The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Wednesday
(10 July 2013) celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of the
World Maritime University (WMU), which is based in Malmö, Sweden, with a special event which included speeches from the current and former WMU
Chancellors and the WMU President.”For 30 years, WMU has performed, and delivered, at the very highest
level. It has achieved everything its founders could ever have
envisaged, and much, much more. It has grown into an institution of
truly world class, with an international presence and a global
outreach,” said IMO Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor Koji Sekimizu,
who also read out messages of support from Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman
of the Nippon Foundation, which has given much support to WMU over the
years, in terms of sponsorship and financial assistance, and from the
”founding father” of WMU, IMO Secretary-General Emeritus Dr. C.P.
Srivastava, KPMG, who was instrumental in establishing WMU when he was
IMO Secretary-General.The other speakers included: Mr. William A. O’Neil, CMG, Chancellor
Emeritus and Secretary-General Emeritus; Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos,
Chancellor Emeritus and Secretary-General Emeritus; Dr. Wendy
Watson-Wright, Assistant Director-General, United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Executive Secretary,
UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO); Mrs.
Nancy Karigithu, Director General of the Kenya Maritime Authority,
Kenya, Chairman of IMO’s Technical Co operation Committee and Member of
the WMU Board of Governors; Mr. Cong Peiwu, Minister at the Embassy of
the People’s Republic of China in London; Dr. Takeshi Nakazawa,
Secretary, International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU);
Mr. Torben Skaanild, Secretary General/CEO of BIMCO and Chairman, WMU
Executive Board; and Dr. Björn Kjerfve, President, WMU.WMU was established at the beginning of the 1980s, when IMO
identified a shortage of well-qualified, highly-educated maritime
experts, particularly in lesser developed nations. It was to address
this gap that IMO founded an institution to support Member States with
the high level education necessary to implement international
conventions. WMU today offers its original Master of Science degree, but also, in addition to six specializations available within the Malmö
M.Sc. programme, there are now M.Sc. programmes in Shanghai and Dalian,
China and a Ph.D. programme offering five specializations, within a
flexible framework allowing the majority of the programmes to be
completed from afar. Distance-learning is available as well, with a
Postgraduate Diploma in Marine Insurance through co-operation with
Lloyd’s Maritime Academy.In addition, WMU utilizes its extensive network of international
maritime experts to deliver a broad programme of professional
development courses in Malmö, with the potential for tailor made courses at any location worldwide. WMU has also been taking advantage of its
extensive network to organize and host a series of international
conferences, in a significant expansion to the services it has
traditionally offered the maritime community. Recent topics have
included oil spill risk management, piracy at sea, emerging ballast
water management systems, the impact of climate change in the maritime
industry and ship recycling. Research projects currently underway
include those in important areas such as mitigating invasive species in
the arctic, risk assessment, maritime spatial planning, e navigation and safety of life at sea.To date, 3,477 students from 164 countries have graduated from WMU
and many hold very senior positions – Government ministers,deputy
ministers, ambassadors to other countries. Some have pursued career
paths to occupy senior positions in shipping companies, regional
maritime organizations and national port and harbour authorities.Mr. Sekimizu thanked the Government of Sweden and the City of Malmö
for generously providing WMU with its facilities, noting that, at the
end of 2014, the University will move to Tornhuset, the historic Old
Harbour Master’s Building in the centre of Malmö, which will be
supplemented by a dramatic new, modern addition designed by a leading
Scandinavian architect. In total, this move will virtually double WMU’s
floor space and provide a strong foundation for even more growth and
development for this remarkable instituition over the next 30 years and
more.
IMO&EU NEWS
11 July 2013 - 18:23
IMO Celebrates 30th Anniversary of World Maritime University
IMO on Wednesday (10 July 2013) celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of the World Maritime University (WMU)
IMO&EU NEWS
11 July 2013 - 18:23
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