Professor Monica A. Sundset’s Speech at the Third Cohort

NOMA-FAME Diploma Ceremony

Nha Trang, June 11^th 2011

Rector Xung
Ladies and Gentlemen
Colleagues and Friends

Professor Monica A. Sundset

We are gathered here today at the Nha Trang Univ, to celebrate the successful graduation of 11 new candidates from the third cohort of the NOMA FAME program.

As the ViceDean of Education at the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics,

I am honored and happy to represent and speak on behalf of the University of Tromsø, Norway.

Rector Jarle Aarbakke (Univ of Tromsø) sends his warm regards to all of you.

AND - He congratulates the new masters graduating from the NOMA FAME program: “We are proud of you and you should all be proud of yourselves and of what you have accomplished”!

The NORAD’s master program called “the NOMA-program” was established by the Norwegian government to encourage cooperation between Norwegian universities and universities in developing countries and thereby achieving a bilateral exchange of academic knowledge, culture, and understanding.

The NOMA-program in Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Economics (NOMA-FAME) was established 2007 and orgianally planned for three years with two cohorts of about 20 students each. In 2009 the NOMA-FAME program was extended to include a third cohort that has now completed their degree. Next year the fourth cohort will also finish, comprising more than 70 masters in total graduated from this program.

The goal of the NOMA-FAME master-program is to provide students with:

- Knowledge and skills in economics and business administration for positions in both private business and public institutions. Environmental and social limitations to economic development and trade are key issues in this program.

- Basic knowledge of aquatic natural science disciplines is an essential part of the curriculum

I would like to recognize and thank the enthusiastic staff of teachers and supervisors at the Nah Trang Univ and at the Univ of Tromsø as well as partner institutions throughout East Asia including countries such Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that have contributed to make this program a success.

I wise man called Albert Einstein once said: “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge”. Vietnamese and Norwegian professors have participated together in supervision of the NOMA FAME master students to give the best theoretical and practical support for the candidate’s research.

Importantly, I would also like to acknowledge

Rector Vu Van Xung and Rector Jarle Aarbakke, both Institutional Responsible at their respective universities in Nah Trang and Tromsø

And the Project Coordinaters:

Professor Kim Anh Nguyen Thi, here at Nah Trang University

Dr. Kristoffer Kokvold and Dr. Siv Reithe at the University of Tromsø for third cohort.

However, today our main focus and attention is directed at the 11 candidates that have completed their master degree this month.

This was possible only through large sacrifices, self-dicipline, focus and a lot of hard work. Completing an academic degree like this is like running a marathon: You have to set yourself a goal, you have to work hard and you have to be highly motivated!

Getting an interesting and exciting position after completing the study is a very important motivation to many of you,

but as another wise man (Albert Schweitzer) once said: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” And I hope and believe that you have all been happy and hence motivated and successful as NOMA FAME students here in Nah Trang.

I congratulate you all with the fulfillment of your personal goals and dreams shared with families and friends. This is the completion of two successful years as students, and many of you have left family and friends behind and lived far away from your home countries. I am sure that your families and loved ones would have wanted to be here to shear this important moment with us, and I know that they are all with us in thoughts and in our hearts.

You have (during your studies) built new friendships with students and teachers - friendships that will be important not only for your future personal and professional lives, but also to build cultural connections and bonds between countries. Friendship and understanding across borders and continents have been and will continue to be very important in our joint effort to make the world a better place.

We hope that the knowledge that you have collected through participation in the NOMA-FAME program will become a solid foundation to build a good life and career upon. We also hope that we have been able to pass on to you useful knowledge that will contribute to build good societies in your home countries or wherever life will bring you.

You are the future! You are needed in important positions in the society. Now that you have reached your personal goals you will enter a new era in your lives. You will meet new challenges and continue your education through your work and through living. Take on new challenges - Expand your own limits. Work hard and involve yourselves in national and globally important issues. I wish you all success in building your future lives.

On behalf of the Univ of Tromsø I thank the students for coming to Nha Trang University to participate in NOMA-FAME, and I wish you all the very best for the future and a safe journey back home.

Thank you all.

Prof. Monica A. Sundset (Vice Dean Education at the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics) on behalf of the University of Tromsø, Norway

NOMA FAME cohort 3

	Name	Origin	Title	Supervisor UiT
1	Tran Thi Ai Cam	Vietnam	Explaining tourists satisfaction and intention to revisit Nha Trang, Viet Nam	Svein-Ottar Olsen
2	Bui Nguyen Phuc Thien Chuong	Vietnam	How to improve income for shrimp farmers under the value chain approach: The case of the white leg shrimp in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam.	Kåre Skallerud
3	Huynh Thi Ngoc Diep	Vietnam	The determinants of consumer' willingness to pay for clean farmed shrimp	Svein-Ottar Olsen
4	Tang Thi Hien	Vietnam	Capacity analysis in small scale fisheries in Vietnam	Ola Flaaten and Siv Reithe
5	Doan Van Bay	Vietnam	Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaenus monodon) value chain in Bac Lieu Province, Viet Nam.	Arne Eide
6	Pethiyagoda Niyomi Ayesha	Sri Lanka	The role of convenience, consideration set and knowledge in explaining food consumption in Sri-Lanka.	Svein-Ottar Olsen
7	Salpage Nesha Dushani	Sri Lanka	The role of variety seeking on consumers' fish consumption: A study in Sri Lanka.	Svein-Ottar Olsen
8	Akther Hasna	Bangladesh	Tourism	Kåre Skallerud
9	Siddique Abu Baker	Bangladesh	Spatial aspects of climate change and effects on major coastal fisheries in Bangladesh	Arne Eide and Terje Vassdal
10 11	Abdul Momin Siddique Mohammad Gongsun Pinglu	Bangladesh Chinafb7a6ec6-076c-4728-88cd-25b6b67b839e SMS	The role of attitudes, subjective norm, perceived control and risk in the consumption of dry fish in Bangladesh. Research on Current Situations of SMEs in Aquatic Product Industry in Ningbo: A Case Study of Innovation and Entrepreneurship on a Perspective of Human Action (SME= “Small and Medium Enterprises”)	Svein-Ottar Olsen