it brings to both academia and industry. We have been collaborating in different research projects with faculty members and researchers from different universities worldwide. This has resulted in multiple scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
Our central R&D office is located inside the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Norway alongside numerous breeding companies specializing in diverse species. This strategic placement among entities at the forefront of technological advancements extends beyond the aquaculture sector.
āThe level of collaboration occurs at various levels, such as sharing valuable data or jointly supervising MSc and PhD students. It can also involve more intense collaborative projects, including rigorous field trialsā
Rajesh Joshi, Senior Researcher in GenoMar Genetics Group
We consistently engage in collaborative projects that extend the frontiers of knowledge, showcase scientific excellence, and hold the promise of transformative impact, not only within tilapia industry, but also for the broader aquaculture sector. One such illustration is the EPIFISH project, financially supported by the European Research Council (ERC), involving eight research partners spanning five EU countries and the USA.
Another example of such collaborative projects is the cooperation between Norway and Brazil for improved breeding in sustainable aquaculture (NORBRAQUA). Funded by the Research Council of Norway and with GenoMar as an industrial partner, the project will ensure;
i) long-term high-quality cooperation between Brazil and Norway in research and education, and
ii) increased bilateral mobility of students and academics between the two countries vis a vis academia and industry.
4. Guest lectures from GenoMar experts
GenoMar Genetics Group is an international aquaculture breeding and distribution company providing genetically improved tilapia to farmers globally. We are leaders in a number of innovations in the Nile tilapia industry.
Our scientists have consistently shared their insights, experiences, and industry best practices for tilapia breeding in a global context. They have been engaged with students and faculty members at various universities and events in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
We organize guest lectures featuring industry innovations, providing students with insights, practical knowledge, and networking opportunities.
For instance, we arranged genetics and breeding seminars together with universities in Vietnam (Can Tho University and Nong Lam University) and Philippines (CLSU) in May, 2023. Around 80, 140 and 250 participants (students, researchers, aquaculturists, aquaculture technicians, instructors, senior scientists and professors) respectively attended to learn and exchange knowledge about sustainable tilapia farming.
To strengthen this relationship, GenoMar’s two senior scientists, Rajesh Joshi and Anders Skaarud, have worked as Visiting/Affiliate professors at College of Fisheries, CLSU since 2023.