Lithuanian WMU Alumni Meeting
On November 2006, a Lithuanian WMU alumni gathering took
place in Klaipeda, Lithuania. This was the fifth annual gatheringand it happily coincided with the arrival of a new alumna,
Karolis Kuzmarskis, after her graduation from WMU in October,2006. Eleven out of nineteen alumni participated in this event,with graduation dates ranging from 1994 to 2006. A good time
was had by all in a warm and friendly atmosphere, reminding usof our days at WMU.
Among many, four topics came to the fore during the gathering.
First, without exception, all agreed that all issues associated withstudent life have improved tangibly throughout the years at
WMU. The University has made great achievements in its
education curriculum, technological advancement, scientificresearch and the Henrik Smith hostel construction.
Second, it was noted by most that WMU has changed its
recruiting strategy to enroll students who are younger but
nevertheless both academically talented and well-rounded.
Third, there was a discussion concerning how their course
work prepared them for the workplace. “Experiential learning”,
namely field trips and visiting professors' lectures, were

Kovtunova Nadezda (2002)
Daujotas Andrius (2005)

Tarasevicius Robertas (1999)

mentioned by most as of great professional value, even thoughseveral felt that the curriculum in their respective majors could
have offered a more realistic expectation as to what they would
ultimately do as professionals.
Last, but not least, the WMU community portal got a clear
recognition from a significant component of the group as 2006’s
top event. It was agreed that the vast and supportive network ofalumni, academic and faculty staff has a high potential to enable
members to meet and greet each other virtually, while forming
valuable worldwide networking relationships and continuing thequest for excellence.

Rifanie Komara (Indonesia, 2007)
I would like to bring you the wonderful news
that during my winter break in Indonesia, mywife and I were blessed with a new 'juniormember' Sasakawa Fellow. It was a boy, 3.3kg,
50cm, born at 9:09 am on December 18, 2006.
We named him 'Athaya Razan' which means 'agift that is calm and firm'.
For this 2nd time, my wife did not have to suffer
too much as it took 'only' 7 hours since arriving
at the hospital until the baby was born (it needed
19 hours for our first baby). Fortunately, bothmother and baby were doing all right, and he wasborn naturally.
Our first daughter, Hanna Nashita, is about to18

http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/

MARCH

2007

Big Boss is “After Us ”
have her 2nd birthday next March. She is now
able to tell her own stories, but sometimes I need
my wife to translate all her words. Once, I asked
a Japanese Sasakawa Fellow (Mr. Matsui - MLP'07) about the meaning of 'Hanako' (abbreviatedfrom Hanna Nashita Komara) in Japanese and
now I know that it means 'female cow'.
Therefore, I am thinking of bringing her a 'cow'doll as a souvenir at the end of my studies.
As I am writing this letter, my wife has restarted
her practice as a dentist after having a leave of about
2 months. Meanwhile, I have some assignments toaccomplish, some exams to prepare for as well assome field studies to go through.

During a hectic schedule of business visits to a number of countries, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation(Chairman of the Friends of WMU, Japan), took time out to meet with WMU-related personnel and deepen relationships with them.
In addition to recent visits to Sri Lanka and Jakarta, he also visited Manila in the Philippines, where he received The Award of the
Coast Guard Legion of Honor. Visiting WMU in Malmö after a very long time, he was treated to a grand welcome by the students
there. We will report on news of his trip and other events.

Wisnu Handoko (Indonesia, 2007)
To all Friends of WMU, from Indonesia I would years old) is sitting close to me and my son
like to pass my New Year’s warm greetings. This “Zidan” (4 years old) near his mother “Erli”. Now,
picture was taken during my vacation after I have came back to Malmö for my second year
finishing my first year at WMU last December. It of study, and through this newsletter I would likewas wondeful to meet my lovely family after one to ask all of you, let’s establish a network in theyear apart from them. My daughter “Shaula” (5 future.

Editor’s Postscript

In 1997 I had the opportunity to engage in fun conversations with
one of my students, soon to be a dear friend, during his training at
the Marine Technical College in Japan. We also had the opportunity
to meet once again at WMU in 2000. The sad news came to me
from one of his classmates. In the classroom at WMU, I once told
him that because he was in his 30s, he was still young and could
do anything in the future. When he responded that in his country
the average life expectancy was in the 40s, I was startled by theseverity of this reality. Once again I am reminded of his words.

I heard from a number of sources how important a person he
was in his country. I also firmly believed that one day he would bea great educator. I deeply regret the loss of such a promising life.
It is important for us to use our remaining time in a very
meaningful way, I believe. And I think that I am not alone inholding this view.

Prof. Toshio Hikima

Marine Technical College

I

opened up my WMU web page as face. Shaking hands with him again gave
usual and found a wonderful mail me an immense pleasure, and it gave me
stating that Mr. Yohei Sasakawa would be the sense of belonging to the Sasakawa
visiting WMU and address all the Fellows, OPRF, and people like Mr.
Sasakawa Fellows on January 17, 2007. Sasakawa.
I cannot forget his words as he said,
This was an encouraging mail for me anda big New Year’s gift that the Big Boss is “The money which I spend on the“after us”. I mean, he has not forgotten us, Sasakawa Fellows is not a big deal. You
and whenever he gets the opportunity, he can pay me this money back just by
working hard and spreading the message
showers us with words of wisdom.
We all gathered in the WMU conference to all the countries you belong.”He also stressed the need for harmonyroom. After a few minutes, Mr. Sasakawa
entered with his ever humble and smiling and cordial relationships between

Sasakawa Fellows as well as humanity. He
also praised the President of WMU, Dr.
Karl Laubstein, for his untiring efforts
toward the growth and development of
WMU and bringing it to the EU
universities’ network.
It was a big day for me, and I hope to
see the Big Boss again. We all pray for hishealth, and we promise to spread his
vision when we go back to our countries.
Altaf-Ur Rehman(Pakistan, 2007)

An Award from the Philippine Coast Guard
Sonia B. Malaluan (Philippines, 1998)

E

leven Filipino WMU Sasakawa Fellows greeted each other with
big smiles at the lobby of the Heritage Hotel in Manila on January
27, 2007. We were all happy to have a short talk with Mr. Sasakawa.
Mr. Sasakawa, who has always been very active as the World HealthOrganization's (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador, visited Manila for thelaunching of the Global Appeal for the Elimination of Leprosy. We
are very honored that every time he visits Manila, he never fails tospend time with the Filipino Fellows.
The meeting that day may have been short but definitely memorable.
Sasakawa Fellows proudly reported their recent promotions andachievements in their respective offices. After an exchange of

information and updates on the activities of each Fellow, Mr. Sasakawa
was given the Award of the Coast Guard Legion of Honor (Degree ofMaginoo). The Award was presented by Admiral Tamayo of thePhilippine Coast Guard.
The Award was given in recognition of the outstanding service andcontribution of Mr. Sasakawa towards improving the quality ofmaritime experts around the world, thus providing immeasurable
contributions to the educational advancement of PCG personnel. The
WMU education, made possible by the Sasakawa Foundation, hastruly upgraded the knowledge, skills and competence of PCG
personnel, further increasing their competence and professionalism
in performing far more challenging roles in the PCG, and for the
maritime industry of the country, in general.
WMU-Sasakawa Fellows present during the meeting werecomposed of six Fellows from MARINA: Sonia B. Malaluan, Jean
Ver Pia, Jabeth Dacanay, Teresa Mamisao, Ronaldo Bandalaria andRodolfo Diawa, and five Fellows from PCG: Rolando Ricafrente, Jerry
Nibre, Rogelio Villanueva, Teotimo Borja, and Enrico Evangelista.
We were also happy to have met the staff members of The Nippon
Foundation who were with Mr. Sasakawa during the visit, Mr.
Yoshihiko Yamada and Ms. Michiko Taki.
The meeting was concluded with the traditional group picture-taking.

Welcomed by Sri Lankan Sasakawa Fellows in Colombo
G. Sriharan (Sri Lanka, 2003)

Mr.

Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of Friends of WMU, Japan, as wellas The Nippon Foundation, was warmly welcomed by “SriLankan Sasakawa Fellows” at Colombo Cinnamon Grand Hotel on the
31st of January, 2007 at 6:00 p.m.
Everyone who participated in the meeting, while introducing
themselves, mentioned their current positions in their respective
institutions and their contribution to the advancement of the maritime
industry of Sri Lanka.
The participants were as follows:
1. Mr. G. A. Talagala (1992), Chief Manager (Logistics), Sri Lanka

Ports Authority;
2. Mr. Ajith Dehipola (1998), attached to Ceylon Shipping
Corporation as a Deputy Manager (Technical);3. Ms Susari Yamuna Wettasinghe (1999), working as a Marketing
Manager at Ceylon Shipping Corporation;
4. Mr. K. M. Mithrapala (2002), (Non Sasakawa fellow): Engineering
Manager attached to Lanka Marine Services Private Limited;
5. G. Sriharan (2003), Chief Superintendent (Logistics), Sri Lanka
Ports Authority.
Mr. Sasakawa greatly appreciated that Fellows from Sri Lanka arecontributing immensely to the development of the Maritime sectorof Sri Lanka, especially in the field of Port and Shipping activities.
All Fellows were very thankful to Mr. Sasakawa and his
Organization for their continued support to the staff of the Port andShipping sector to pursue their higher studies at the “World Maritime
University”, which helped them to be at these prominent positions.
Further, all the contributions made by Mr. Sasakawa for the upliftmentof the world maritime community were remembered at this event.
Finally, on behalf of Sri Lanka Sasakawa Fellows, Mr. G. A. Talagala
expressed the Fellows' gratitude to Mr. Sasakawa for meeting us in
Colombo in the midst of his very tight schedule during his visit to
Sri Lanka.

Pleasant 10 Minutes in Jakarta
Ahmad Irfan (Indonesia, 2006)

I

received an email to meet Mr.
Yohei Sasakawa in Jakarta
during his visit to Indonesia,
and informed my superior, Mr.
Jimmy AB Nikijuluw, Director of
Sea Traffic and Transportation,
regarding the meeting. In
response Mr. Nikijuluw asked
me to send his regards to Mr. Sasakawa, and to deliver the traditional
Papua tribe's handicraft with his compliments.
The meeting with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and Sasakawa Fellows in
Jakarta, unfortunately, was cancelled, and the opportunity to meet
Mr. Sasakawa at that time was gone. However, I had a duty to deliver
Friends of WMU JAPANthe message and the handicraft to him. Therefore, I contacted the hotel
where he stayed during his visit to Indonesia. I asked the hotel operator
to find the contact number of Mr. Sasakawa’s assistant to leave themessage and the handicraft, but by mistake Mr. Sasakawa himself got
on the phone. I introduced myself as WMU Sasakawa Fellows Class
of 2006 and requested 5 minutes of his very valuable time, and Mr.
Sasakawa very kindly allowed me to meet him in the hotel.
I was accompanied by Mr. Nikijuluw’s secretary, Ms. Een.
Unfortunately, we were trapped in heavy traffic in the heart of Jakarta
Business Centre, and we were late by 25 minutes. I was very sorry about
that, but as usual, Mr. Sasakawa still gave his very valuable time to me
and warmly spent 10 minutes with me.
I offer my apprecitation to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa for his kindness
towards Sasakawa Fellows, always.
2

Is Maritime English the Weakest Link?
Clive Cole
(Assistant Professor at World Maritime University)Japanese proverbs such as “silence isgolden”, “the mouth is the door of allevil”, and “the nail that sticks its headup will surely be hammered down”
may be useful, even necessary, to heed incertain situations, but when the need tocommunicate may save lives or protect ourenvironment then remaining silent
becomes a much more sinister colour. In
this respect communication at sea and in
ports requires a particularly high level ofcompetency. For international employees
today this inevitably means communicativecompetency in the English language,especially the variety we call Maritime
English.
In recent years Maritime English has
attained the status of a “hot topic”,
reflecting the general consensus that mostaccidents at sea, whether causing loss oflife, damage to property or environmental
pollution, are attributable to the humanfactor and in particular to failings in thecommunication between crew members
and in ship-to-ship / ship-to-shore
communications. As a result, global
standards governing communicativecompetency have been strengthened by
the International Maritime Organization(IMO) through its central legal instruments.
In addition, with Mr. Mitropoulos at thehelm the Human Element has been placedat the top of the list of IMO priorities.
More generally, the globalisation ofmaritime services, including the supply of
seafarers, has led to the widespread
adoption of Maritime English as a career
tool that today permits mobility, flexibility
and competitiveness. This in turn has put
pressure on national authorities andtraining institutions to develop more
effective training strategies to satisfy thedemands of their students and the endusers. In short, the law states, and thecustomers
demand,proficient
communicators in today's global market,
where trade and transport are the central
elements. So how is this “reserved andshy” nation coping ?
During several recent visits to Japan, adaily dose of Japanese WMU students anda Japanese Professor in the office nextdoor, I am beginning to see a picture
emerging. It is clear that the Maritime
English need has been recognised at boththe institutional and governmental levels,
although how best to accommodate thedemands seems still to be a matter ofconjecture.
In this respect, it was gratifying to be
invited in the summer of 2006 to the
National Institute for Sea Training, and toreunite with Big Tom Okamura, MET, 2002,
to review and to advise on their Maritime
English onboard programmes. Here was aproactive organisation, obviously willing tostrengthen and promote this area, by
seeking outside assistance on the steps tobe taken to ensure communicativecompetency is attained both amongst its
own training crews and the national andinternational cadets they train.
Several recent visits to Tokyo Universityof Marine Science and Technology have
similarly revealed a deliberate andconcentrated effort to provide shortcourses for cadets and officers where realtime English training on board is also acomponent.
The main advantage of both these
activities is that it awakens the young
trainees, many of whom do notunderstand the relevance of learning aforeign language, to the real life/situationof international seafaring where English isa premium career tool. In each caseconsiderable thought and effort has clearly
been invested into the design and deliveryof the Maritime English courses. It has tobe assumed that Japanese MET institutions
elsewhere are taking similar initiatives but
here I am still somewhat ignorant.
What is clear, nonetheless, is that while
technically, and as persons, the quality of
most Japanese cadets is regarded as
exemplary on graduating, their grasp ofEnglish is perceived as relatively poor, aweakness which gives concern when they
are about to enter the ship manningmarket. Indeed, the overriding impression
I have gained is that the oral/auralcompetency of the majority of cadets

Friends of WMU JAPAN

3

under training leaves much to be desired.
The challenge within Japanese MET isclearly how to upgrade cadet competency
in Maritime and general English to comeinto line with the higher levels ofcompetency in the other skills, to theextent that at graduation, the new
professional will be fully equipped toembark upon a competitive international
career in seafaring. Here the Japanese
education system at large has a key role toplay in laying the foundation in theformative years of all future cadets.
And what about the competition? Recent
evaluations in other seafarer-provider
nations have revealed that where English
is not a native language the biggest
stumbling block to seafarer employment is,
like in Japan, a lack of competency in the
English language. However, unlike Japan,
the Chinese, the Vietnamese, and the
youngsters of many other developing
Asian countries are fully aware that asound grasp of English will automaticallybring significant career rewards. Perhaps
the biggest problem today is to convince
Japanese cadets that the effort isworthwhile.
In short, English language competency isan essential career tool aboard today's
merchant marine vessels where multinational crews are common, and any lackof professional and/or social skills may not
only lead to isolation but also endanger
the safety and general well-being of a ship.
Today trade is global, just like thebusinesses that drive it, and those who
remain silent are unlikely to benefit fromthe golden outcome.

An Award from the Philippine Coast Guard
Sonia B. Malaluan (Philippines, 1998)

E

leven Filipino WMU Sasakawa Fellows greeted each other with
big smiles at the lobby of the Heritage Hotel in Manila on January
27, 2007. We were all happy to have a short talk with Mr. Sasakawa.
Mr. Sasakawa, who has always been very active as the World HealthOrganization's (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador, visited Manila for thelaunching of the Global Appeal for the Elimination of Leprosy. We
are very honored that every time he visits Manila, he never fails tospend time with the Filipino Fellows.
The meeting that day may have been short but definitely memorable.
Sasakawa Fellows proudly reported their recent promotions andachievements in their respective offices. After an exchange of

information and updates on the activities of each Fellow, Mr. Sasakawa
was given the Award of the Coast Guard Legion of Honor (Degree ofMaginoo). The Award was presented by Admiral Tamayo of thePhilippine Coast Guard.
The Award was given in recognition of the outstanding service andcontribution of Mr. Sasakawa towards improving the quality ofmaritime experts around the world, thus providing immeasurable
contributions to the educational advancement of PCG personnel. The
WMU education, made possible by the Sasakawa Foundation, hastruly upgraded the knowledge, skills and competence of PCG
personnel, further increasing their competence and professionalism
in performing far more challenging roles in the PCG, and for the
maritime industry of the country, in general.
WMU-Sasakawa Fellows present during the meeting werecomposed of six Fellows from MARINA: Sonia B. Malaluan, Jean
Ver Pia, Jabeth Dacanay, Teresa Mamisao, Ronaldo Bandalaria andRodolfo Diawa, and five Fellows from PCG: Rolando Ricafrente, Jerry
Nibre, Rogelio Villanueva, Teotimo Borja, and Enrico Evangelista.
We were also happy to have met the staff members of The Nippon
Foundation who were with Mr. Sasakawa during the visit, Mr.
Yoshihiko Yamada and Ms. Michiko Taki.
The meeting was concluded with the traditional group picture-taking.

Welcomed by Sri Lankan Sasakawa Fellows in Colombo
G. Sriharan (Sri Lanka, 2003)

Mr.

Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of Friends of WMU, Japan, as wellas The Nippon Foundation, was warmly welcomed by “SriLankan Sasakawa Fellows” at Colombo Cinnamon Grand Hotel on the
31st of January, 2007 at 6:00 p.m.
Everyone who participated in the meeting, while introducing
themselves, mentioned their current positions in their respective
institutions and their contribution to the advancement of the maritime
industry of Sri Lanka.
The participants were as follows:
1. Mr. G. A. Talagala (1992), Chief Manager (Logistics), Sri Lanka

Ports Authority;
2. Mr. Ajith Dehipola (1998), attached to Ceylon Shipping
Corporation as a Deputy Manager (Technical);3. Ms Susari Yamuna Wettasinghe (1999), working as a Marketing
Manager at Ceylon Shipping Corporation;
4. Mr. K. M. Mithrapala (2002), (Non Sasakawa fellow): Engineering
Manager attached to Lanka Marine Services Private Limited;
5. G. Sriharan (2003), Chief Superintendent (Logistics), Sri Lanka
Ports Authority.
Mr. Sasakawa greatly appreciated that Fellows from Sri Lanka arecontributing immensely to the development of the Maritime sectorof Sri Lanka, especially in the field of Port and Shipping activities.
All Fellows were very thankful to Mr. Sasakawa and his
Organization for their continued support to the staff of the Port andShipping sector to pursue their higher studies at the “World Maritime
University”, which helped them to be at these prominent positions.
Further, all the contributions made by Mr. Sasakawa for the upliftmentof the world maritime community were remembered at this event.
Finally, on behalf of Sri Lanka Sasakawa Fellows, Mr. G. A. Talagala
expressed the Fellows' gratitude to Mr. Sasakawa for meeting us in
Colombo in the midst of his very tight schedule during his visit to
Sri Lanka.

Pleasant 10 Minutes in Jakarta
Ahmad Irfan (Indonesia, 2006)

I

received an email to meet Mr.
Yohei Sasakawa in Jakarta
during his visit to Indonesia,
and informed my superior, Mr.
Jimmy AB Nikijuluw, Director of
Sea Traffic and Transportation,
regarding the meeting. In
response Mr. Nikijuluw asked
me to send his regards to Mr. Sasakawa, and to deliver the traditional
Papua tribe's handicraft with his compliments.
The meeting with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and Sasakawa Fellows in
Jakarta, unfortunately, was cancelled, and the opportunity to meet
Mr. Sasakawa at that time was gone. However, I had a duty to deliver
Friends of WMU JAPANthe message and the handicraft to him. Therefore, I contacted the hotel
where he stayed during his visit to Indonesia. I asked the hotel operator
to find the contact number of Mr. Sasakawa’s assistant to leave themessage and the handicraft, but by mistake Mr. Sasakawa himself got
on the phone. I introduced myself as WMU Sasakawa Fellows Class
of 2006 and requested 5 minutes of his very valuable time, and Mr.
Sasakawa very kindly allowed me to meet him in the hotel.
I was accompanied by Mr. Nikijuluw’s secretary, Ms. Een.
Unfortunately, we were trapped in heavy traffic in the heart of Jakarta
Business Centre, and we were late by 25 minutes. I was very sorry about
that, but as usual, Mr. Sasakawa still gave his very valuable time to me
and warmly spent 10 minutes with me.
I offer my apprecitation to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa for his kindness
towards Sasakawa Fellows, always.
2

Is Maritime English the Weakest Link?
Clive Cole
(Assistant Professor at World Maritime University)Japanese proverbs such as “silence isgolden”, “the mouth is the door of allevil”, and “the nail that sticks its headup will surely be hammered down”
may be useful, even necessary, to heed incertain situations, but when the need tocommunicate may save lives or protect ourenvironment then remaining silent
becomes a much more sinister colour. In
this respect communication at sea and in
ports requires a particularly high level ofcompetency. For international employees
today this inevitably means communicativecompetency in the English language,especially the variety we call Maritime
English.
In recent years Maritime English has
attained the status of a “hot topic”,
reflecting the general consensus that mostaccidents at sea, whether causing loss oflife, damage to property or environmental
pollution, are attributable to the humanfactor and in particular to failings in thecommunication between crew members
and in ship-to-ship / ship-to-shore
communications. As a result, global
standards governing communicativecompetency have been strengthened by
the International Maritime Organization(IMO) through its central legal instruments.
In addition, with Mr. Mitropoulos at thehelm the Human Element has been placedat the top of the list of IMO priorities.
More generally, the globalisation ofmaritime services, including the supply of
seafarers, has led to the widespread
adoption of Maritime English as a career
tool that today permits mobility, flexibility
and competitiveness. This in turn has put
pressure on national authorities andtraining institutions to develop more
effective training strategies to satisfy thedemands of their students and the endusers. In short, the law states, and thecustomers
demand,proficient
communicators in today's global market,
where trade and transport are the central
elements. So how is this “reserved andshy” nation coping ?
During several recent visits to Japan, adaily dose of Japanese WMU students anda Japanese Professor in the office nextdoor, I am beginning to see a picture
emerging. It is clear that the Maritime
English need has been recognised at boththe institutional and governmental levels,
although how best to accommodate thedemands seems still to be a matter ofconjecture.
In this respect, it was gratifying to be
invited in the summer of 2006 to the
National Institute for Sea Training, and toreunite with Big Tom Okamura, MET, 2002,
to review and to advise on their Maritime
English onboard programmes. Here was aproactive organisation, obviously willing tostrengthen and promote this area, by
seeking outside assistance on the steps tobe taken to ensure communicativecompetency is attained both amongst its
own training crews and the national andinternational cadets they train.
Several recent visits to Tokyo Universityof Marine Science and Technology have
similarly revealed a deliberate andconcentrated effort to provide shortcourses for cadets and officers where realtime English training on board is also acomponent.
The main advantage of both these
activities is that it awakens the young
trainees, many of whom do notunderstand the relevance of learning aforeign language, to the real life/situationof international seafaring where English isa premium career tool. In each caseconsiderable thought and effort has clearly
been invested into the design and deliveryof the Maritime English courses. It has tobe assumed that Japanese MET institutions
elsewhere are taking similar initiatives but
here I am still somewhat ignorant.
What is clear, nonetheless, is that while
technically, and as persons, the quality of
most Japanese cadets is regarded as
exemplary on graduating, their grasp ofEnglish is perceived as relatively poor, aweakness which gives concern when they
are about to enter the ship manningmarket. Indeed, the overriding impression
I have gained is that the oral/auralcompetency of the majority of cadets

Friends of WMU JAPAN

3

under training leaves much to be desired.
The challenge within Japanese MET isclearly how to upgrade cadet competency
in Maritime and general English to comeinto line with the higher levels ofcompetency in the other skills, to theextent that at graduation, the new
professional will be fully equipped toembark upon a competitive international
career in seafaring. Here the Japanese
education system at large has a key role toplay in laying the foundation in theformative years of all future cadets.
And what about the competition? Recent
evaluations in other seafarer-provider
nations have revealed that where English
is not a native language the biggest
stumbling block to seafarer employment is,
like in Japan, a lack of competency in the
English language. However, unlike Japan,
the Chinese, the Vietnamese, and the
youngsters of many other developing
Asian countries are fully aware that asound grasp of English will automaticallybring significant career rewards. Perhaps
the biggest problem today is to convince
Japanese cadets that the effort isworthwhile.
In short, English language competency isan essential career tool aboard today's
merchant marine vessels where multinational crews are common, and any lackof professional and/or social skills may not
only lead to isolation but also endanger
the safety and general well-being of a ship.
Today trade is global, just like thebusinesses that drive it, and those who
remain silent are unlikely to benefit fromthe golden outcome.

IMO Finalizes Performance Standard for Protective Coating

The 7th Fellowship Training on Port State Control in JapanT

he 82nd Maritime Safety Committee (MSC82) was held in
Istanbul, under the great hospitality of the Republic of
Turkey, from Nov 29 to Dec 8, 2006, due to refurbishmentof the IMO headquarters
headquarter buildingbuildingininLondon.
London.
Istanbul isis aamagnificent
magnificentplace
placewhere
where
twothecontinents
two continentsof EuropeofEuropeand Asiaand
meet
Asiaandmeetembraceand embrace
across theacrossStraittheofStrait
Istanbul.
of Istanbul.
It haslong
It hasbeen
long abeen
meetinga meetingplace placeof peopleof people
from fromdifferent
different
regionsregions
andandcultures,cultures,as well
as as
well
anas
importantan important
point point
for vessel
for vessel
traffic. traffic.
It was Ita
great
was achancegreat chancefor IMOforto IMO
buildtobridges
build bridges
over a number
over a numberof difficultofissuesdifficultonissues
maritime
on maritime
safety. safety.
One of the outstanding adoptions which MSC82 achieved was
the 'performance standard for protective coatings for dedicatedseawater ballast tanks and double-side skin spaces of bulk
carriers' and the related amendments to the SOLAS Convention.
This mandatory standard for corrosion prevention intends toprovide a target useful coating life of 15 years, which isconsidered to be the time period, from initial application, overwhich the coating system is intended to remain in “GOOD”
condition. It specifies:- pre-qualification test of coatings, e.g., two months field
exposure followed by six months simulated wave tank test;- grade of steel surface preparation, e.g., edge rounding,cleanness and dust removal;- job specification, e.g., tools to be used;- dry film thickness;- inspection and verification scheme and procedure; and- coating technical file to be kept on board and maintained
throughout the life of the ship.
The discussion on protective coating started at MSC76 in 2002,
and went through six MSC sessions and four Design andEquipment Sub-Committee (DE) sessions. It concerned all the
stakeholders, such as shipowners, shipbuilders, coating
manufacturers, classification societies and Administrations. In
particular, the shipbuilding industry, which was opposed to ahigh standard that they believed to be excessive and impractical,
strongly argued against the shipowner side, which urged a highlevel standard to enhancee corrosion protection. IMO finallydeveloped an acceptable standard to those parties concerned.
Another controversy emerged between the industries and theclassification societies in terms of their involvement in the coating
inspection process. The solution agreed to was the introductionof a “coating inspector” who is certified to NACE Coating
Inspector Level 2, FROSIO Inspector Level III or equivalent, asverified by the Administration. Coating inspections will be carriedout by these inspectors, who may not necessarily be theinspectors of the Administration or classification societies. While
this is a new concept under the SOLAS regime and would extend
the scope and enhance the level of the inspectors, there is still a
big shortage in the number of certified inspectors in the world tomeet future demand when the standard will be applied to ships
contracted on or after July 1, 2008.

Istanbul

MSC82 in Istanbul

Inspection at shipyards during construction

Shin IMAI

Corrosion in seawater ballast tank

Japan Ship Technology Research Association

Friends of WMU JAPAN

4

Rolando Lizor N. Punzalan, Jr.
(Philippines, 2002)

I

recently attended the 7th Fellowship Training on Port State
Control held in Japan from November 10-24, 2006. In accordancewith the “integrated strategic plan for training and exchange
of Port State Control Officers” adopted by the Port State Control
Committee (PSCC) at its 4th meeting in 1996, fellowship training
commenced in 2000 as an advanced course over basic training
courses and expert missions.
For this fellowship training, the participants undertake two
weeks of practical PSC training in PSC advanced Authorities. Up
to the present, six fellowship trainings have been convened inJapan and this is the 7th training. The training has been conductedin collaboration with Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport. The fellowship training aims to provide middle level
PSCOs with the opportunity to learn practical PSC procedures.
Thus, the training concentrates on inspection practices and noton theoretical lectures.
Expectedly, the fellowship training was very fruitful and successful.
Introductory discussions were arranged by Mr. Seizo Furuya of
the Shipbuilding Research Centre of Japan (SRCJ) on the firstday. Thereafter, co-participant Li Guodong of China and I wereassigned to the Kyushu District at Fukuoka prefecture and every
day of our stay was devoted to PSC inspections. Inspections ofships at the ports of Hakata and Moji were arranged by Mr. Shinjiro
Okabe, Mr. Yutaka Inamitsu and other PSC Officers of the Kyushu
District. Our knowledge and skills in PSC inspections increased
significantly because of the training.
I was with Lt. Gary Dale C. Gimotea, a co-participant and also
an officer of the Philippine Coast Guard. And just before our short
but meaningful stay in Japan ended, I was able to have dinnerwith Mr. Ravindra S. Samarajeewa (Sri Lanka, 2002) and his wife,
Nasko. Both of them are based in Japan. Ravi and I nostalgicallyshared stories of our experiences at WMU and respective endeavors
since we graduated.
Last but not least, I had the chance to once again express mygratitude to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa for my studies at WMU as a scholarof the Sasakawa Foundation. My having graduated at WMU was
instrumental to my participation in the fellowship training in Japan.
To all of you, “Domo arigato gozaimasu” and “Go-shinsetsu
ni domo”!

WMU Alumni Gathering at International Seminar on ILO
Maritime Labour Convention

T(from left) Mr. Xiaojie ZHANG (China, 1999), Mr. Yeong Woo
JOEN (Korea, 1985), Mr. Htay WIN (Myanmar, 1998), Mr.
Yuthea LENG THUN (Cambodia, 1995), Mr. Surat SIRISAIYAS(Thailand, 1996), Mr. Vo Duy THANG (Viet Nam, 2001)

Friends of WMU JAPANhe International Seminar on ILO Maritime Labour Convention
was held by the Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport in Japan under the sponsorship of the OPRF
on October, 2006 in Tokyo. In attendance were 140 participantsfrom Japan and abroad.
Representatives from ASEAN countries and Ms. Cleopatra DoumbiaHenry, Director of the ILO's International Labour Standards Department,
attended the Seminar to exchange information and opinions witha view to promoting the ratification by Asian nations of the Maritime
Labour Convention, which was adopted in February 2006. The
participating countries showed a very positive attitude regarding
ratification of the convention and engaged in constructive discussions
about future challenges and ways in which they can be resolved.
Attendants also confirmed that cooperation and solidarity are
essential for the convention to come into force and function as
expected, and that every country would devote wholehearted
efforts to realize ratification of the convention by as many countries
as possible in the Asian region in the future.
The conference was attended by Sasakawa Fellow Mr. Htay
Win (Myanmar, 1998) and a number of WMU graduates from Asian
countries. Their attendance was greatly appreciated by the conference
participants.

5

IMO Finalizes Performance Standard for Protective Coating

The 7th Fellowship Training on Port State Control in JapanT

he 82nd Maritime Safety Committee (MSC82) was held in
Istanbul, under the great hospitality of the Republic of
Turkey, from Nov 29 to Dec 8, 2006, due to refurbishmentof the IMO headquarters
headquarter buildingbuildingininLondon.
London.
Istanbul isis aamagnificent
magnificentplace
placewhere
where
twothecontinents
two continentsof EuropeofEuropeand Asiaand
meet
Asiaandmeetembraceand embrace
across theacrossStraittheofStrait
Istanbul.
of Istanbul.
It haslong
It hasbeen
long abeen
meetinga meetingplace placeof peopleof people
from fromdifferent
different
regionsregions
andandcultures,cultures,as well
as as
well
anas
importantan important
point point
for vessel
for vessel
traffic. traffic.
It was Ita
great
was achancegreat chancefor IMOforto IMO
buildtobridges
build bridges
over a number
over a numberof difficultofissuesdifficultonissues
maritime
on maritime
safety. safety.
One of the outstanding adoptions which MSC82 achieved was
the 'performance standard for protective coatings for dedicatedseawater ballast tanks and double-side skin spaces of bulk
carriers' and the related amendments to the SOLAS Convention.
This mandatory standard for corrosion prevention intends toprovide a target useful coating life of 15 years, which isconsidered to be the time period, from initial application, overwhich the coating system is intended to remain in “GOOD”
condition. It specifies:- pre-qualification test of coatings, e.g., two months field
exposure followed by six months simulated wave tank test;- grade of steel surface preparation, e.g., edge rounding,cleanness and dust removal;- job specification, e.g., tools to be used;- dry film thickness;- inspection and verification scheme and procedure; and- coating technical file to be kept on board and maintained
throughout the life of the ship.
The discussion on protective coating started at MSC76 in 2002,
and went through six MSC sessions and four Design andEquipment Sub-Committee (DE) sessions. It concerned all the
stakeholders, such as shipowners, shipbuilders, coating
manufacturers, classification societies and Administrations. In
particular, the shipbuilding industry, which was opposed to ahigh standard that they believed to be excessive and impractical,
strongly argued against the shipowner side, which urged a highlevel standard to enhancee corrosion protection. IMO finallydeveloped an acceptable standard to those parties concerned.
Another controversy emerged between the industries and theclassification societies in terms of their involvement in the coating
inspection process. The solution agreed to was the introductionof a “coating inspector” who is certified to NACE Coating
Inspector Level 2, FROSIO Inspector Level III or equivalent, asverified by the Administration. Coating inspections will be carriedout by these inspectors, who may not necessarily be theinspectors of the Administration or classification societies. While
this is a new concept under the SOLAS regime and would extend
the scope and enhance the level of the inspectors, there is still a
big shortage in the number of certified inspectors in the world tomeet future demand when the standard will be applied to ships
contracted on or after July 1, 2008.

Istanbul

MSC82 in Istanbul

Inspection at shipyards during construction

Shin IMAI

Corrosion in seawater ballast tank

Japan Ship Technology Research Association

Friends of WMU JAPAN

4

Rolando Lizor N. Punzalan, Jr.
(Philippines, 2002)

I

recently attended the 7th Fellowship Training on Port State
Control held in Japan from November 10-24, 2006. In accordancewith the “integrated strategic plan for training and exchange
of Port State Control Officers” adopted by the Port State Control
Committee (PSCC) at its 4th meeting in 1996, fellowship training
commenced in 2000 as an advanced course over basic training
courses and expert missions.
For this fellowship training, the participants undertake two
weeks of practical PSC training in PSC advanced Authorities. Up
to the present, six fellowship trainings have been convened inJapan and this is the 7th training. The training has been conductedin collaboration with Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport. The fellowship training aims to provide middle level
PSCOs with the opportunity to learn practical PSC procedures.
Thus, the training concentrates on inspection practices and noton theoretical lectures.
Expectedly, the fellowship training was very fruitful and successful.
Introductory discussions were arranged by Mr. Seizo Furuya of
the Shipbuilding Research Centre of Japan (SRCJ) on the firstday. Thereafter, co-participant Li Guodong of China and I wereassigned to the Kyushu District at Fukuoka prefecture and every
day of our stay was devoted to PSC inspections. Inspections ofships at the ports of Hakata and Moji were arranged by Mr. Shinjiro
Okabe, Mr. Yutaka Inamitsu and other PSC Officers of the Kyushu
District. Our knowledge and skills in PSC inspections increased
significantly because of the training.
I was with Lt. Gary Dale C. Gimotea, a co-participant and also
an officer of the Philippine Coast Guard. And just before our short
but meaningful stay in Japan ended, I was able to have dinnerwith Mr. Ravindra S. Samarajeewa (Sri Lanka, 2002) and his wife,
Nasko. Both of them are based in Japan. Ravi and I nostalgicallyshared stories of our experiences at WMU and respective endeavors
since we graduated.
Last but not least, I had the chance to once again express mygratitude to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa for my studies at WMU as a scholarof the Sasakawa Foundation. My having graduated at WMU was
instrumental to my participation in the fellowship training in Japan.
To all of you, “Domo arigato gozaimasu” and “Go-shinsetsu
ni domo”!

WMU Alumni Gathering at International Seminar on ILO
Maritime Labour Convention

T(from left) Mr. Xiaojie ZHANG (China, 1999), Mr. Yeong Woo
JOEN (Korea, 1985), Mr. Htay WIN (Myanmar, 1998), Mr.
Yuthea LENG THUN (Cambodia, 1995), Mr. Surat SIRISAIYAS(Thailand, 1996), Mr. Vo Duy THANG (Viet Nam, 2001)

Friends of WMU JAPANhe International Seminar on ILO Maritime Labour Convention
was held by the Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport in Japan under the sponsorship of the OPRF
on October, 2006 in Tokyo. In attendance were 140 participantsfrom Japan and abroad.
Representatives from ASEAN countries and Ms. Cleopatra DoumbiaHenry, Director of the ILO's International Labour Standards Department,
attended the Seminar to exchange information and opinions witha view to promoting the ratification by Asian nations of the Maritime
Labour Convention, which was adopted in February 2006. The
participating countries showed a very positive attitude regarding
ratification of the convention and engaged in constructive discussions
about future challenges and ways in which they can be resolved.
Attendants also confirmed that cooperation and solidarity are
essential for the convention to come into force and function as
expected, and that every country would devote wholehearted
efforts to realize ratification of the convention by as many countries
as possible in the Asian region in the future.
The conference was attended by Sasakawa Fellow Mr. Htay
Win (Myanmar, 1998) and a number of WMU graduates from Asian
countries. Their attendance was greatly appreciated by the conference
participants.

5

2nd e-Government SI Course (Seoul, Korea 2006)

Life in Second Hometown
with Swedish Host Family

Jerry A Nibre(Philippines, 2003)

Mugen Suprihatin SARTOTO(Indonesia, 2007)

Mr. Jerry A Nibre (Philippines-MSEP 2003) with Mr. Yeongi Son,
Ph. D., KADO President/CEOH

aving been invited to attend the 2nd e-Government SI
Course under the Korea IT Learning (KoIL) Programof the Korean Agency for Digital Promotion andOpportunity (KADO) held in Seoul, Korea from November
22-30, 2006 with 18 other participants from 14 countries wasboth an intellectually and socially enriching experience.
The participants were warmly welcomed in a formal
ceremony by a delegation from KoIL/KADO, Federation of
Korean Information Industries, Korea IT Industry Promotion
Agency (KIPA), and other stakeholders from the ICT
industries, held at the Mayfield Hotel.
The course aims to provide practical examples of how toestablish a big scale system integration project. Through thiscourse, participants can obtain practical knowledge andexperience in Korean agencies that have performed many eGovernment projects, and can get some ideas of what to do
first and how to do it successfully in delivering eGovernment projects.
Lecturers from the government, academe, and thecorporate world took turns in imparting their expertise on
the subjects of: Korean e-Government, Problems andOpportunities; Case Studies for Korea's e-Government
Building (i.e. LG CNS, Samsung SDS, MOMAF); Best Practicefor Security Systems in Korea; and Korea's National
Information Policy. Early on, emphasis was put on the roleand determination of the Government to bridge the national
digital divide. Thus with the Government providing a clear

vision and a solid direction, Korea is now about to transcend
e-Government towards u-Government, and for the next leap
forward, “RFID/USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) System”.
This is the same track we in the Philippines are trying tofollow: an ICT which is government enabled, private sector
led, and market based.
In today's world where seemingly all information is just aclick away, the participants could not help but be concerned
about the issues of personal privacy, identity theft and safety.
But Korea seemes to have solved this with the use of
PKI/digital signature, which theoretically is fail-safe and can
not be copied. The participants were also introduced to great
advances in technology through study visits to the futuristic“Innovision”, a ride on a “Wireless Broadband Bus”, and to
the SOFT exposition, where the latest in technologicalgadgetry was on display.
The presentations of country reports have shown the
disparity of ICT advances among the participants. Some are
already way ahead, others are trying to catch-up with theleaders, while still others are just starting to jump-start theirs.
This is an inevitable reality due perhaps to differing
government policies on ICT, cultural differences, andeconomic status, but what is inspiring is that the Korean
Government has taken the initiative to bridge the gap
between the digital divide so that one day we may wake up
to a “u-World”!.
To have a respite from CDMA, RFID, B2C, etc. our hosttreated us to cultural and social tours. It was really aculturally enriching experience visiting the Cheong Wa Dae(Blue House) - the Presidential Residence, National Folk
Museum, Gyeongbokgung Palace, walking through the 3rd
Invasion Tunnel at the Demilitarized Zone, climbing up theSeoul Tower and its famous men's restroom, but what stole
the show is the hilarious NANTA performance! It was during
this time outside the confines of the lecture room where theatmosphere was less formal that the participants learned
more about each other, as a nation, its people, and its
cultural heritage.
On November 30, 2006 we had our graduation with noless than Mr. Yeongi Son, Ph.D., KADO President/CEO as the
Guest of Honor. The date was especially unforgettable for it
was also the first day this year that snow fell in Seoul.
On a personal note, I would like to express my gratitude
to our host KADO for giving me this opportunity to learn
new things about ICT and the Korean people as a whole. As
our guide put it, the Dorasan Train Station is not the last
station in the South but rather the first station towards North
Korea. So, to all my new friends, especially to Jihno and Ines,
our goodbyes will not be the last but rather the start of anew, lasting friendship!

Friends of WMU JAPAN

6To have social contacts with local people while you are
studying somewhere is important to everyone. Once
you come and join a society with a completely different
culture, surely you will encounter culture shock, and you haveto have a good attitude to harmonize your way. One way to do
this is getting in touch with the very original local people.
WMU is well aware of this and with the help of student
service officer Ms. Lyndell Lundahl, they provide the students
with many activities to aid this socialisation process. For
example, a city excursion after the students' arrival introduced
the university's vicinities that would be our neighborhood forthe next 22 months. More city excursions continued withfamiliarisation of the city library, sport centre and how to open
a bank account. Students adapted to the environment, andfinally life became easier.
Not only providing the students with public access, thestudent service officer also helps students to obtain a local hostfamily. There is much benefit to having one, and learning local
culture is one of them. We can learn the local language (forfree!!!), we can taste original recipes first hand, and so on.
Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to get a host familyright away, but finally got one about one month before myholiday. He is a young Swede (which makes me wonder why
he spends time hosting someone like me instead of hanging
around with his buddies), single and working for a local
company.
He invited me to have dinner at his apartment with special
Swedish food (he confessed that he himself wasn’t sure if it wasan original Swedish meal or not) and we hung out there from19.00 till 22.30 talking about many things. There were so many
topics discussed, from light to serious ones.
I’d like to thank the university, especially the student service
officer, for helping us students adapt to our second hometownand home. After eleven months, I can say that life in this second
hometown is not that hard, and hopefully, everybody will befine and survive till graduation day next October. It will be so
beautiful with all of this year’s students wearing graduation
clothes, receiving their Master’s award from the IMO Secretary
General at the Konserhuseet like previous students have.

Celebration of St. Martin's Eve
Yu Hongrong (China, 2007)& Ramon Lopez (Philippines, 2007)

D

uring our studies at WMU, we not only increase ourknowledge in maritime affairs, but also have a better
understanding about varieties of cultures and traditions,especially those of Sweden. Last November, we were very
fortunate to have an opportunity to join our Swedish host parents(Jonny & Anna, Leif & Ute) for a celebration of Saint Martin's Eveat the Ribersborg Restaurant inMalmö.
While waiting eagerly for the famous dinner of roasted goose,
we were delighted to hear the story on the origins of thistradition. We learned that St. Martin was a French bishop in the
4th century. According to legend, he was reluctant to become abishop and hid in a goose pen. Eventually he was betrayed by
the cackling of the geese. As revenge, St Martin killed one of thegeese and ate it for dinner. Since then, goose has become thetraditional food on Saint Martin's Eve (Nov.10). The celebration of
St. Martin's name day in November coincided with when thegeese were ready for killing. It was an important medieval
autumn feast and the custom spread to Sweden from France. This

Friends of WMU JAPAN

tradition is popular in southern Sweden, where we are now,
because geese are typical farm animals in the region.
We were interrupted by the sweet aroma of bowls and plates
successively served at our table. The dinner began with a bowl ofsweet and sour 'black soup,' prepared from goose blood andseasoned with a variety of spices. It was served with goose-liversausage, mashed potatoes and prunes. The main dish was theenchanting roasted goose stuffed with apples and prunes. It wascapped by an apple cake for dessert.
We are all grateful to our host parents for that memorable dinner.

7

2nd e-Government SI Course (Seoul, Korea 2006)

Life in Second Hometown
with Swedish Host Family

Jerry A Nibre(Philippines, 2003)

Mugen Suprihatin SARTOTO(Indonesia, 2007)

Mr. Jerry A Nibre (Philippines-MSEP 2003) with Mr. Yeongi Son,
Ph. D., KADO President/CEOH

aving been invited to attend the 2nd e-Government SI
Course under the Korea IT Learning (KoIL) Programof the Korean Agency for Digital Promotion andOpportunity (KADO) held in Seoul, Korea from November
22-30, 2006 with 18 other participants from 14 countries wasboth an intellectually and socially enriching experience.
The participants were warmly welcomed in a formal
ceremony by a delegation from KoIL/KADO, Federation of
Korean Information Industries, Korea IT Industry Promotion
Agency (KIPA), and other stakeholders from the ICT
industries, held at the Mayfield Hotel.
The course aims to provide practical examples of how toestablish a big scale system integration project. Through thiscourse, participants can obtain practical knowledge andexperience in Korean agencies that have performed many eGovernment projects, and can get some ideas of what to do
first and how to do it successfully in delivering eGovernment projects.
Lecturers from the government, academe, and thecorporate world took turns in imparting their expertise on
the subjects of: Korean e-Government, Problems andOpportunities; Case Studies for Korea's e-Government
Building (i.e. LG CNS, Samsung SDS, MOMAF); Best Practicefor Security Systems in Korea; and Korea's National
Information Policy. Early on, emphasis was put on the roleand determination of the Government to bridge the national
digital divide. Thus with the Government providing a clear

vision and a solid direction, Korea is now about to transcend
e-Government towards u-Government, and for the next leap
forward, “RFID/USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) System”.
This is the same track we in the Philippines are trying tofollow: an ICT which is government enabled, private sector
led, and market based.
In today's world where seemingly all information is just aclick away, the participants could not help but be concerned
about the issues of personal privacy, identity theft and safety.
But Korea seemes to have solved this with the use of
PKI/digital signature, which theoretically is fail-safe and can
not be copied. The participants were also introduced to great
advances in technology through study visits to the futuristic“Innovision”, a ride on a “Wireless Broadband Bus”, and to
the SOFT exposition, where the latest in technologicalgadgetry was on display.
The presentations of country reports have shown the
disparity of ICT advances among the participants. Some are
already way ahead, others are trying to catch-up with theleaders, while still others are just starting to jump-start theirs.
This is an inevitable reality due perhaps to differing
government policies on ICT, cultural differences, andeconomic status, but what is inspiring is that the Korean
Government has taken the initiative to bridge the gap
between the digital divide so that one day we may wake up
to a “u-World”!.
To have a respite from CDMA, RFID, B2C, etc. our hosttreated us to cultural and social tours. It was really aculturally enriching experience visiting the Cheong Wa Dae(Blue House) - the Presidential Residence, National Folk
Museum, Gyeongbokgung Palace, walking through the 3rd
Invasion Tunnel at the Demilitarized Zone, climbing up theSeoul Tower and its famous men's restroom, but what stole
the show is the hilarious NANTA performance! It was during
this time outside the confines of the lecture room where theatmosphere was less formal that the participants learned
more about each other, as a nation, its people, and its
cultural heritage.
On November 30, 2006 we had our graduation with noless than Mr. Yeongi Son, Ph.D., KADO President/CEO as the
Guest of Honor. The date was especially unforgettable for it
was also the first day this year that snow fell in Seoul.
On a personal note, I would like to express my gratitude
to our host KADO for giving me this opportunity to learn
new things about ICT and the Korean people as a whole. As
our guide put it, the Dorasan Train Station is not the last
station in the South but rather the first station towards North
Korea. So, to all my new friends, especially to Jihno and Ines,
our goodbyes will not be the last but rather the start of anew, lasting friendship!

Friends of WMU JAPAN

6To have social contacts with local people while you are
studying somewhere is important to everyone. Once
you come and join a society with a completely different
culture, surely you will encounter culture shock, and you haveto have a good attitude to harmonize your way. One way to do
this is getting in touch with the very original local people.
WMU is well aware of this and with the help of student
service officer Ms. Lyndell Lundahl, they provide the students
with many activities to aid this socialisation process. For
example, a city excursion after the students' arrival introduced
the university's vicinities that would be our neighborhood forthe next 22 months. More city excursions continued withfamiliarisation of the city library, sport centre and how to open
a bank account. Students adapted to the environment, andfinally life became easier.
Not only providing the students with public access, thestudent service officer also helps students to obtain a local hostfamily. There is much benefit to having one, and learning local
culture is one of them. We can learn the local language (forfree!!!), we can taste original recipes first hand, and so on.
Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to get a host familyright away, but finally got one about one month before myholiday. He is a young Swede (which makes me wonder why
he spends time hosting someone like me instead of hanging
around with his buddies), single and working for a local
company.
He invited me to have dinner at his apartment with special
Swedish food (he confessed that he himself wasn’t sure if it wasan original Swedish meal or not) and we hung out there from19.00 till 22.30 talking about many things. There were so many
topics discussed, from light to serious ones.
I’d like to thank the university, especially the student service
officer, for helping us students adapt to our second hometownand home. After eleven months, I can say that life in this second
hometown is not that hard, and hopefully, everybody will befine and survive till graduation day next October. It will be so
beautiful with all of this year’s students wearing graduation
clothes, receiving their Master’s award from the IMO Secretary
General at the Konserhuseet like previous students have.

Celebration of St. Martin's Eve
Yu Hongrong (China, 2007)& Ramon Lopez (Philippines, 2007)

D

uring our studies at WMU, we not only increase ourknowledge in maritime affairs, but also have a better
understanding about varieties of cultures and traditions,especially those of Sweden. Last November, we were very
fortunate to have an opportunity to join our Swedish host parents(Jonny & Anna, Leif & Ute) for a celebration of Saint Martin's Eveat the Ribersborg Restaurant inMalmö.
While waiting eagerly for the famous dinner of roasted goose,
we were delighted to hear the story on the origins of thistradition. We learned that St. Martin was a French bishop in the
4th century. According to legend, he was reluctant to become abishop and hid in a goose pen. Eventually he was betrayed by
the cackling of the geese. As revenge, St Martin killed one of thegeese and ate it for dinner. Since then, goose has become thetraditional food on Saint Martin's Eve (Nov.10). The celebration of
St. Martin's name day in November coincided with when thegeese were ready for killing. It was an important medieval
autumn feast and the custom spread to Sweden from France. This

Friends of WMU JAPAN

tradition is popular in southern Sweden, where we are now,
because geese are typical farm animals in the region.
We were interrupted by the sweet aroma of bowls and plates
successively served at our table. The dinner began with a bowl ofsweet and sour 'black soup,' prepared from goose blood andseasoned with a variety of spices. It was served with goose-liversausage, mashed potatoes and prunes. The main dish was theenchanting roasted goose stuffed with apples and prunes. It wascapped by an apple cake for dessert.
We are all grateful to our host parents for that memorable dinner.

7

Lithuanian WMU Alumni Meeting
On November 2006, a Lithuanian WMU alumni gathering took
place in Klaipeda, Lithuania. This was the fifth annual gatheringand it happily coincided with the arrival of a new alumna,
Karolis Kuzmarskis, after her graduation from WMU in October,2006. Eleven out of nineteen alumni participated in this event,with graduation dates ranging from 1994 to 2006. A good time
was had by all in a warm and friendly atmosphere, reminding usof our days at WMU.
Among many, four topics came to the fore during the gathering.
First, without exception, all agreed that all issues associated withstudent life have improved tangibly throughout the years at
WMU. The University has made great achievements in its
education curriculum, technological advancement, scientificresearch and the Henrik Smith hostel construction.
Second, it was noted by most that WMU has changed its
recruiting strategy to enroll students who are younger but
nevertheless both academically talented and well-rounded.
Third, there was a discussion concerning how their course
work prepared them for the workplace. “Experiential learning”,
namely field trips and visiting professors' lectures, were

Kovtunova Nadezda (2002)
Daujotas Andrius (2005)

Tarasevicius Robertas (1999)

mentioned by most as of great professional value, even thoughseveral felt that the curriculum in their respective majors could
have offered a more realistic expectation as to what they would
ultimately do as professionals.
Last, but not least, the WMU community portal got a clear
recognition from a significant component of the group as 2006’s
top event. It was agreed that the vast and supportive network ofalumni, academic and faculty staff has a high potential to enable
members to meet and greet each other virtually, while forming
valuable worldwide networking relationships and continuing thequest for excellence.

Rifanie Komara (Indonesia, 2007)
I would like to bring you the wonderful news
that during my winter break in Indonesia, mywife and I were blessed with a new 'juniormember' Sasakawa Fellow. It was a boy, 3.3kg,
50cm, born at 9:09 am on December 18, 2006.
We named him 'Athaya Razan' which means 'agift that is calm and firm'.
For this 2nd time, my wife did not have to suffer
too much as it took 'only' 7 hours since arriving
at the hospital until the baby was born (it needed
19 hours for our first baby). Fortunately, bothmother and baby were doing all right, and he wasborn naturally.
Our first daughter, Hanna Nashita, is about to18

http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/

MARCH

2007

Big Boss is “After Us ”
have her 2nd birthday next March. She is now
able to tell her own stories, but sometimes I need
my wife to translate all her words. Once, I asked
a Japanese Sasakawa Fellow (Mr. Matsui - MLP'07) about the meaning of 'Hanako' (abbreviatedfrom Hanna Nashita Komara) in Japanese and
now I know that it means 'female cow'.
Therefore, I am thinking of bringing her a 'cow'doll as a souvenir at the end of my studies.
As I am writing this letter, my wife has restarted
her practice as a dentist after having a leave of about
2 months. Meanwhile, I have some assignments toaccomplish, some exams to prepare for as well assome field studies to go through.

During a hectic schedule of business visits to a number of countries, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation(Chairman of the Friends of WMU, Japan), took time out to meet with WMU-related personnel and deepen relationships with them.
In addition to recent visits to Sri Lanka and Jakarta, he also visited Manila in the Philippines, where he received The Award of the
Coast Guard Legion of Honor. Visiting WMU in Malmö after a very long time, he was treated to a grand welcome by the students
there. We will report on news of his trip and other events.

Wisnu Handoko (Indonesia, 2007)
To all Friends of WMU, from Indonesia I would years old) is sitting close to me and my son
like to pass my New Year’s warm greetings. This “Zidan” (4 years old) near his mother “Erli”. Now,
picture was taken during my vacation after I have came back to Malmö for my second year
finishing my first year at WMU last December. It of study, and through this newsletter I would likewas wondeful to meet my lovely family after one to ask all of you, let’s establish a network in theyear apart from them. My daughter “Shaula” (5 future.

Editor’s Postscript

In 1997 I had the opportunity to engage in fun conversations with
one of my students, soon to be a dear friend, during his training at
the Marine Technical College in Japan. We also had the opportunity
to meet once again at WMU in 2000. The sad news came to me
from one of his classmates. In the classroom at WMU, I once told
him that because he was in his 30s, he was still young and could
do anything in the future. When he responded that in his country
the average life expectancy was in the 40s, I was startled by theseverity of this reality. Once again I am reminded of his words.

I heard from a number of sources how important a person he
was in his country. I also firmly believed that one day he would bea great educator. I deeply regret the loss of such a promising life.
It is important for us to use our remaining time in a very
meaningful way, I believe. And I think that I am not alone inholding this view.

Prof. Toshio Hikima

Marine Technical College

I

opened up my WMU web page as face. Shaking hands with him again gave
usual and found a wonderful mail me an immense pleasure, and it gave me
stating that Mr. Yohei Sasakawa would be the sense of belonging to the Sasakawa
visiting WMU and address all the Fellows, OPRF, and people like Mr.
Sasakawa Fellows on January 17, 2007. Sasakawa.
I cannot forget his words as he said,
This was an encouraging mail for me anda big New Year’s gift that the Big Boss is “The money which I spend on the“after us”. I mean, he has not forgotten us, Sasakawa Fellows is not a big deal. You
and whenever he gets the opportunity, he can pay me this money back just by
working hard and spreading the message
showers us with words of wisdom.
We all gathered in the WMU conference to all the countries you belong.”He also stressed the need for harmonyroom. After a few minutes, Mr. Sasakawa
entered with his ever humble and smiling and cordial relationships between

Sasakawa Fellows as well as humanity. He
also praised the President of WMU, Dr.
Karl Laubstein, for his untiring efforts
toward the growth and development of
WMU and bringing it to the EU
universities’ network.
It was a big day for me, and I hope to
see the Big Boss again. We all pray for hishealth, and we promise to spread his
vision when we go back to our countries.
Altaf-Ur Rehman(Pakistan, 2007)