The University of Rostock (Germany) had the pleasure of hosting students from the University of Gdańsk (Poland) and Klaipeda University (Lithuania) for the “AquaLoop Cross-Border Student Exchange Program” from February 24th to February 28th, 2025. During this period, the students were introduced to the AquaLoop Pilot 2: NEMATIC, focused on enhancing nutrient efficiency in commercial aquaculture through circular economy principles.
The program allowed the students to explore the NEMATIC pilot facilities, including a FishGlasHouse and Fish Lab, where they learned about molecular biology and genetics of aquatic species. They also participated in hands-on activities such as fish sampling (studying fish anatomy, and extracting liver, gonads, filet, skin, and fat from African catfish and rainbow trout), aquaponics, fish leather production, and parasitological training.
In addition to learning about the circular economy applied to fish species, the students had an insightful study trip to the pikeperch breeding facility at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Research Centre’s Institute of Fisheries in Hohen Wangelin.
The exchange program was highly successful for both the AquaLoop team at the University of Rostock and the visiting students from Gdańsk and Klaipeda. We are pleased to report an outstanding survey response at the level of 97%-99%, with students rating various aspects such as communication, organization, networking, collaboration, satisfaction, and overall recommendations very positively. The students also shared valuable feedback on their experiences, which included highlights and personal reflections from their time at the University of Rostock.
Some highlights of the program mentioned by the participants:
“…Communicating with mentors and coordinators. Getting to know how things work (methods, aquaponic systems) in Germany. Learning new staff in the laboratory. Practical work with (fish) leather. Making fish leather and eating catfish. Going to the fisheries. Ability to see and touch the lungs of Clarias gariepinus. Exploring the city. …”
Some experiences from the program mentioned by the participants:
“…I really enjoyed it. I liked the people. Everyone was very friendly and caring. I was a pleasure to meet so many kind and generous people (…). It was really nice. I enjoyed it very much. I would love to come back. It was perfect. …”
Stay tuned for more updates on the AquaLoop Cross-Border Student Exchange Program.