About

International Ocean Institute (IOI)

The  International Ocean Institute (IOI) was founded in 1972 by Professor Elisabeth Mann Borgese. The NGO has a global network with 22 operational centers. The headquarters are hosted by the Government of Malta at the premises of the University of Malta and supported by the Ocean Science and Research Foundation (OSRF). The mission of the IOI is to ensure the sustainability of the ocean and promote peaceful and sustainable management of the ocean for future generations.

Find out more about the International Ocean Institute’s latest activities in this video. 

IOI was started by Elisabeth Mann Borgese 50 years ago and is celebrating 50 years of achievement and the nearly 2000 IOI Alumni worldwide and an active IOI presence in nearly 40 countries and regions. IOI annually delivers a Master degree in Ocean Governance and a global portfolio of training courses in collaboration with recognised universities and learning centres. Moreover, the IOI plays a principal role in promoting Ocean Literacy through partnership in the globally recognised science-based publications – the World Ocean Review Series. In celebration of its first fifty years, has recently launched the IOI Ocean Academy, aimed at delivering ocean knowledge to persons of all backgrounds and all interests via short, targeted online courses. To learn more about IOI as a global network and what other IOI offices are doing, please refer to the IOI website. 

International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa (IOI-SA)

The IOI-SA is the IOI training centre for Africa. It is based at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa as one of the partners of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

Mission Statement:

IOI-SA focuses on Ocean Governance capacity development in Africa through training programmes aimed at harmonising management, policy and development. The IOI-SA produces research, policy and strategy-related outputs to address key challenges of sustainable ocean governance in support of the communities, governments, regions and international organizations concerned with securing a peaceful, prosperous and healthy future for all. The IOI-SA maintains particular focus on rural coastal communities, decision-makers, post­graduate students and schools. It achieves its mission through collaborating and networking with organizations and government agencies in Africa that are active in the sphere of marine and coastal management and sustainable livelihoods.

Find out about the latest IOI-SA Activities by watching this video. 

 IOI-SA Goals:

The goals of IOI-SA are based upon its strategy to act as a training and networking organization within the region, and to promote science and other forms of knowledge in the service of sustainable livelihoods and good ocean governance. The institute applies innovative and best management practices as well as progressive technologies to increase engagement in the science-to-governance support process. Specific goals include:

  • Provide harmonized regional Ocean Governance training to create a core of well-informed decision-makers in Africa;
  • Participate in ocean conservation advocacy;
  • Facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills useful in the management of marine and coastal resources to community level, policy makers, planners, resource managers and other decision makers in Africa;
  • Promote marine environmental education in southern Africa;
  • Use skills and technology to develop as a center of focus in electronic resource sharing for IOI and related organizations in the global context.

DSCF4349