SAMS news room

A Celtic connection between two marine science research institutes on either side of the Atlantic Ocean has created a new student exchange programme at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, a partner of UHI.

The exchange will allow up to three SAMS students per year to study at the Oceanography Department at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Scotland and Nova Scotia share deep historical ties through Scottish migration and a strong cultural heritage rooted in the Gaelic language and culture.

Founded in 1818, Dalhousie University is a member of the U15: a consortium of the top 15 research-intensive universities in Canada, and in the top 400 in the world. Dalhousie’s BSc Ocean Science covers different topics to SAMS’ BSc Marine Science, giving students a fresh perspective on ocean issues.

This latest exchange programme follows on from SAMS’ existing links with Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in the U.S. and the University in Svalbard (UNIS), Norway.

SAMS Director Prof. Nick Owens, who confirmed the programme during a recent visit to Nova Scotia, said: “Alongside our other exchanges, such as CCU, we will encourage and support our students to take advantage of a valuable experience to study abroad.

“In the case of Dalhousie University, this is an opportunity to work with one of the world’s most respected ocean institutes and also to explore Nova Scotia, which is culturally and ancestrally linked to Scotland.

“Likewise, we look forward to welcoming students from Dalhousie University in Halifax and showing them what SAMS and the west Highlands has to offer. Our respective BSc courses cover different topics, so will be very complementary.”

The student exchange programme announcement comes after the twinning in October of SAMS’ outreach base, the Ocean Explorer Centre, and the Àros na Mara Discovery Centre in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Prof. Doug Wallace, Chair of Dalhousie’s Oceanography Department and a SAMS Trustee, said: “Having grown up in the west of Scotland, I am aware of the similarities and differences between our environments, cultures and academic opportunities. I’m convinced that this exchange programme will be of mutual benefit and, also, provide an excellent experience for students.

“Nova Scotia has a lot to offer, and Halifax is a vibrant city. Our population reflects the strong heritage from Scotland, for sure, but students will also learn about the perspectives of the Mi’kmaq people who have lived on our shores for thousands of years.”

Find out more about studying at SAMS.