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Santiago goes the extra mile for European educational opportunities with EU-CONEXUS

Santiago Dei Cas is a third year Sport and Recreation Management student at SETU in Waterford. As a mature student, returning to education has reignited a passion for learning.

For Santiago, the educational spark has been answered in the form of EU-CONEXUS, European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability. EU-CONEXUS offers two undergraduate programmes of which SETU students can apply for:

Minor in Coastal Development and Sustainable Maritime Tourism and Minor in Blue Economy and Growth.

These offerings are specialisation programmes jointly developed by the EU-CONEXUS universities for undergraduate students across the alliance. Santiago has a passion for personal growth and professional fulfilment which lead him to successfully apply for two modules in Minor in Coastal Development and Sustainable Maritime Tourism. In 2023, Santiago undertook Entrepreneurship offered by Agricultural University of Athens and Sustainable Tourism Development offered by Klaipeda University, Lithuania.

“It was an excellent opportunity for many reasons. Firstly, I got the chance to collaborate with people from all around Europe, getting to know how they work and different approaches. Every student attends the courses voluntarily, so it is a unique chance to get to know like-minded people who are passionate about the environment and making a positive impact. Both modules were different, but really practical, allowing me to research topics that I am interested in, and develop my knowledge and research skills that I will be able to utilise in my main degree course in the future. I could also work on sustainable project ideas, I now feel more inspired and confident to move forward with them”

I would encourage every student interested in enhancing their professional profile to take EU-CONEXUS modules. Given the prominence of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 2030 agenda, this topic is both crucial for well-being of individuals and societies and essential for becoming a well-rounded professional in any field. I believe that undertaking EU-CONEXUS modules will enhance my employability in the future highlighting my ability to multi-task, manage time and academic commitments while upskilling in areas related to a green transition”.

Santiago Dei Cas, third year Sport and Recreation Management student at SETU in Waterford

About EU-CONEXUS Minor Programmes

To earn a Minor Certificate in Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability, students must complete 5 courses (30 ECTS) from 3 different universities and at least 2 programme sectors. Each module is worth 6 ECTS, and taking extra modules can help develop skills like independent learning, time management, and upskilling or fulfil work placement requirements. All modules are online, taught in English, and free of charge. Eligible students must be undergraduates at SETU or an EU-CONEXUS university with a minimum English level of B2.

EU-CONEXUS is a fully-fledged transnational European University offering joint education, training and study programmes, joint research and professional development opportunities for all of its staff, researchers, and students.

SETU is a partner of the EU-CONEXUS European University Alliance on Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability with La Rochelle University, France; Catholic University of Valencia, Spain; University of Zadar, Croatia; Agricultural University of Athens, Greece; Frederick University, Cyprus; Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Romania; Klaipeda University, Lithuania and University of Rostock, Germany.

EU-CONEXUS is themed on “Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability”, focusing education, research & innovation, and knowledge-sharing activities on defining, understanding and addressing societal challenges experienced by communities from urban and semi-urbanised coastal regions (rivers, seas and oceans).

Applications for the Spring Semester 24-25 are now open. Contact the SETU Minor Officer at [email protected]  with the module(s) name and you will be supported to fill out an application form.

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