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In our ACES Stars series, we meet alumni from our Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree in AquaCulture, Environment and Society (ACES-STAR) and find out how the course helped to shape their careers.

Having only joined the ACES programme on the advice of a friend, Andrew Richardson’s time on the Masters course has since shaped his rise through the ranks of the aquaculture industry.

Recognised as a rising star of European aquaculture, Andrew is now BioFarm Manager at BioMar UK and founder of the Young Aquaculture Society. His career has already included roles in France and New Zealand, as well as the UK.

The Scot has family ties to marine industries, but hadn’t considered a career in aquaculture until the final year of his undergraduate (BSc Marine Biology) - where it was introduced over a semester of classes.

“What appealed to me was the opportunity to proactively engage with the marine space, produce healthy food, and work with a sector that was rapidly evolving,” he said.

He found ACES a good fit for his newly found ambitions and began his Masters studies in 2017. During this time he was an award winner, collecting the Higher Education Learner of the Year prize at Lantra Scotland’s annual learner of the year awards.

Andrew said: “I had a brilliant time travelling around Europe and loved many of the courses. Clear highlights for me were building relationships with my peers (many of whom I am still good friends with) and having the opportunity to build a truly international network.

“I left ACES and went straight into a job working in France, working with a company I was introduced to whilst studying in France.

“I think ACES really drives home the importance of building a network, a lesson which I am very happy to have learnt.” 

Asked about his future plans, Andrew said he hoped to build on the foundational knowledge and skills that he gained from his time on ACES.

“It’s difficult to say where I will be or even what the sector will look like in 40 years - but I want to be a thought leader and help the sector continue to adapt, evolve and innovate,” he said.

“ACES helped me build a strong international foundation, which has set me up really well.”

The application window for the ACES-STAR 2026 intake opens from 6th - 30th January here!