The International Doctoral School in Sea Studies, EIDEMAR, originated from the signing of a Framework Agreement in Algeciras by the CEI·MAR coalition partners. This agreement laid the foundation for establishing a Doctoral School in Sea Studies. The project gained approval from Cadiz University’s Steering Council six months later, which set forth the internal regulations for the school, subsequently endorsed by the university’s Social Council. In December, the Andalusian University Council also approved the project. Specific agreements were signed to incorporate the universities of Almería, Cadiz, Huelva, and Malaga, along with two foreign centers affiliated with the Campus of Excellence (Universidade do Algarve and Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi). 

EIDEMAR’s formal institutional structure was solidified in July 2013 with the publication of the institution’s establishment in the regional government’s official gazette. It was also determined that the center would fall under the Registry of Universities, Centers, and Degrees (RUCT), overseen by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports. Directors were appointed that same year, and the first Doctoral programs were established, with student enrollment commencing in 2013-2014. The new courses generated substantial interest within the academic community, resulting in an initial increase in available slots.

Throughout the first academic year, the institution actively promoted the school among academic circles and various interest groups, including faculty, students, and other university community members. The EIDEMAR Inaugural Conference, titled ‘The Sea: An Inexhaustible Laboratory for Doctoral Training’ (2-3 April 2014), marked the academic beginning for the first cohort of Doctoral students. It also led to the school’s first pre-Doctoral contracts in October 2014.

Since then, the school has continued its activities, including regular meetings of its governing bodies, especially the steering committee and academic committees associated with each degree. Additionally, EIDEMAR hosts an annual program of activities, highlighted by events like the ‘Malaspina Project as a Breeding Ground for Researchers in Marine Sciences’ (11-12 December 2014) and the I Doctoral Conference of EIDEMAR (1 December 2015), in which students from the school participated. Each year, more than fifty Doctoral students join the school, and the first doctoral defenses (VIVAs) took place in late 2015. According to all projections, the school is poised to continue its growth.