Coastal sciences and management: the need for networking in higher education

Successful coastal management requires appropriate competencies. Higher education is under pressure to motivate and produce graduates with the relevant scientific background. In order to make these graduates more employable, employers’ participation to education is required. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the subject area and the need for well-skilled professionals, networking is vital for building links between industry, managers, policy-makers and academia. New curricula need to be developed and adapted to a constantly evolving subject and learning environment. The virtual classroom is now a reality. The use of electronic communication should allow the involvement of all stakeholders, including Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). NGOs will take a more and more important rôle in the dissemination of scientific information and its application to coastal management. Generalisations are based on a case study: University College Scarborough, England.