YAKABE Fumi
(Japan, 2004)

Nishi Toshihide and I are pleased to announce that they were
married in a private ceremony on May 23, 2010 at Lake Ashi in
Hakone, Japan. The day was slightly wet and so the mist createdfantastic scenery over the lake, surrounded by fresh green
mountains. We enjoyed the restful atmosphere with our families
and relatives. (Our only regret was that we could not invite
anyone else. We thank many friends and colleagues who kindly
sent us heart-warming messages and gifts for our wedding.)
We wore ceremonial costumes and chose a nonreligious andsimple ceremony. This type of wedding seems to have become as
popular as the Shinto or Christian style in Japan, where marriage
legally consists of only filling a civil registration form.

Yukinori MATSUI(Japan, 2007)

Can you imagine how I felt when I found a real angel at a bookstore?
I couldn’t stop myself from talking to her even though I’m a quite shy
Japanese man. Her name is Chie, a beautiful, intelligent nurse,
coming back from New Zealand just a few days before.
Last year, I was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, for aCounter-Piracy Operation with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces
for 5 months. In spite of the long physical distance, Chie always
encouraged me to complete my tough duties. Her heart was with me
whatever happened.
We got married on June 26th, which means I have finallyaccomplished the most difficult task in my life, so what is next? Save
WMU from financial difficulty? No, no, I am not so rich!
My mission will be to treat my wife always as a princess, and not
be dumped by her. Don’t say, “Mission Impossible”!

WMU: BOND BETWIXT WORK AND FRIENDSHIPThe OPRF Sponsored Dinner for WMU Alums

Joy of Bing Parents
Zhang Wei (China, 2004)

I’m Zhang Wei, now working for Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration of P.
R. China. My wife and I enjoyed the life in Malmö for one and a half years, andshared the profound culture of The Nippon Foundation as well. After seeing all theeuphonies of friends through Friends of WMU, last year a lovely boy TaoTao’s
coming brought us much more joy and energy. I appreciate all the best blessingsfrom you, my friends of WMU, and my friends of Sasakawa fellowship!

Information fromthe Secretariat

A new Directory of the WMU Sasakawa Fellows is expected to be issued in March 2011. We would like fellows
to submit to the secretariat by January 31, 2011 their updated information. Please strictly observe the deadline.
Editing and printing of the new directory will take place in February and it will be mailed out in March.
You may enter your information into the Fellows’ Directory at http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/. Fellows who do
not have a “user name” and “password” should get in touch with the secretariat at wmujapan@sof.or.jp.
Please also send your photograph to be included in the Directory by attaching it to your E-mailaddressed to the Secretariat. Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions.
We are scheduled to inform you more detailed information accordingly.
Thank you.
Friends of WMU Japan Secretariat

Our Deepest Sympathies
for the Flood in Pakistan

Editor’s noteUpon hearing the news of theheavy flood of Pakistan, theSecretariat contacted theFellows in Pakistan. We
understand that no Sasakawa
Fellows are injured, as far as
we know; however, we would
like to offer our heartfelt
sympathies to those who had
to endure this terrible disaster.

Masanori Yoshida

Manager for Maritime
Safety Technology Unit
Japan Ship Technology
Research Association(JSTRA)

It is with regret that I inform you that I will be leaving thisposition. I appreciate the power I have received from all of you,especially those who have contributed to these newsletters. I
have very much enjoyed my time here.
Mr. Kunihiko Kitabayashi will be taking over my positionand continue to provide “dramatic” IMO stories here as an
IMO expert.
I will continue to work in the maritime world and join someinternational meetings, including IMO meetings, even after
leaving this position. Therefore, I believe that we will see eachother again somewhere. Please come speak to me if you see me.
Lastly, I send you my best wishes for your success in the
future. See you againT

he recent Diplomatic Conference
for the revision of some major
provisions
of
the
STCW
Convention and Code was held in Manila,
Philippines on June 21-26, 2010. OPRF as
usual had the foresight to understand other
implications that the DipCon offers: acommon venue where WMU Alumni willdefinitely be present as representatives of theirrespective countries or organizations. With
that in mind, OPRF coordinated with IMO
as well as with the Philippine WMU Alumni
on a possible get-together for all former
students of the university. Hence a dinner was
set for the 25th of June, 2010 at the Leyte andSamar Rooms of the Hotel Sofitel. The
turnout was impressive and everyone enjoyedmeeting up with former friends andclassmates as well as with others who attended
WMU at a different time. The Guest of
Honor for the night was no less than the
Secretary General himself, His Excellency
Efthimious E. Mitropoulos. Other officials
present were Mr. Masazumi Nagamitsu,
Executive Director of The Nippon
Foundation, Administrator Angelo Verdan of
MARINA, ADM Wilfredo D Tamayo,
Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard,
Cdr. John Leslie Romeo Benedictos, Vice
President of PMMA and Ms. Grace Marie T.
Ayaso, Acting Executive Director of the
National Maritime Polytechnic. Also present
that night was a former Secretary General of
IMO, Mr. O’Neil.

Fedelyn Santos (Philippines, 2008)

A Sasakawa Fellow, Mr. J. Tagi (Fiji,
2002), gave a speech as a representative fromthe Alumni side, and it was a clear testimonythat WMU has produced graduates that upon
returning to their respective countries founduse for the knowledge they gained during
their short stay in Malmö, Sweden. Thisknowledge has caused them to be assigned topositions of responsibility and prominence,bringing about changes and development in
the maritime sector of their countries. The
after-DipCon dinner was evidence enough of
the important roles that WMU graduates
have been playing in the international
maritime community, because the turnout
alone of the attendees that night showed thatthese selected people are working together for
their respective countries. Though most
graduates work in government, some areworking in non-government organizations,
whether local or international, that are still
related to the sea. With graduates comingfrom different countries and organizations, it
was also awe-inspiring to see the ease bywhich they communicated with each otherbecause of the commonality that WMU has
given them. Though this was evident during
tea breaks at DipCon, it was even more soduring the WMU Alumni dinner where
everyone spent a lively night of interaction.
One of the fun moments was when a classroll call was made for a photo opportunity
with the Secretary General, who so graciously
stood on stage until everyone arrived. Therewas even a representative present from the firstclass that WMU produced. And of course,
gifts were given to all the officials. The mastersof ceremony for the whole program wereFedelyn A. Santos (MLP 2008) and Maria
Victoria Paragua (SM 2009) with Mr. Kudo
and Mr. Ichikawa as overseers. The evening
ended on a high note because everyone wasable to either rekindle friendships or start newones with the promise to keep in touch more
often. Considering that the dinner wassponsored by OPRF, there was a goodshowing of Sasakawa Fellows, especially fromthe Philippine Chapter, which acted as thehost for the night.

Autographs from the WMU Graduates

The STCW Manila Amendments
Hosted by the PhilippinesFor the first time in the history of theInternational Maritime Organization(IMO), a diplomatic conference was heldin the Southeast Asia. The Conference of Parties
to the International Convention on theStandards of Training, Certification andWatchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978, as
amended in 1995, and the STCW Code washeld in the Philippine International Convention
Center, Manila, from June 21-25, 2010. The
Philippine hosting is a fulfillment ofaPresidential commitment to the IMO Secretary
General during President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo’s working visit in London in December
2007. The offer was made in consideration of thenumber of Filipino seafarers deployed in theoverseas shipping trade. The Philippines,
through the Philippine Embassy in London,
officially conveyed the hosting of this event in
Manila. The IMO Council, in its 100th Session
held in June 2008, endorsed the holding of theConference to Adopt the Amendments to the
STCW in Manila in 2010.
The hosting was doubly significant to thePhilippines, being the major provider of trained,
qualified and competent seafarers. The STCW
Diplomatic Conference was the culmination of
the work of the Sub-Committee on thecomprehensive review of the STCW
Convention and Code.
The Philippine
government joined IMO and the maritime
community in paying tribute to seafarers from allover the world for their unique contribution tosociety, and in recognition of the risks they
confront in the execution of their daily tasks andduties, with 2010 being declared the "Year of
the Seafarer".

Sonia B. Malaluan (Philippines, 1998)

The
Maritime
Industry
Authority(MARINA), with Administrator Maria Elena
H. Bautista, led the initial arrangements anddiscussion with IMO on preparatory activities
for the Philippine Hosting. A draft
Administrative Order and proposed budget were
submitted to the Office of the President inMarch 2009.
Some of the important preparatory activities
were as follows:•The official website was developed andavailable
from
September
2009athttp://www.marina.gov.ph/stcw/stcw2010.html;•Administrative Bulletin No. 1 was issued during
the STCW Conference in January 2010, andAdministrative Bulletin 2 was issued in May
2010;•IMO completed the pre-conference visit on
January 19-21, 2010;•President Arroyo issued Administrative OrderNo. 283 for the hosting of the STCW Dipcon,
MARINA as the Lead Secretariat and the
MARINA Administrator as the Special Envoy
to IMO. The Philippine Organizing Committee
was composed of various relevant departments
and government agencies, as well as

representatives of the private sector.
WMU Sasakawa Fellows at MARINA
played important roles and were instrumental to
the success of the STCW Conference in Manila.
The writer of this column, as Vice Chairperson of
the MARINA Committee, was in charge of theoveralladministrativeandlogisticalrequirements for the conference and served as the
focal point or counterpart of the IMO Directorof the Conference Division, as well as being theHead, Secretariat of the Philippine Organizing
Committee. Jean Ver Pia worked on thesubstantive part of the Conference, as a memberof the technical Working Group on the
Proposed Amendments, as well as the
documentation aspects in coordination with his
IMO counterparts. Ronaldo Bandalaria, amember of the MARINA Secretariat, and Zaldy
Maquera were in charge of the venue, physicalarrangements and equipment at the Plenary
Hall. And Luisito Delos Santos did theProgramme. Other WMU graduates also
assisted in the preparations and during theconference proper.

What was adopted at
the Diplomatic
Conference?
Professor Toshio Hikima
Marine Technical CollegeT

he STCW Conference took place inManila (Philippines) from June 21(Monday) to 25 (Friday) with 630 inattendance.
The Convention prescribes minimum
standards demanded of captains and crews indeck and engine departments as well as
obligating governments of the parties to theConvention to conduct minimum standards
tests and issue certificates.
With the passage of 15 years since thecomprehensive review of the Convention in
1995, another comprehensive review has beenin process from 2008 with a view to revising theprovisions to better adapt them to the times andto the recruitment and training of seafarers.

Final deliberation took place at theConference and the draft comprehensive review
was adopted.
The revised provisions include, among others,
an increase in the number of minimum rest
period of watchers extended from 70 to 77 hours
a week. On the other hand, it made it also clearthat in case of exceptions (abnormalities) the rest
period could be reduced to 70 hours. The review
took place with an eye to aligning the Convention
withthe
ILO（International
LabourOrganization）Maritime Labour Convention
expected to come into force next year.
The ability to communicate was added to theminimum standards for ensuring effective
leadership and clear communication on board as

2

cidents due to human error.
Furthermore, as part of tanker accident
prevention, standards have been strengthened
for those boarding tankers that are too often
victims of huge damages, trainings for betterinterpretation of maritime environmental
conditions, for teamwork in Bridge-Resource
Management and Engine-room Resource
Management as well as use of ECDIS (anelectronic chart display and Information
system) were added to Part A as mandatory
requirements.
These revised provisions are expected to becompletely implemented in 2017, 5 years after
taking effect in January 2012.

Tadayuki Uemura

Seminar on Seafarers andCorporate Social ResponsibilityT

he global shortage of seafarers and its
future impact on the world maritime
industry were addressed at aninternational seminar at the headquarters of
IMO in London on May 11 with attendance ofsome 150 delegates from the maritime
industry,
governments
andacademia.
Co-hosted by The Nippon Foundation and theJapan International Transport Institute (JITI),
the seminar, entitled ‘Problem of the Global
Shortage of Seafarers and the Role of the
Shipping Industry through Corporate Social
Responsibility(CSR)
Activities’,was
supported by the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan,
and the Round Table of the International
Shipping Association.
At the beginning of the seminar, Mr.
Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary General of
IMO provided his special address. He stated,“It is widely predicted that, unless something isdone very rapidly, shipping will soon face amanpower crisis,” as well as, “Evolutions in thetechnical and the regulatory arenas need to becomplementedbythesimultaneousdevelopment, within the industry, of a sense of
CSR if shipping is to properly address theseafarer shortage.” He also introduced IMO’s
initiatives on this issue.
The seminar featured eight presentations
from specialists from the maritime industry,
academic community and governments aroundthe world, including President of the World
Maritime University (WMU). I would like tohighlight some points from the presentations
hereinafter.
Mr. Makoto Washizu, President of JITI,
presented a results of a recent study,
undertaken by The Nippon Foundation and
JITI, on the future global supply and demand
for seafarers. The study indicates how changes
in the world economy might influence themaritime industry in the future, along withpossible measures to secure the required
workforce. The study projects that by 2020, themaritime industry will need to recruit anadditional 32,153 officers above the 2010 figure
to meet growing needs.
Mr. Noriel P. Devanadera, Undersecretary of
the Department of Labor and Employment incharge of Maritime and Manpower

Deputy Director,
Japan International Transport Institute(at WMU from 1996-98)

Development, the Philippines, mentioned:“What then are the Philippine Government’s
roles and initiatives? Of course, the Philippines
concern is to be able to maintain and sustain
the Philippines’ status as the number 1 supplierof seafarers.”
Dr. Björn Kjerfve, President of the WMU
and Head, Academic Program Review
Committee (APRC) of IAMU, addressedmeasures being taken by academic institutions
to help resolve the increasing global shortage of
seafarers and officers. Maritime universities
primarily engage in education and research,whereas maritime academies usually focus on
training. However, it is imperative that allacademic maritime institutions assume theresponsibility to build capacity through anappropriate balance of training, education, andresearch. Maritime problem-solving can be
developed as research projects at academic
institutions. Although maritime institutions
have varying strengths and focuses, theengagement by institutions and their faculty inextramurally funded maritime research isparticularly important for post-graduate
institutions, where the involvement of students
in problem-solving activities and the
publication of results are importantcomponents of maintaining relevance andbuilding academic reputation and excellence.
The capacity-building effort to help resolve thefuture shortage of seafarers and officers is inpart a responsibility of maritime institutions at
all academic levels. The investment ofgovernments, organizations, and industry inresearch at maritime institutions will help these
institutions increase their ability to train,
educate, and do research, which in turn will
help build maritime capacity.
Mr. Spyros Polemis, President of theInternational Shipping Federation said aboutpiracy, “At present over 200 seafarers are being
held hostage. Ships and seafarers of all flags
and nationalities have been attacked, with allseafarers who are captured undergoing aconsiderable ordeal. These criminal activities,
which challenge the rule of international law on
the high seas, are being allowed to continue.
That’s simply unacceptable and theinternational community has a responsibility to
do more.”3

Dr. Shigeki Sakamoto, Professor, Kobe
University, Japan, said in his conclusion: “Thisshipping industry is indispensable to world
trade. Therefore, governments should launch
campaigns and inform their people that the
shipping industry is equally important as the IT
industry or the financial industry.”
Dr. Robert C Beckman, Associate Professor,
National University of Singapore, talked about
CSR and seafarers: “Studies showed thatcompanies which place an emphasis on CSR
have more committed and loyal employees.
And given the shortage of seafarers problem, it
may be wise for shipping companies andshipping organizations to emphasize labor or
employee issues as a component of their CSR.”
Captain Pradeep Chawla, Director, Quality
Assurance and Training for Anglo-Eastern
Ship Management, in Hong Kong, said: “Fairlabor practices are not just doing the minimum.
If recruitment has to succeed, it has to be far
more than minimum standards. It is just notenough to say we give you everything that is theminimum as per regulations; that is not what
the seafarer decides when he joins thecompany, he wants to work for the betterones.”The last speaker, Ms Maria Bottiglieri,
Managing Director, the Giuseppe Bottiglieri
Shipping Company in Italy, stated: “Weunderstood how important it was, especially for
women, to be able to mix their public life, andbusiness life, and the company nursery was theperfect solution. And that’s why we decided togive it free of charge to our employees.”

The STCW Manila Amendments
Hosted by the PhilippinesFor the first time in the history of theInternational Maritime Organization(IMO), a diplomatic conference was heldin the Southeast Asia. The Conference of Parties
to the International Convention on theStandards of Training, Certification andWatchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978, as
amended in 1995, and the STCW Code washeld in the Philippine International Convention
Center, Manila, from June 21-25, 2010. The
Philippine hosting is a fulfillment ofaPresidential commitment to the IMO Secretary
General during President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo’s working visit in London in December
2007. The offer was made in consideration of thenumber of Filipino seafarers deployed in theoverseas shipping trade. The Philippines,
through the Philippine Embassy in London,
officially conveyed the hosting of this event in
Manila. The IMO Council, in its 100th Session
held in June 2008, endorsed the holding of theConference to Adopt the Amendments to the
STCW in Manila in 2010.
The hosting was doubly significant to thePhilippines, being the major provider of trained,
qualified and competent seafarers. The STCW
Diplomatic Conference was the culmination of
the work of the Sub-Committee on thecomprehensive review of the STCW
Convention and Code.
The Philippine
government joined IMO and the maritime
community in paying tribute to seafarers from allover the world for their unique contribution tosociety, and in recognition of the risks they
confront in the execution of their daily tasks andduties, with 2010 being declared the "Year of
the Seafarer".

Sonia B. Malaluan (Philippines, 1998)

The
Maritime
Industry
Authority(MARINA), with Administrator Maria Elena
H. Bautista, led the initial arrangements anddiscussion with IMO on preparatory activities
for the Philippine Hosting. A draft
Administrative Order and proposed budget were
submitted to the Office of the President inMarch 2009.
Some of the important preparatory activities
were as follows:•The official website was developed andavailable
from
September
2009athttp://www.marina.gov.ph/stcw/stcw2010.html;•Administrative Bulletin No. 1 was issued during
the STCW Conference in January 2010, andAdministrative Bulletin 2 was issued in May
2010;•IMO completed the pre-conference visit on
January 19-21, 2010;•President Arroyo issued Administrative OrderNo. 283 for the hosting of the STCW Dipcon,
MARINA as the Lead Secretariat and the
MARINA Administrator as the Special Envoy
to IMO. The Philippine Organizing Committee
was composed of various relevant departments
and government agencies, as well as

representatives of the private sector.
WMU Sasakawa Fellows at MARINA
played important roles and were instrumental to
the success of the STCW Conference in Manila.
The writer of this column, as Vice Chairperson of
the MARINA Committee, was in charge of theoveralladministrativeandlogisticalrequirements for the conference and served as the
focal point or counterpart of the IMO Directorof the Conference Division, as well as being theHead, Secretariat of the Philippine Organizing
Committee. Jean Ver Pia worked on thesubstantive part of the Conference, as a memberof the technical Working Group on the
Proposed Amendments, as well as the
documentation aspects in coordination with his
IMO counterparts. Ronaldo Bandalaria, amember of the MARINA Secretariat, and Zaldy
Maquera were in charge of the venue, physicalarrangements and equipment at the Plenary
Hall. And Luisito Delos Santos did theProgramme. Other WMU graduates also
assisted in the preparations and during theconference proper.

What was adopted at
the Diplomatic
Conference?
Professor Toshio Hikima
Marine Technical CollegeT

he STCW Conference took place inManila (Philippines) from June 21(Monday) to 25 (Friday) with 630 inattendance.
The Convention prescribes minimum
standards demanded of captains and crews indeck and engine departments as well as
obligating governments of the parties to theConvention to conduct minimum standards
tests and issue certificates.
With the passage of 15 years since thecomprehensive review of the Convention in
1995, another comprehensive review has beenin process from 2008 with a view to revising theprovisions to better adapt them to the times andto the recruitment and training of seafarers.

Final deliberation took place at theConference and the draft comprehensive review
was adopted.
The revised provisions include, among others,
an increase in the number of minimum rest
period of watchers extended from 70 to 77 hours
a week. On the other hand, it made it also clearthat in case of exceptions (abnormalities) the rest
period could be reduced to 70 hours. The review
took place with an eye to aligning the Convention
withthe
ILO（International
LabourOrganization）Maritime Labour Convention
expected to come into force next year.
The ability to communicate was added to theminimum standards for ensuring effective
leadership and clear communication on board as

2

cidents due to human error.
Furthermore, as part of tanker accident
prevention, standards have been strengthened
for those boarding tankers that are too often
victims of huge damages, trainings for betterinterpretation of maritime environmental
conditions, for teamwork in Bridge-Resource
Management and Engine-room Resource
Management as well as use of ECDIS (anelectronic chart display and Information
system) were added to Part A as mandatory
requirements.
These revised provisions are expected to becompletely implemented in 2017, 5 years after
taking effect in January 2012.

Tadayuki Uemura

Seminar on Seafarers andCorporate Social ResponsibilityT

he global shortage of seafarers and its
future impact on the world maritime
industry were addressed at aninternational seminar at the headquarters of
IMO in London on May 11 with attendance ofsome 150 delegates from the maritime
industry,
governments
andacademia.
Co-hosted by The Nippon Foundation and theJapan International Transport Institute (JITI),
the seminar, entitled ‘Problem of the Global
Shortage of Seafarers and the Role of the
Shipping Industry through Corporate Social
Responsibility(CSR)
Activities’,was
supported by the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan,
and the Round Table of the International
Shipping Association.
At the beginning of the seminar, Mr.
Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary General of
IMO provided his special address. He stated,“It is widely predicted that, unless something isdone very rapidly, shipping will soon face amanpower crisis,” as well as, “Evolutions in thetechnical and the regulatory arenas need to becomplementedbythesimultaneousdevelopment, within the industry, of a sense of
CSR if shipping is to properly address theseafarer shortage.” He also introduced IMO’s
initiatives on this issue.
The seminar featured eight presentations
from specialists from the maritime industry,
academic community and governments aroundthe world, including President of the World
Maritime University (WMU). I would like tohighlight some points from the presentations
hereinafter.
Mr. Makoto Washizu, President of JITI,
presented a results of a recent study,
undertaken by The Nippon Foundation and
JITI, on the future global supply and demand
for seafarers. The study indicates how changes
in the world economy might influence themaritime industry in the future, along withpossible measures to secure the required
workforce. The study projects that by 2020, themaritime industry will need to recruit anadditional 32,153 officers above the 2010 figure
to meet growing needs.
Mr. Noriel P. Devanadera, Undersecretary of
the Department of Labor and Employment incharge of Maritime and Manpower

Deputy Director,
Japan International Transport Institute(at WMU from 1996-98)

Development, the Philippines, mentioned:“What then are the Philippine Government’s
roles and initiatives? Of course, the Philippines
concern is to be able to maintain and sustain
the Philippines’ status as the number 1 supplierof seafarers.”
Dr. Björn Kjerfve, President of the WMU
and Head, Academic Program Review
Committee (APRC) of IAMU, addressedmeasures being taken by academic institutions
to help resolve the increasing global shortage of
seafarers and officers. Maritime universities
primarily engage in education and research,whereas maritime academies usually focus on
training. However, it is imperative that allacademic maritime institutions assume theresponsibility to build capacity through anappropriate balance of training, education, andresearch. Maritime problem-solving can be
developed as research projects at academic
institutions. Although maritime institutions
have varying strengths and focuses, theengagement by institutions and their faculty inextramurally funded maritime research isparticularly important for post-graduate
institutions, where the involvement of students
in problem-solving activities and the
publication of results are importantcomponents of maintaining relevance andbuilding academic reputation and excellence.
The capacity-building effort to help resolve thefuture shortage of seafarers and officers is inpart a responsibility of maritime institutions at
all academic levels. The investment ofgovernments, organizations, and industry inresearch at maritime institutions will help these
institutions increase their ability to train,
educate, and do research, which in turn will
help build maritime capacity.
Mr. Spyros Polemis, President of theInternational Shipping Federation said aboutpiracy, “At present over 200 seafarers are being
held hostage. Ships and seafarers of all flags
and nationalities have been attacked, with allseafarers who are captured undergoing aconsiderable ordeal. These criminal activities,
which challenge the rule of international law on
the high seas, are being allowed to continue.
That’s simply unacceptable and theinternational community has a responsibility to
do more.”3

Dr. Shigeki Sakamoto, Professor, Kobe
University, Japan, said in his conclusion: “Thisshipping industry is indispensable to world
trade. Therefore, governments should launch
campaigns and inform their people that the
shipping industry is equally important as the IT
industry or the financial industry.”
Dr. Robert C Beckman, Associate Professor,
National University of Singapore, talked about
CSR and seafarers: “Studies showed thatcompanies which place an emphasis on CSR
have more committed and loyal employees.
And given the shortage of seafarers problem, it
may be wise for shipping companies andshipping organizations to emphasize labor or
employee issues as a component of their CSR.”
Captain Pradeep Chawla, Director, Quality
Assurance and Training for Anglo-Eastern
Ship Management, in Hong Kong, said: “Fairlabor practices are not just doing the minimum.
If recruitment has to succeed, it has to be far
more than minimum standards. It is just notenough to say we give you everything that is theminimum as per regulations; that is not what
the seafarer decides when he joins thecompany, he wants to work for the betterones.”The last speaker, Ms Maria Bottiglieri,
Managing Director, the Giuseppe Bottiglieri
Shipping Company in Italy, stated: “Weunderstood how important it was, especially for
women, to be able to mix their public life, andbusiness life, and the company nursery was theperfect solution. And that’s why we decided togive it free of charge to our employees.”

“Year of the Seafarer 2010”,
What Does It Mean for
Seafarers?

Didin Alfiani(Indonesia, 2010)

Towing line handling by multinational crews

Indonesian seafarers checking cargolashing on an European shipJ

anuary 2010 was memorable for seafarers, as
their contribution to world trade got great
attention, when IMO launched the “Year of
the Seafarer”. In the past, and still today, several
civil societies looked down on seafaring careers.
People stereotype seafarers’ life with negative
behaviors. However, they do not realize that 90%of the world’s economy and trade are due toseafarers who are serving on various types of ship.
They jeopardize their own life in severe weather
conditions in order to get the cargo to its
destination on time. The traditional perception isthat seafarers are still poorly-educated people, only
knowing ship’s bow to stern. This negative viewmust change. In fact, seafarers today are modern
people, with sophisticated ways of thinking. They
can invent, explore and improve things, and havethe right to be respected and not looked down on
by the world.
This campaign, begun six months ago, isdesigned in the interests and protection ofseafarers. But what does it really mean for theseafarers themselves? Have their needs andwishes been taken care of?, Do they even knowthat this year has been proclaimed as the “Year of
the Seafarer”? I have met several seafarers fromdifferent nationalities recently and who didn’t.
Even those who knew did not feel the effects ofthe campaign (yet). So far, they have no safety
problems onboard and ships are managed well.
But problems are always unexpected, and havespecific solutions.
One issue that still remains, with more ships
mannedbymultinationalcrews,
isdiscrimination, although most shipping
companies and employers claim that this doesn’t
exist anymore. However, when this issue is seenfrom several seafarers’ point of view, especiallythose from developing countries, it is undeniable.
In fact, nationality is still a parameter that
determines working conditions and wages for
seafarers, without considering their competenceor job performance. Seafarers from a particularcountry may get double the salary with a shorter

onboard service period than one from anothercountry with a poorer economy. The “West” and“East” boundaries are still obvious. This may
create a gap between nations where one
underestimates another. But of course,
companies/employers will categorize this as“confidential” and deny the issue.
With the spirit of “Year of the Seafarer”, the“double standard” in seafarers’ working
conditions and wages must be eliminated.
Moreover, there are great expectations that safer
working conditions, no discrimination, better
welfare, and professional appreciation, bothfrom civil societies and employers will be
addressed in the near future.

PMMA trudging and filling
the gaps of global economic
downturn effects
Gilbert dela Cruz Boleche(Philippines, 2009)T

he Philippine Merchant Marine
Academy (PMMA), one of the oldest
institutions in Asia, was established andinaugurated during the Spanish regime on
April 5, 1820. Being tagged as a “world classmaritime institution” and a distinct, state-run
maritime academy in the Philippines, its
reputation was known through the alumni on
board and shore-based workplace performance.
The academy, through its quasi-militarytraining, was mandated to produce a balanced
personality from every graduate, to becompetent and capable of responding to thenational and international paradigm ofseafaring requirements. The past three years

View of the PMMA Midshipmen during the Parade(2007-2009) marked the significant onset of an
unexpected worldwide economic crunch, thus
leaving the academy on the brink of unlikely
impediments
toitsmandates.
The
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between
PMMA midshipmen and affiliated shipping
companies decreased unpredictably due tomarginal backlogs of onboard deployment
figures. As a result, the PMMA administration
contemplated various possibilities of keeping
midshipmen on the roster through the creationof Income Generating Projects (IGP’s) andseeking financial support from local
government officials and PMMA alumni.
Another issue faced by PMMA is the4“establish-your-own-maritime-school” trend
by shipping companies, to keep the economic
crunch at bay. Shipping companies began to
explore the cost-benefit advantages of
establishing their own maritime institutions,considering the financial obligations they
disbursed for the acquisition of cadets on board
their fleet. According to recent statistics fromthe Commission on Higher Education(CHED), the Philippines have 115 accounted
private maritime institutions. The increase would
inevitably lead to thousands of unemployedseafarer graduates leaving their chosen careers. In
particular, PMMA would face the probablescenario of losing the shipboard training slot infavor of maritime schools established by shipping
companies and/or maritime institutions starting
up by acquiring a pool of competent professors,state-of-the-art simulators and contemporary
teaching methodologies. In view of the issues
faced by the academy, the PMMA administration
under the helm of Vadm Diňoso, incumbent
president underscores the importance of having
simulators,
laboratories
andequipment
contemporary to trainee needs and shipping
companies’ demands. Furthermore, he stressed
the importance of mentors with the highest
practicable standards in delivering quality
maritime education and training, and employeesthat are cooperative and responsive to changes, as
the additional underpinning elements that should
be fully considered. IMO had designated the year
2010 as the “Year of the Seafarer” in order to pay
tribute to the remarkable and ever challenging roleof seafarers, both as individuals and asambassadors of goodwill in their respective
countries. The culmination of this momentous
event will significantly boost the morale of all
maritime organizations in the Philippines tofurther work to strengthen their systems tomaintain the country’s prestige as the “manning
capital of the world”. In particular, PMMA has
taken into consideration the severity of the issues
at hand and proactively responded in parallel to its
national mandate. The author being an alumnusof the institution can proudly express that theacademy’s virtues of righteousness (kawastuan),humility (kababaang-loob), and courage(kagitingan) have been vigorously upheld foralmost two centuries by the midshipmen andalumni. These principles guide them in theirchosen fields, thus making them well-known not
only in Asia, but also in the rest of the world.

Front view of the PMMA
Administration Building

Ship Managementin Singapore
Nguyen Anh Thu(Vietnam, 2006)

I

am honored to be one of the recipients of the
Sasakawa Scholarship to study at the World
Maritime University. Thanks to Mr.
Sasakawa’s generous support, after graduatingfrom WMU I found my "sea legs" in the island
city of Singapore. I am currently working at the
Ship Management Company. The last four yearsof working in Singapore have not only allowed me
to put into practise what I studied, but also toabsorb this dynamic industry from the ground up,
with the government’s blessing. Allow me to sharesome thoughts very briefly about ship
management in Singapore.
The number of ship managers listed in the
Singapore Shipping Association (SSA)
directory
totalssixty.
This
list(http://www.ssa.org.sg/index.cfm?GPID=228)
is by no way exhaustive, as it does not include
ship managers who have not become SSA
members. This is reflected in the fact that
Singapore has indeed become the preferredshipping choice and hub for owners andthird-party ship management companies.
Geographical positioning makes Singapore
ideal, not only for East and West, but especiallybecause it’s between two economic giants – China
and India. Then why don’t neighbouring countries
like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, with much
longer coastlines, thrive on shipping, the oldest
business on the face of this earth, when history
puts them at the forefront of realising economic
viability and potential? The pro-businessgovernment policies and a supportive fiscal

environment have established Singapore as a
strategic centre for maritime business and aleading international maritime hub.
In the Inaugural1 Maritime 2007, Singapore
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said that
Singapore would have to go beyond its status as amajor hub port to become an International
Maritime Centre (IMC) providing a full suite ofservices such as maritime finance, insurance andlegal services. Today, Singapore is recognized as
an IMC the world over. It is home to more than
5,000 maritime establishments and businesses,
contributing about 7% of Singapore’s GDP andproviding jobs for more than 150,000 workers.
ship management companies in Singapore enjoy
not only a stable government in which to run
their offices, but elements of corporate andtechnical / crew management that put them at
ease.
Corporate
There is readily available office space with themostsophisticatedinfrastructure–transportation, communication, internet; crossborder legal systems and practise; employmentof foreign and local professionals, talent, staff;
highest standards in education at systems –producing the most able people for theindustry, and creating avenues for training; anairport connecting every major city and port in
the world; customer service across the island
nation like no other in the world.
Technical Management
This includes shipyards – ship building andship repair functions; bunkering – different
grades, ranging from Low Sulphur Fuel Oil to
500 cSt 2 ; spares and stores, with every
available maker and manufacturer establishing
an office in Singapore, and stocking up on
required equipment; a logistics hub providing
the infrastructure to ship in and out, anything,
anywhere, on a 24/7 basis.
Crew Management
A majority of ships are crewed by nationals
from the Philippines, India, China, Indonesia.
Sharing the same time zone with thesecountries allows the effective coordination,planning and deployment of ships’ crews.
Ranking as one of the top airports in the world,
Changi Airport provides a transit point for all
major and budget airlines in the world, creatinga recipe for effectiveness in crew deployment
and logistics.
Unlike many other businesses, ship
management in Singapore exists and thrives, as
its harbour and maritime cluster is basic to thisisland city. It is a place that works.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. 'Inaugural Maritime' is Special Maritime Event which Singapore Government decided to play a host toa Major gathering of maritime industry player for a week every year.
2. cSt means Centistokes which is measurement of viscosity for fuel oil.

5

“Year of the Seafarer 2010”,
What Does It Mean for
Seafarers?

Didin Alfiani(Indonesia, 2010)

Towing line handling by multinational crews

Indonesian seafarers checking cargolashing on an European shipJ

anuary 2010 was memorable for seafarers, as
their contribution to world trade got great
attention, when IMO launched the “Year of
the Seafarer”. In the past, and still today, several
civil societies looked down on seafaring careers.
People stereotype seafarers’ life with negative
behaviors. However, they do not realize that 90%of the world’s economy and trade are due toseafarers who are serving on various types of ship.
They jeopardize their own life in severe weather
conditions in order to get the cargo to its
destination on time. The traditional perception isthat seafarers are still poorly-educated people, only
knowing ship’s bow to stern. This negative viewmust change. In fact, seafarers today are modern
people, with sophisticated ways of thinking. They
can invent, explore and improve things, and havethe right to be respected and not looked down on
by the world.
This campaign, begun six months ago, isdesigned in the interests and protection ofseafarers. But what does it really mean for theseafarers themselves? Have their needs andwishes been taken care of?, Do they even knowthat this year has been proclaimed as the “Year of
the Seafarer”? I have met several seafarers fromdifferent nationalities recently and who didn’t.
Even those who knew did not feel the effects ofthe campaign (yet). So far, they have no safety
problems onboard and ships are managed well.
But problems are always unexpected, and havespecific solutions.
One issue that still remains, with more ships
mannedbymultinationalcrews,
isdiscrimination, although most shipping
companies and employers claim that this doesn’t
exist anymore. However, when this issue is seenfrom several seafarers’ point of view, especiallythose from developing countries, it is undeniable.
In fact, nationality is still a parameter that
determines working conditions and wages for
seafarers, without considering their competenceor job performance. Seafarers from a particularcountry may get double the salary with a shorter

onboard service period than one from anothercountry with a poorer economy. The “West” and“East” boundaries are still obvious. This may
create a gap between nations where one
underestimates another. But of course,
companies/employers will categorize this as“confidential” and deny the issue.
With the spirit of “Year of the Seafarer”, the“double standard” in seafarers’ working
conditions and wages must be eliminated.
Moreover, there are great expectations that safer
working conditions, no discrimination, better
welfare, and professional appreciation, bothfrom civil societies and employers will be
addressed in the near future.

PMMA trudging and filling
the gaps of global economic
downturn effects
Gilbert dela Cruz Boleche(Philippines, 2009)T

he Philippine Merchant Marine
Academy (PMMA), one of the oldest
institutions in Asia, was established andinaugurated during the Spanish regime on
April 5, 1820. Being tagged as a “world classmaritime institution” and a distinct, state-run
maritime academy in the Philippines, its
reputation was known through the alumni on
board and shore-based workplace performance.
The academy, through its quasi-militarytraining, was mandated to produce a balanced
personality from every graduate, to becompetent and capable of responding to thenational and international paradigm ofseafaring requirements. The past three years

View of the PMMA Midshipmen during the Parade(2007-2009) marked the significant onset of an
unexpected worldwide economic crunch, thus
leaving the academy on the brink of unlikely
impediments
toitsmandates.
The
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between
PMMA midshipmen and affiliated shipping
companies decreased unpredictably due tomarginal backlogs of onboard deployment
figures. As a result, the PMMA administration
contemplated various possibilities of keeping
midshipmen on the roster through the creationof Income Generating Projects (IGP’s) andseeking financial support from local
government officials and PMMA alumni.
Another issue faced by PMMA is the4“establish-your-own-maritime-school” trend
by shipping companies, to keep the economic
crunch at bay. Shipping companies began to
explore the cost-benefit advantages of
establishing their own maritime institutions,considering the financial obligations they
disbursed for the acquisition of cadets on board
their fleet. According to recent statistics fromthe Commission on Higher Education(CHED), the Philippines have 115 accounted
private maritime institutions. The increase would
inevitably lead to thousands of unemployedseafarer graduates leaving their chosen careers. In
particular, PMMA would face the probablescenario of losing the shipboard training slot infavor of maritime schools established by shipping
companies and/or maritime institutions starting
up by acquiring a pool of competent professors,state-of-the-art simulators and contemporary
teaching methodologies. In view of the issues
faced by the academy, the PMMA administration
under the helm of Vadm Diňoso, incumbent
president underscores the importance of having
simulators,
laboratories
andequipment
contemporary to trainee needs and shipping
companies’ demands. Furthermore, he stressed
the importance of mentors with the highest
practicable standards in delivering quality
maritime education and training, and employeesthat are cooperative and responsive to changes, as
the additional underpinning elements that should
be fully considered. IMO had designated the year
2010 as the “Year of the Seafarer” in order to pay
tribute to the remarkable and ever challenging roleof seafarers, both as individuals and asambassadors of goodwill in their respective
countries. The culmination of this momentous
event will significantly boost the morale of all
maritime organizations in the Philippines tofurther work to strengthen their systems tomaintain the country’s prestige as the “manning
capital of the world”. In particular, PMMA has
taken into consideration the severity of the issues
at hand and proactively responded in parallel to its
national mandate. The author being an alumnusof the institution can proudly express that theacademy’s virtues of righteousness (kawastuan),humility (kababaang-loob), and courage(kagitingan) have been vigorously upheld foralmost two centuries by the midshipmen andalumni. These principles guide them in theirchosen fields, thus making them well-known not
only in Asia, but also in the rest of the world.

Front view of the PMMA
Administration Building

Ship Managementin Singapore
Nguyen Anh Thu(Vietnam, 2006)

I

am honored to be one of the recipients of the
Sasakawa Scholarship to study at the World
Maritime University. Thanks to Mr.
Sasakawa’s generous support, after graduatingfrom WMU I found my "sea legs" in the island
city of Singapore. I am currently working at the
Ship Management Company. The last four yearsof working in Singapore have not only allowed me
to put into practise what I studied, but also toabsorb this dynamic industry from the ground up,
with the government’s blessing. Allow me to sharesome thoughts very briefly about ship
management in Singapore.
The number of ship managers listed in the
Singapore Shipping Association (SSA)
directory
totalssixty.
This
list(http://www.ssa.org.sg/index.cfm?GPID=228)
is by no way exhaustive, as it does not include
ship managers who have not become SSA
members. This is reflected in the fact that
Singapore has indeed become the preferredshipping choice and hub for owners andthird-party ship management companies.
Geographical positioning makes Singapore
ideal, not only for East and West, but especiallybecause it’s between two economic giants – China
and India. Then why don’t neighbouring countries
like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, with much
longer coastlines, thrive on shipping, the oldest
business on the face of this earth, when history
puts them at the forefront of realising economic
viability and potential? The pro-businessgovernment policies and a supportive fiscal

environment have established Singapore as a
strategic centre for maritime business and aleading international maritime hub.
In the Inaugural1 Maritime 2007, Singapore
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said that
Singapore would have to go beyond its status as amajor hub port to become an International
Maritime Centre (IMC) providing a full suite ofservices such as maritime finance, insurance andlegal services. Today, Singapore is recognized as
an IMC the world over. It is home to more than
5,000 maritime establishments and businesses,
contributing about 7% of Singapore’s GDP andproviding jobs for more than 150,000 workers.
ship management companies in Singapore enjoy
not only a stable government in which to run
their offices, but elements of corporate andtechnical / crew management that put them at
ease.
Corporate
There is readily available office space with themostsophisticatedinfrastructure–transportation, communication, internet; crossborder legal systems and practise; employmentof foreign and local professionals, talent, staff;
highest standards in education at systems –producing the most able people for theindustry, and creating avenues for training; anairport connecting every major city and port in
the world; customer service across the island
nation like no other in the world.
Technical Management
This includes shipyards – ship building andship repair functions; bunkering – different
grades, ranging from Low Sulphur Fuel Oil to
500 cSt 2 ; spares and stores, with every
available maker and manufacturer establishing
an office in Singapore, and stocking up on
required equipment; a logistics hub providing
the infrastructure to ship in and out, anything,
anywhere, on a 24/7 basis.
Crew Management
A majority of ships are crewed by nationals
from the Philippines, India, China, Indonesia.
Sharing the same time zone with thesecountries allows the effective coordination,planning and deployment of ships’ crews.
Ranking as one of the top airports in the world,
Changi Airport provides a transit point for all
major and budget airlines in the world, creatinga recipe for effectiveness in crew deployment
and logistics.
Unlike many other businesses, ship
management in Singapore exists and thrives, as
its harbour and maritime cluster is basic to thisisland city. It is a place that works.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. 'Inaugural Maritime' is Special Maritime Event which Singapore Government decided to play a host toa Major gathering of maritime industry player for a week every year.
2. cSt means Centistokes which is measurement of viscosity for fuel oil.

5

Dropping by Fellows During his Brief Breaks

Dropping by Fellows During his Brief Breaks
Philippine

Ethiopia

Sri Lanka
Malaysia

Sri Lanka

Philippines

M G S Kumara (Sri Lanka, 2007)

May 7, 2010

As Sri Lankans, we were delighted by the news of Mr. Sasakawa’s visit
in 2010. The visit was scheduled from May 3-7, 2010, and its main
objective was building a leprosy hospital in the north of the country. Thistask was organized by the Sewalanka Foundation of Sri Lanka.
Current Sasakawa Fellows met Mr. Sasakawa at the Hilton Hotel in
Colombo on the evening of May 7. He told us that he had met the Presidentof Sri Lanka, Hon. Mahinda Rajapakse, and the Economic Development
Minister, Mr. Basil Rajapakse, during this visit. Seeing peace returning to
the country and meeting Sasakawa Fellows and other Sri Lankans was very
important to Mr. Sasakawa. Amid his tight schedule, he didn’t forget to
distribute souvenirs among the Fellows, either. Fellows Mr. G A Talagala(1992), Mr. Y A T D K Jayasinghe (1997), Mrs. Y S Wettasinghe (1999),
and Mr. M G S Kumara (2007) were present on this occasion. Mr. Jiro
Hanyu, Chairman, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and fellow Mrs.
Jayasinghe also posed for the photograph.

Alemu Ambaye Sebhatu (Ethiopia, 2005)

July 12, 2010

meeting with the two Sasakawa Fellows in the country and a visit to the
Headquarters of the Ethiopian National Shipping Lines.
During the meeting with the Fellows and the Managing Director of theshipping company, Mr. Ambachew Abraha, he was briefed on the current
activities of the Fellows, and pertinent local and regional issues. The
Chairman was interested to know how the shipping company performed
against the odds, particularly being situated in a land-locked country. He
was impressed that the company has been in operation for 45 years and he
was also briefed about the major activities underway: the opening of aMr. Feseha Andualem Getu (2007), Mr. Yohei Sasakawa,
Maritime Training Institute and the expansion of the company’s fleet. He
Mr. Alemu Ambaye Sebhatu (2005)
also learned about the company’s plan to set up training schemes forr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, visited marine officers for the international market.
Mr. Sasakawa was very encouraged by what he learnt about National
Ethiopia from July 12 - 17, 2010. The theme of his visit was toattend the symposium organized to commemorate Dr. Norman E. Shipping and the country at large. He remembered the hard ships faced
Borlong, the pioneer of the “Green Revolution” in agriculture, and by he people during the 1980’s, and in contrast the current economic
co-founder of the Sasakawa Global 2000. Mr. Ryoichi Sasakawa and development on all fronts has substantiated the cause of his endeavors to
USA Ex-President Jimmy Carter are the other co-founders. The help Ethiopia. Ethiopia, according to the WB, is one of the fastest
Sasakawa Global 2000 mainly focuses on raising the productivity of growing economies in the world.
We thank you, Mr. Sasakawa and The Nippon Foundation for being
small-scale farmers in Ethiopia.
The Chairman had a very tight schedule but two events were slotted in: part of the driving force for economic development in Ethiopia.

M

Roben N. de Guzman (Philippines, 2009)
Rommel A. Supangan (Philippines, 2008)

May 29, 2010

discussed by Mr. Sasakawa, are those public servants, academics, creative
writers, researchers, media professionals, artists, NGO activists, social
workers, and others with moral authority that are committed to working forthe betterment of society by applying their professional knowledge, wisdom
and experience, representing Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines andThailand.
The meeting was highlighted by updates on the current work and activitiesof all the Fellows present. The Philippine Coast Guard Fellows were very
happy to report on the New Philippine Coast Guard Law (RA 9993), which
was enacted recently, thus giving the PCG a stronger mandate on maritime
safety, maritime search and rescue, marine environmental protection,
maritime law enforcement and maritime security. MARINA Fellows talked
about the Philippine hosting of the 2010 STCW Diplomatic Conference inJune 2010, and being the focal point for the preparations. PMMA Fellows
talked about their individual contributions towards the excellent training of
their cadets, helping make the Philippines the largest provider of seafarers.
Lastly, the NMP Fellow expressed his gratitude for the grant he had justreceived.
It was a momentous occasion for all the Fellows for they had a chance tobe with their benefactor. The visit was very productive; it promoted
camaraderie amongst Fellows, building stronger cooperation and partnershipas envisioned by Mr. Sasakawa, to whom we are all forever grateful.

On May 29, 2010, the visionary leader and The Nippon Foundation
Chairman, His Excellency Yohei Sasakawa met with the Filipino
Sasakawa Fellows at the Holiday Inn Manila, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, thePhilippines. It was attended by 11 Fellows from the Philippine Coast Guard(PCG), 7 from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), 5 from thePhilippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), and 1 from National
Maritime Polytechnic (NMP). The main purpose of Mr. Sasakawa’s visit was
to attend The Nippon Foundation Fellowship for Asian Public Intellectuals(API Fellowship Program) which commemorated its 10th Anniversary
Regional Celebration hosted by Ateneo De Manila University from May 28 30. Despite the hectic schedule of His Excellency, he found time to meet theFellows and share his philanthropic activities. The Public Intellectuals, as

Malaysia

Ethiopia

Ahmad Faizal Ahamad Fuad (Malaysia, 2008)

May 31, 2010

had to drive more than 500km due to his business being in another state.
Finally, 5 Sasakawa Fellows managed to attend the meeting with Mr.
Sasakawa. They were Mr. Balakrishnan (1990), Mr. Fairoz (2006) and Mr.
Aventinus of the Malaysia Marine Department (2007), Mr. Rosli of the
Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (2008), and Mr. Faizal of
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (2008). Due to distance and current
commitments, other Fellows were unable to attend the meeting.
During the meeting, Mr. Fairoz, acting as our representative, briefed Mr.
Sasakawa on current maritime developments in Malaysia. Among issues thatwere brought to his attention were the recent marine oil spill on the southerncoast of Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysian seafarers and piracy activities off thecoast of Somalia. In response to the marine oil spill incident, Mr. Sasakawa
mentioned that he would check the oil spill control equipment that had been
donated by the Foundation, in order to see its efficiency and adequacy under
the current situation. He also stress that one of the best responses was todispatch volunteers, even though they use basic tools and hands to collect oil
residue. The ambiance of the meeting was full of warmth and goodwill. It wasa bit sad to end the meeting, as Mr. Sasakawa had other commitments tofulfill. We hope Mr. Sasakawa and a delegation from The Nippon
Foundation will continue to visit us in the future.

Mr. Sasakawa participated in the 20th UM- Sasakawa Young Leaders
Fellowship Fund (Sylff) Anniversary on the 31st of May, 2010. On thisoccasion, the Malaysian Sasakawa Fellows were informed about the invitation
to the meeting by the coordinator of the Friends of WMU. For us, this was agood opportunity to meet Mr. Sasakawa personally and to keep therelationship going. The Malaysian Fellows range from 20-year alumni to lessthan 2 years and we are scattered all over Malaysia. Some had ventured into
privately owned companies and the rest were working with different agencies,
either with the government or the corporate sector.
The meeting place was in easy reach of most of the Fellows, however, one

6

Changes to the MSc in Malmö,
2010 onwards
Susan Jackson(Associate Registrar, WMU)T

he MSc in Maritime Affairs in Malmö has a fresh new look from theintake of 2010. It will be shorter, with a calendar in line withcomparable Master’s degree programs worldwide. The standard MSc
program will now be completed in 14 rather than 17 months, while
maintaining the same credit load. The streamlining has been secured bybetter planning and reduced down-time, with a marked reduction invacation periods.
At the same time, other important changes have been introduced: thefirst, foundation semester has been extended from 5 credits to 8 credits,and the accelerated program has grown from 9 months to 11 months.
These changes enhance the quality of the WMU program for students,
providing more contact hours where they are most needed. The
field-study program has also been improved, resulting in a shorter, more
intensive and more useful field study component. The donor field studies,such as those enjoyed in Japan, are of course unchanged.
These changes have also produced a new academic calendar. Each classwill now enrol in October each year, while the English Study Skills
Programme (ESSP) will start in early July. Th accelerated program will
start the following January, and the class as a whole will graduate in early
December.
From the intake of 2011, the number of specialisations offered has alsochanged: they will be Maritime Safety & Environmental Administration,
Maritime Law & Policy, Maritime Education & Training, and Port &Shipping Management. Marine Environmental & Ocean Management
will no longer be offered as a separate specialisation, but has been
integrated into all parts of the program.

7

GovernanceFollowing a strategic review in 2007, the University underwent a very
thorough re-appraisal, with the remit of ensuring that its governance – setin place in 1983 – was revised to make it fit for purpose in the decades
ahead. A working group established a set of recommendations which havenow been implemented. Certain of these could be set in place by the
University management team, or by the Board of Governors. Others weremore far-reaching, particularly those concerning WMU’s governing bodies
and the necessity of establishing a sustainable funding model for WMU,
and these were referred to the IMO Council and IMO Assembly.
The IMO Assembly, at its 26th session in December 2009, adopted aresolution to revise the University’s Charter, providing a more flexible
and responsive governance system. The new Charter took effect fromJanuary 1, 2010. The Board of Governors will now consist of three
ex-officio members, plus no more than 30 appointed members, allappointed in a personal capacity. The new Charter has also replaced theold Executive Council with a new 11-member Executive Board, with a
Chairman appointed by the Secretary-General, which has the remit ofco-ordinating the governance of the University.
The Assembly also adopted the draft resolution on WMU’s funding,which charges the Secretary-General and the IMO secretariat withfinding a model for the sustainable funding of WMU in the future. The
University is keenly aware that the immense generosity of foundations –especially The Nippon Foundation and the Ocean Policy Research
Foundation – and governments, especially The Government of Sweden,
is the basis of our existence; but we know the costs must be more widelyand equably spread, to other donors and to users.

Dropping by Fellows During his Brief Breaks

Dropping by Fellows During his Brief Breaks
Philippine

Ethiopia

Sri Lanka
Malaysia

Sri Lanka

Philippines

M G S Kumara (Sri Lanka, 2007)

May 7, 2010

As Sri Lankans, we were delighted by the news of Mr. Sasakawa’s visit
in 2010. The visit was scheduled from May 3-7, 2010, and its main
objective was building a leprosy hospital in the north of the country. Thistask was organized by the Sewalanka Foundation of Sri Lanka.
Current Sasakawa Fellows met Mr. Sasakawa at the Hilton Hotel in
Colombo on the evening of May 7. He told us that he had met the Presidentof Sri Lanka, Hon. Mahinda Rajapakse, and the Economic Development
Minister, Mr. Basil Rajapakse, during this visit. Seeing peace returning to
the country and meeting Sasakawa Fellows and other Sri Lankans was very
important to Mr. Sasakawa. Amid his tight schedule, he didn’t forget to
distribute souvenirs among the Fellows, either. Fellows Mr. G A Talagala(1992), Mr. Y A T D K Jayasinghe (1997), Mrs. Y S Wettasinghe (1999),
and Mr. M G S Kumara (2007) were present on this occasion. Mr. Jiro
Hanyu, Chairman, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and fellow Mrs.
Jayasinghe also posed for the photograph.

Alemu Ambaye Sebhatu (Ethiopia, 2005)

July 12, 2010

meeting with the two Sasakawa Fellows in the country and a visit to the
Headquarters of the Ethiopian National Shipping Lines.
During the meeting with the Fellows and the Managing Director of theshipping company, Mr. Ambachew Abraha, he was briefed on the current
activities of the Fellows, and pertinent local and regional issues. The
Chairman was interested to know how the shipping company performed
against the odds, particularly being situated in a land-locked country. He
was impressed that the company has been in operation for 45 years and he
was also briefed about the major activities underway: the opening of aMr. Feseha Andualem Getu (2007), Mr. Yohei Sasakawa,
Maritime Training Institute and the expansion of the company’s fleet. He
Mr. Alemu Ambaye Sebhatu (2005)
also learned about the company’s plan to set up training schemes forr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, visited marine officers for the international market.
Mr. Sasakawa was very encouraged by what he learnt about National
Ethiopia from July 12 - 17, 2010. The theme of his visit was toattend the symposium organized to commemorate Dr. Norman E. Shipping and the country at large. He remembered the hard ships faced
Borlong, the pioneer of the “Green Revolution” in agriculture, and by he people during the 1980’s, and in contrast the current economic
co-founder of the Sasakawa Global 2000. Mr. Ryoichi Sasakawa and development on all fronts has substantiated the cause of his endeavors to
USA Ex-President Jimmy Carter are the other co-founders. The help Ethiopia. Ethiopia, according to the WB, is one of the fastest
Sasakawa Global 2000 mainly focuses on raising the productivity of growing economies in the world.
We thank you, Mr. Sasakawa and The Nippon Foundation for being
small-scale farmers in Ethiopia.
The Chairman had a very tight schedule but two events were slotted in: part of the driving force for economic development in Ethiopia.

M

Roben N. de Guzman (Philippines, 2009)
Rommel A. Supangan (Philippines, 2008)

May 29, 2010

discussed by Mr. Sasakawa, are those public servants, academics, creative
writers, researchers, media professionals, artists, NGO activists, social
workers, and others with moral authority that are committed to working forthe betterment of society by applying their professional knowledge, wisdom
and experience, representing Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines andThailand.
The meeting was highlighted by updates on the current work and activitiesof all the Fellows present. The Philippine Coast Guard Fellows were very
happy to report on the New Philippine Coast Guard Law (RA 9993), which
was enacted recently, thus giving the PCG a stronger mandate on maritime
safety, maritime search and rescue, marine environmental protection,
maritime law enforcement and maritime security. MARINA Fellows talked
about the Philippine hosting of the 2010 STCW Diplomatic Conference inJune 2010, and being the focal point for the preparations. PMMA Fellows
talked about their individual contributions towards the excellent training of
their cadets, helping make the Philippines the largest provider of seafarers.
Lastly, the NMP Fellow expressed his gratitude for the grant he had justreceived.
It was a momentous occasion for all the Fellows for they had a chance tobe with their benefactor. The visit was very productive; it promoted
camaraderie amongst Fellows, building stronger cooperation and partnershipas envisioned by Mr. Sasakawa, to whom we are all forever grateful.

On May 29, 2010, the visionary leader and The Nippon Foundation
Chairman, His Excellency Yohei Sasakawa met with the Filipino
Sasakawa Fellows at the Holiday Inn Manila, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, thePhilippines. It was attended by 11 Fellows from the Philippine Coast Guard(PCG), 7 from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), 5 from thePhilippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), and 1 from National
Maritime Polytechnic (NMP). The main purpose of Mr. Sasakawa’s visit was
to attend The Nippon Foundation Fellowship for Asian Public Intellectuals(API Fellowship Program) which commemorated its 10th Anniversary
Regional Celebration hosted by Ateneo De Manila University from May 28 30. Despite the hectic schedule of His Excellency, he found time to meet theFellows and share his philanthropic activities. The Public Intellectuals, as

Malaysia

Ethiopia

Ahmad Faizal Ahamad Fuad (Malaysia, 2008)

May 31, 2010

had to drive more than 500km due to his business being in another state.
Finally, 5 Sasakawa Fellows managed to attend the meeting with Mr.
Sasakawa. They were Mr. Balakrishnan (1990), Mr. Fairoz (2006) and Mr.
Aventinus of the Malaysia Marine Department (2007), Mr. Rosli of the
Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (2008), and Mr. Faizal of
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (2008). Due to distance and current
commitments, other Fellows were unable to attend the meeting.
During the meeting, Mr. Fairoz, acting as our representative, briefed Mr.
Sasakawa on current maritime developments in Malaysia. Among issues thatwere brought to his attention were the recent marine oil spill on the southerncoast of Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysian seafarers and piracy activities off thecoast of Somalia. In response to the marine oil spill incident, Mr. Sasakawa
mentioned that he would check the oil spill control equipment that had been
donated by the Foundation, in order to see its efficiency and adequacy under
the current situation. He also stress that one of the best responses was todispatch volunteers, even though they use basic tools and hands to collect oil
residue. The ambiance of the meeting was full of warmth and goodwill. It wasa bit sad to end the meeting, as Mr. Sasakawa had other commitments tofulfill. We hope Mr. Sasakawa and a delegation from The Nippon
Foundation will continue to visit us in the future.

Mr. Sasakawa participated in the 20th UM- Sasakawa Young Leaders
Fellowship Fund (Sylff) Anniversary on the 31st of May, 2010. On thisoccasion, the Malaysian Sasakawa Fellows were informed about the invitation
to the meeting by the coordinator of the Friends of WMU. For us, this was agood opportunity to meet Mr. Sasakawa personally and to keep therelationship going. The Malaysian Fellows range from 20-year alumni to lessthan 2 years and we are scattered all over Malaysia. Some had ventured into
privately owned companies and the rest were working with different agencies,
either with the government or the corporate sector.
The meeting place was in easy reach of most of the Fellows, however, one

6

Changes to the MSc in Malmö,
2010 onwards
Susan Jackson(Associate Registrar, WMU)T

he MSc in Maritime Affairs in Malmö has a fresh new look from theintake of 2010. It will be shorter, with a calendar in line withcomparable Master’s degree programs worldwide. The standard MSc
program will now be completed in 14 rather than 17 months, while
maintaining the same credit load. The streamlining has been secured bybetter planning and reduced down-time, with a marked reduction invacation periods.
At the same time, other important changes have been introduced: thefirst, foundation semester has been extended from 5 credits to 8 credits,and the accelerated program has grown from 9 months to 11 months.
These changes enhance the quality of the WMU program for students,
providing more contact hours where they are most needed. The
field-study program has also been improved, resulting in a shorter, more
intensive and more useful field study component. The donor field studies,such as those enjoyed in Japan, are of course unchanged.
These changes have also produced a new academic calendar. Each classwill now enrol in October each year, while the English Study Skills
Programme (ESSP) will start in early July. Th accelerated program will
start the following January, and the class as a whole will graduate in early
December.
From the intake of 2011, the number of specialisations offered has alsochanged: they will be Maritime Safety & Environmental Administration,
Maritime Law & Policy, Maritime Education & Training, and Port &Shipping Management. Marine Environmental & Ocean Management
will no longer be offered as a separate specialisation, but has been
integrated into all parts of the program.

7

GovernanceFollowing a strategic review in 2007, the University underwent a very
thorough re-appraisal, with the remit of ensuring that its governance – setin place in 1983 – was revised to make it fit for purpose in the decades
ahead. A working group established a set of recommendations which havenow been implemented. Certain of these could be set in place by the
University management team, or by the Board of Governors. Others weremore far-reaching, particularly those concerning WMU’s governing bodies
and the necessity of establishing a sustainable funding model for WMU,
and these were referred to the IMO Council and IMO Assembly.
The IMO Assembly, at its 26th session in December 2009, adopted aresolution to revise the University’s Charter, providing a more flexible
and responsive governance system. The new Charter took effect fromJanuary 1, 2010. The Board of Governors will now consist of three
ex-officio members, plus no more than 30 appointed members, allappointed in a personal capacity. The new Charter has also replaced theold Executive Council with a new 11-member Executive Board, with a
Chairman appointed by the Secretary-General, which has the remit ofco-ordinating the governance of the University.
The Assembly also adopted the draft resolution on WMU’s funding,which charges the Secretary-General and the IMO secretariat withfinding a model for the sustainable funding of WMU in the future. The
University is keenly aware that the immense generosity of foundations –especially The Nippon Foundation and the Ocean Policy Research
Foundation – and governments, especially The Government of Sweden,
is the basis of our existence; but we know the costs must be more widelyand equably spread, to other donors and to users.

YAKABE Fumi
(Japan, 2004)

Nishi Toshihide and I are pleased to announce that they were
married in a private ceremony on May 23, 2010 at Lake Ashi in
Hakone, Japan. The day was slightly wet and so the mist createdfantastic scenery over the lake, surrounded by fresh green
mountains. We enjoyed the restful atmosphere with our families
and relatives. (Our only regret was that we could not invite
anyone else. We thank many friends and colleagues who kindly
sent us heart-warming messages and gifts for our wedding.)
We wore ceremonial costumes and chose a nonreligious andsimple ceremony. This type of wedding seems to have become as
popular as the Shinto or Christian style in Japan, where marriage
legally consists of only filling a civil registration form.

Yukinori MATSUI(Japan, 2007)

Can you imagine how I felt when I found a real angel at a bookstore?
I couldn’t stop myself from talking to her even though I’m a quite shy
Japanese man. Her name is Chie, a beautiful, intelligent nurse,
coming back from New Zealand just a few days before.
Last year, I was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, for aCounter-Piracy Operation with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces
for 5 months. In spite of the long physical distance, Chie always
encouraged me to complete my tough duties. Her heart was with me
whatever happened.
We got married on June 26th, which means I have finallyaccomplished the most difficult task in my life, so what is next? Save
WMU from financial difficulty? No, no, I am not so rich!
My mission will be to treat my wife always as a princess, and not
be dumped by her. Don’t say, “Mission Impossible”!

WMU: BOND BETWIXT WORK AND FRIENDSHIPThe OPRF Sponsored Dinner for WMU Alums

Joy of Bing Parents
Zhang Wei (China, 2004)

I’m Zhang Wei, now working for Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration of P.
R. China. My wife and I enjoyed the life in Malmö for one and a half years, andshared the profound culture of The Nippon Foundation as well. After seeing all theeuphonies of friends through Friends of WMU, last year a lovely boy TaoTao’s
coming brought us much more joy and energy. I appreciate all the best blessingsfrom you, my friends of WMU, and my friends of Sasakawa fellowship!

Information fromthe Secretariat

A new Directory of the WMU Sasakawa Fellows is expected to be issued in March 2011. We would like fellows
to submit to the secretariat by January 31, 2011 their updated information. Please strictly observe the deadline.
Editing and printing of the new directory will take place in February and it will be mailed out in March.
You may enter your information into the Fellows’ Directory at http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/. Fellows who do
not have a “user name” and “password” should get in touch with the secretariat at wmujapan@sof.or.jp.
Please also send your photograph to be included in the Directory by attaching it to your E-mailaddressed to the Secretariat. Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions.
We are scheduled to inform you more detailed information accordingly.
Thank you.
Friends of WMU Japan Secretariat

Our Deepest Sympathies
for the Flood in Pakistan

Editor’s noteUpon hearing the news of theheavy flood of Pakistan, theSecretariat contacted theFellows in Pakistan. We
understand that no Sasakawa
Fellows are injured, as far as
we know; however, we would
like to offer our heartfelt
sympathies to those who had
to endure this terrible disaster.

Masanori Yoshida

Manager for Maritime
Safety Technology Unit
Japan Ship Technology
Research Association(JSTRA)

It is with regret that I inform you that I will be leaving thisposition. I appreciate the power I have received from all of you,especially those who have contributed to these newsletters. I
have very much enjoyed my time here.
Mr. Kunihiko Kitabayashi will be taking over my positionand continue to provide “dramatic” IMO stories here as an
IMO expert.
I will continue to work in the maritime world and join someinternational meetings, including IMO meetings, even after
leaving this position. Therefore, I believe that we will see eachother again somewhere. Please come speak to me if you see me.
Lastly, I send you my best wishes for your success in the
future. See you againT

he recent Diplomatic Conference
for the revision of some major
provisions
of
the
STCW
Convention and Code was held in Manila,
Philippines on June 21-26, 2010. OPRF as
usual had the foresight to understand other
implications that the DipCon offers: acommon venue where WMU Alumni willdefinitely be present as representatives of theirrespective countries or organizations. With
that in mind, OPRF coordinated with IMO
as well as with the Philippine WMU Alumni
on a possible get-together for all former
students of the university. Hence a dinner was
set for the 25th of June, 2010 at the Leyte andSamar Rooms of the Hotel Sofitel. The
turnout was impressive and everyone enjoyedmeeting up with former friends andclassmates as well as with others who attended
WMU at a different time. The Guest of
Honor for the night was no less than the
Secretary General himself, His Excellency
Efthimious E. Mitropoulos. Other officials
present were Mr. Masazumi Nagamitsu,
Executive Director of The Nippon
Foundation, Administrator Angelo Verdan of
MARINA, ADM Wilfredo D Tamayo,
Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard,
Cdr. John Leslie Romeo Benedictos, Vice
President of PMMA and Ms. Grace Marie T.
Ayaso, Acting Executive Director of the
National Maritime Polytechnic. Also present
that night was a former Secretary General of
IMO, Mr. O’Neil.

Fedelyn Santos (Philippines, 2008)

A Sasakawa Fellow, Mr. J. Tagi (Fiji,
2002), gave a speech as a representative fromthe Alumni side, and it was a clear testimonythat WMU has produced graduates that upon
returning to their respective countries founduse for the knowledge they gained during
their short stay in Malmö, Sweden. Thisknowledge has caused them to be assigned topositions of responsibility and prominence,bringing about changes and development in
the maritime sector of their countries. The
after-DipCon dinner was evidence enough of
the important roles that WMU graduates
have been playing in the international
maritime community, because the turnout
alone of the attendees that night showed thatthese selected people are working together for
their respective countries. Though most
graduates work in government, some areworking in non-government organizations,
whether local or international, that are still
related to the sea. With graduates comingfrom different countries and organizations, it
was also awe-inspiring to see the ease bywhich they communicated with each otherbecause of the commonality that WMU has
given them. Though this was evident during
tea breaks at DipCon, it was even more soduring the WMU Alumni dinner where
everyone spent a lively night of interaction.
One of the fun moments was when a classroll call was made for a photo opportunity
with the Secretary General, who so graciously
stood on stage until everyone arrived. Therewas even a representative present from the firstclass that WMU produced. And of course,
gifts were given to all the officials. The mastersof ceremony for the whole program wereFedelyn A. Santos (MLP 2008) and Maria
Victoria Paragua (SM 2009) with Mr. Kudo
and Mr. Ichikawa as overseers. The evening
ended on a high note because everyone wasable to either rekindle friendships or start newones with the promise to keep in touch more
often. Considering that the dinner wassponsored by OPRF, there was a goodshowing of Sasakawa Fellows, especially fromthe Philippine Chapter, which acted as thehost for the night.

Autographs from the WMU Graduates