The NF-POGO Alumni Network for the Ocean (NANO) was established as a joint effort between the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean and the Nippon Foundation.
The Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) was founded in 1999 by directors of oceanographic institutions around the world as a forum to promote and coordinate the observation of the global ocean. POGO’s membership includes most of the world’s leading ocean science and technology institutions. POGO’s vision is to have, by 2030, world-wide cooperation for a sustainable, state-of-the-art global ocean observing system that serves the needs of science and society. The POGO Secretariat is located in Plymouth, UK.
The Nippon Foundation (NF) was established in 1962 as a non-profit philanthropic organization, active both in Japan and abroad, based in Tokyo, Japan. Since 2005, the Nippon Foundation has been funding various training programmes coordinated by POGO and both organisations work closely together to achieve common goals.
How did NANO get started?
The idea of building a Network of Alumni was first suggested by the Nippon Foundation, as a means of keeping track of the career progression of the Alumni and to provide them with further support after their training. The NF and POGO organised a Network Planning Meeting in October 2010, at the Royal Society in London. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Nippon Foundation and POGO, as well as alumni and trainers of the NF-POGO training programmes. The meeting laid the foundations for the establishment of the network of former scholars that was to be called the NF-POGO Alumni Network for the Ocean (NANO). It defined the principles and potential structure of the Network, discussed plans for a major Alumni Meeting and ideas for joint research projects that could be carried out by the Alumni.
What are the aims of NANO?
The goals of the network are to maximize the benefits to the alumni from the training they have received; to facilitate active contacts among the alumni and with the training faculty; and to promote joint research activities that were built on the training.
Structure of NANO
The general management of NANO is overseen by the POGO Secretariat, which maintains a database of former NF-POGO scholars and a website, and is responsible for communication with potential funding bodies.The Network is composed of Regional Coalitions (at the present stage, five), each fully coupled to the global network and each managed by a Regional Project Leader or several Co-Leaders. The activities of the Regional Coalitions include regional research project co-ordination, workshops, networking and information exchange.