GIMA: A Leader in the Field of Marine Affairs both Internationally and Domestically

1.         Fisheries Resources and Management of the South China Sea

In order to fill in the lacuna of the fisheries catch data and respond to the declining fisheries stocks of the South China Sea, The Graduate Institute of Marine Affairs (GIMA) of the NSYSU initiated and organized the South China Sea Fisheries Resources and Management Workshop in 2017, the first of its kind in the South China Sea (SCS) region, participated by fisheries scientists and managers coming from the surrounding countries of the SCS, aiming to shed lights on the status quo of the fisheries and promote regional cooperation for sustainable fisheries.

2.     The International Workshop on BBNJ 2017

GIMA initiated and organized an International Workshop on BBNJ in July 2017, the first of its kind in Taiwan, to address the issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The United Nations has decided with its General Assembly Resolution 72/249 of 24 December 2017 to convene an Intergovernmental Conference to consider and to elaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on BBNJ with a view to developing the instrument as soon as possible. Thus, this matter possesses global importance and inevitable impact to Taiwan.

3.     The International Conference on National Policy and Laws for Offshore Wind Energy

Since 2015, under the initiative of its Director, Prof. Nien-Tsu Alfred Hu, GIMA has initiated and organized an annual International Conference on National Policy and Laws for Offshore Wind Energy consecutively for three years already. This Conference is the only one in Taiwan addressing issues relating to policy and legal aspects of the development of offshore wind energy while most others addressing the same subject matter only from technological and engineering perspectives.

4.     The Advanced Professional Program on the Underwater Cultural Heritage

Prof. Nien-Tsu Alfred Hu, Director of the GIMA, is the original drafter of the Underwater Cultural Heritage Preservation Act and its 9 sets of Regulations and the scholar who has established the entire UCH legal institution for Taiwan. In order to meet the legal and administrative needs of such legal institution, Prof. Hu has initiated and operated an Advanced Professional Program on the Underwater Cultural Heritage, a cross-college, Master’s level curriculum program on campus since 8 July 2015, which is the only UCH program in any higher education institutions in Taiwan, to cultivate the talents in the field of preserving, protecting and managing UCH.

5.     A Leading Figure of an Intergovernmental Fisheries Science Body

With his internationally recognized expertise and dedication, Prof. Shui-Kai (Eric) Chang of the GIMA was elected as the Vice-Chair for a term of three years of the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) in July 2017. ISC is an intergovernmental body dedicated to advancing fishery science of the North Pacific tuna and tuna-like species.