78March
2022

WMU Graduation Ceremony 2021

On October 31, graduates from the Master of
Science in Maritime Affairs and PhD programs
participated in the Class of 2021 Graduation
Ceremony, which was held in Malmö, Sweden.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,
the ceremony was held without guests and waslive streamed for family, friends, and colleagues
who joined in the celebration. The Class of 2021
has received the education required for themto contribute to their countries with regard to
maritime and ocean matters, and more broadly,
to the implementation of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Overall, the 2021 WMU graduation ceremony
brought the total number of graduates to 5,634
from 171 countries.
In a pre-recorded address, HE Mr. Kitack
Lim—thefirst
International
Maritime
Organization (IMO) Secretary-General and
WMU Chancellor to hold a MSc degree fromthe WMU—thanked the City of Malmö andthe Government of Sweden for their continued
generosity and support in hosting the University,
as well as the many donors for their ongoingcommitment to the WMU mission and its
sustainability. He highlighted the strength of theinterdisciplinary studies offered at the WMU
that ensure graduates are well-rounded, informed,
intelligent individuals with a holistic approachto maritime and oceans issues. Addressing thegraduates directly, he said: “Together, you form amighty international network, and a great force forgood in the world. You are the next generation ofmaritime leaders. You have been equipped to workin the international maritime community, and its

success rests on your shoulders. Do not forget that
it will be our concerted efforts that will ensurethat our beautiful oceans are passed on to future
generations.”
WMU President, Dr. Cleopatra DoumbiaHenry, delivered welcome remarks. In addressing
the graduates, she highlighted that the MalmöClass of 2021 had completed their degrees wholly
during the time of COVID-19, saying: “You haverisen above the challenges and circumstances
faced during this pandemic. You have beenstrengthened by the education you have received
and have magnificently achieved what you haveset out to accomplish. Your studies will contributeto your strength of character and determination
over the decades to come.” She also emphasized
the important role that graduates will play inrebuilding after the pandemic through efforts
to build a cleaner, greener world with low andzero carbon emissions from ships and ports. She
added, “The oceans are a precious resource: makesure you do your best to protect them.” She also
called on the graduates to fight for a world withgreater gender equality, and to play their part inempowering women and girls.
The Guest of Honor was H.E. Dr. DanielSeong-Hyeok Moon, Minister of the Ministryof Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) of the Republicof Korea, and WMU Professor (currently taking
a leave of absence). In a pre-recorded address,
he stated that graduating from WMU is a great
achievement under normal circumstances, and an
even greater achievement during the pandemic. He
encouraged the graduates to be lifelong learners
and to strive to be good leaders. He highlighted

the diversity and strength of the WMU, saying:“WMU is a place where talented people fromall over the world gather and become friends.
Through those friendships, they contribute to theharmony of the world and human prosperity. One
person alone cannot change the world. However,
if we all try to understand each other without
prejudice and build friendships, we will be able towisely overcome the crises faced by mankind andcontribute to the common prosperity.”
Ms. Carina Nilsson, Chairperson of the MalmöCity Council and Mayor of Malmö, addressed thegraduates, saying: “The pandemic taught us thatthe world can shift very quickly, but also that weare also very adaptable.” The Mayor stated that theCity of Malmö is proud to host the University,
which is the only United Nations affiliatedinstitution in Sweden. She emphasized that both
the City of Malmö and the WMU are committed
to the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals and share exceptionally international
profiles, with Malmö having residents from over
180 countries and the WMU having graduatesfrom 171 countries. She expressed the hope thatthe graduates had enjoyed their time in Sweden

Continued on next pageand would be good ambassadors for Malmö on
their return to their home countries. She wishedthem well, saying: “Today this part of your journey
is coming to an end. You are about to start yournext chapter in life with the whole world as yourpotential workplace.”
Mr. Daniel John Joseph Arulanthu (India),
President of the Student Council 2020-2021,
made remarks on behalf of the Class of 2021.
He thanked the City of Malmö, donors, WMU
faculty and staff, and family and friends for theirsupport. He said: “Donors from around theworld have made a significant difference in the
lives of students from around the world. Thankyou for the priceless opportunity to study in aworld class institution dedicated to improving
maritime industries’ capacity, and to become
future maritime leaders. We are honored to bepart of such a unique entity. We will work hard tomaintain our network of friendships, regardlessof where we are physically located.”Awards Presented to Sasakawa Fellows during
the Ceremony
Regarding annual student awards, the C P
Srivastava Award for International Fellowship wasawarded to Ms. Laura Noelia Sanchez (Argentina)
and Mr. Aymen Abdaoui (Tunisia) received the
Schlüter Foundation Dissertation Prize for an
outstanding dissertation in the field of Shippingand Marine Environmental Protection. Recipientsof the Kalmar Prizes, awarded by Kalmar Global tostudents who are recognized as leaders among theirpeers, included Ms. Sedigheh Zarei (Iran) and Ms.
Sanchez.

Schlüter Foundation
Dissertation PrizeFirst things first, receiving this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to attend the World Maritime University
was a dream for me, and I’ll always be grateful to
the Sasakawa Peace Foundation for making it cometrue. The graduation ceremony was one of the mostmemorable moments of my life, the culmination of along journey of hard work, sacrifice, and determination.
I was extremely excited that not only were my efforts
finally bearing fruit and I was able to graduate with a
Master’s Degree in Maritime Energy Management, butalso that my name had been announced as the winnerof the Schlüter Foundation Dissertation Prize for an

C. P. Srivastava Award forInternational Fellowship
I am an officer in the Argentine Coastguard andhave been Sasakawa Fellow since 2020. SPF supported
me and the 30 other Fellows of the Class of 2021 during
the long 14 months of hard work we spent in Malmo,
Sweden, to finally achieve a Master of Science inMaritime Affairs—in my case specifically, in Maritime
Safety and Environmental Administration (MSEA).
At the beginning of the program, when I was
selected by my colleagues as the MSEA representative,
I could not imagine the wonderful moments andrecognition that were to come. I finally finished theprogram and received the C. P. Srivastava Award for

Kalmar Prize
God always surprises me with his never-ending
blessings. I was selected by SPF to be a student at
WMU, providing me the unique opportunity to not
only expand my knowledge, but also to find a new
family with members from all over the world. Throughliving together in the HSR, we became close friends,
creating a situation where we supported each other likefamily. However, I also received much support from mypeers, all of whom were role models for me in my life
in Malmö. One day, I received an e-mail informing methat I had been selected to receive the Kalmar Prize for

Maia Brindley Nilsson

Communications and Conferences Officer,
World Maritime University

Aymen Abdaoui(Tunisia, 2021)

Mission Accomplished

Outstanding Dissertation in the Field of Shipping andMarine Environmental Protection.
This prize is awarded for the purpose of promoting
science and research to improve sustainability in the areaof maritime shipping by taking into account innovative
solutions and approaches. No words can adequately
describe how I felt while standing up on the stage
receiving this honored award from the President of the
WMU. I do remember being surprised and delighted,
however. At that moment, just one thought crossed mymind: “This is clearly one of the most significant eventsof my professional career.”
Laura Noelia Sanchez(Argentina, 2021)

Learning about International Fellowshipin the Sasakawa FamilyInternational Fellowship at the graduation ceremony.
This award is given to students who have demonstrated
outstanding skills in friendship and understandingin an international environment. At the moment of
the announcement, I was totally surprised, not justbecause I was not expecting it, but also because of theeffusive reaction and support of my colleagues andfriends. The audience cheered and clapped, and every
step taken to reach this scene was full of emotion. I am
still feeling honored because I believe that recognition
and appreciation for being a kind human in thesetumultuous times is a gift.
Sedigheh Zarei(Iran, 2021)

Blessings of Many Forms

being a role model to the other members of my classthroughout my enrollment. It was my honor to receive
this prize from Kalmar Global’s Training Manager, Mr.
Eliasson, who gave a presentation about Kalmar Globalthat made us more familiar with this tremendous
company. I am grateful to all the people who selected
me. I hope God will help me to be a role model for
Iranian women who wish to work in the maritime
industry. Thank you again, Dr. Sasakawa, SPF, WMU,
and Kalmar Global for the great moments that you havecreated in my life.
2

Averting, Minimizing, and Addressing Disaster Displacement

The Platform on Disaster
Displacement Secretariat
Many of you no doubt follow the negotiations at
the annual United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP). The attention directed towards specific issues over recent years is welcome; the “Pacific
COP” under the Fijian Presidency (COP23) highlighted the challenges faced by Pacific States, while
the Chilean Presidency labeled COP25 the “BlueCOP” to draw attention to the impact of climate
Image provided by the Platform on Disaster Displacementchange on the oceans. Of particular relevance tothe work of the Platform on Disaster Displacement pare for human mobility across borders, and it was Work is also ongoing in two projects in the Pacif(PDD), COP26 was “the first COP in the era of at the 2013 consultation that the Hon. Henry Puna, ic region. The first, the Pacific Response to Disasterloss and damage from climate change”, according the then Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, de- Displacement (PRDD), aims to support regional
to Dr Saleemul Huq of the International Centre for clared that “to fail to plan, is to plan to fail”.
and national efforts to reduce the risk and impact
Climate Change and Development, Bangladesh.
of disaster displacement, and strengthen response
Within the negotiations, displacement has been The PDD supports States, as well as other stake- capacity in Pacific island countries. It fosters this
discussed under both adaptation and loss and dam- holders, to effectively plan for displacement, to be- by means of improving data collection and analysis,age, but it is a fact of life that many states in Asia come better prepared to protect disaster displaced risk modeling, policy relevant research, and tools
and the Pacific are already dealing with, often with persons and to manage disaster displacement risk in and training to build capacity at the regional andthe support of the PDD.
the country of origin. It does this through promot- national levels.
ing enhanced cooperation, coordination and action
The PDD is a State-led initiative working to- at the national, regional and international levels, The Pacific Climate Change Migration and Huwards better protection for people displaced across across a broad range of policy and action areas. man Security (PCCMHS) Programme is designed
borders in the context of disasters and climate These include humanitarian assistance and protec- to support communities adversely affected by clichange. It aims to further efforts to implement the tion, human rights, migration management, refugee mate change and disasters in the Pacific region.
recommendations within the Protection Agenda of protection, disaster risk reduction, climate change It aims to do so through local training and skills
the Nansen Initiative, the predecessor of the PDD. mitigation and adaptation, and development.
development, as well by increasing the capacity of
government and non-government stakeholders to
The Steering Group is the governing body of Through partnerships and the sharing of knowl- promote mobility that is safe, regular, and incluthe PDD, and comprises 17 States and the Euro- edge and effective practices, the PDD pursues its sive. The Programme is also supporting the develpean Union. It is complemented by an Advisory objective of enhancing protection for displaced opment of a regional framework response to cliCommittee, which gathers individuals and rep- people. To this end, the PDD has recently launched mate change-related displacement, migration, andresentatives of international and regional orga- a joint project with the Norwegian Agency for planned relocation, which may stand as an example
nizations, research institutions, academia, private Development Cooperation which focuses on im- to other regions dealing with similar challenges.
sector, non-governmental organizations and oth- proving knowledge of displacement as loss ander civil society stakeholders to support the PDD damage, and intensifying action and support for Scientists warn that climate change is projectthrough technical advice and assistance. In addi- averting, minimizing, and addressing it. The work ed to increase displacement in the future, bothtion, the PDD also includes a Group of Friends, an will be carried out in five countries in different re- internally and across borders. This implies that
open-ended group of interested States and regional gions, over three years, in close collaboration with loss and damage are set to become an even moreorganizations that are supportive of the objective of PDD partners. They will contribute their expertise critical element of climate change negotiations the PDD.
in areas such as preparedness, risk assessment, policy especially considering its importance for the upcoherence and financing, to complement the grow- coming Presidencies of Egypt (COP27) and the
The PDD has a history of engagement with issues ing understanding of and responses to displacement UAE (COP28). However, it is key to ensure thatthat affect communities at risk from the adverse im- and loss and damage.
climate action complements action in other areas
pacts of climate change, who understand the imporand sectors; disaster displacement is an issue thattance of the marine environment and the influencecuts across climate change, humanitarian, develit has on lives and livelihoods. This engagement
opment, disaster risk reduction and other policy
stretches back to the earliest days of the Nansen
domains. The strength of the PDD is in building
Initiative, when the Pacific Regional Consultationstrong partnerships between policymakers, practiin the Cook Islands (May 2013) began the processtioners and researchers across these different disthat would lead to the development of recommenciplines, and providing a multi-stakeholder forum
dations on how to avert, minimize and address disfor dialogue, information sharing as well as policy
placement; the adoption of the Nansen Initiativeand normative development. If you are interested
Protection Agenda; and the subsequent formationin learning more, please contact the PDD Secreof the PDD. Currently under the Chairmanship oftariat at info@disasterdisplacement.com, or visit
Fiji, the PDD continues to support States to pre- Image provided by the Platform on Disaster Displacement https://disasterdisplacement.org/.
3

Windship Introduces
the Airliners of the Seas

Mr. Nick Savvides
News Editor
The Loadstar

In 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) released its Fourth Greenhouse Gas (GHG) study, based on datacollected in 2018. It showed that emissions
including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, known as CO2e, increased from977 million tonnes in 2012 to 1,076 million
tonnes in 2018, an increase of 9.6%.
It is now critical that emissions from industry, including the maritime sector, show rapid
and sustained declines. It is for this reason
that Windship, headed by six key industry
figures from the maritime and yachting worldcame together to design a zero-emission ship.
Chairman Robert Elliot has a banking background; Guy Walker is a director at Windshipand the current CEO at Star Marine; Lars
Carlsson, formerly Concordia Maritime’s
CEO, has ten years-experience at the American Bureau of Shipping; and significantly,
award-winning sail and cruise yacht designer
Simon Rogers, who led the development of
the vessel design.
Windship believes that its ship design offers hope that reductions in deep-sea shipping
can be met. IMO’s GHG study showed thataround 86% of maritime emissions came fromdeep-sea tankers, bulkers, and container ships.
By targeting these larger ships, particularly
tankers and bulkers, Windship has potentially developed a vessel that operates with thesame costs as a conventional ship, but with
the introduction of carbon pricing, it has thepotential to cut millions of dollars from fuelbills as well as substantially reduce GHGs for
retrofits, and down to zero for new ships.
Critical to the design of Windship are themaritime adaptations of existing technology,
the most obvious of which includes the trifoil sail rigs which bear more than a passing

Image: Windship

resemblance to vertically mounted aircraft
wings, three to a mast, complete with trailingedge flaps, with the wing design optimisingwind energy to provide a major power source.
The tri-foil rigs are computer controlled for
optimum thrust and generate significant levels of energy, even at oblique wind angles. The
rigs are designed in 36m and 48m sets with a
60m design under way. The rigs sit on top of asteel cruciform base attached to a slew bearing
on the main deck, allowing the whole rig toorientate to the required wind direction.
The tri-foil sails are patented technology.
“The rigs provide the highest power densityof [any] current wind technologies,” claimed
Windship. They added, “The performance ofthe Windship Rigs has been developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by
Cape Horn Engineering, and independently
verified by the University of Southampton’s
Wolfson unit. The rig [design] has been windtunnel tested,” for verification of the design.
The Norwegian classification society DNVissued its Approval in Principle for Windshipin August last year, following extensive analysis of the design, with DNV privately admitting that it is very positive about the overall
vessel configuration.
Aiding the wind power will be route-planning technology that will rapidly calculate
the quickest and most environmentally favourable route for a vessel, depending on
wind, currents, and weather extremes such as
storms.
Windship reveals that “the effect of theserigs on the ship has been modelled via CFD
analysis which shows that three 36m rigs installed on a 74,000dwt ship would sail, withno engine required, at 12 knots with typicalSouthern Ocean wind strengths.”
As wind can be capricious in its nature, each
vessel will need back-up power. The Windship design comes with a diesel electric system with top-up energy from solar panels anda carbon capture and a storage (CCS) systemdeveloped by Calix in Australia.

Image diagram: Carbon Capture Storage technologies on board

4

Calix’s Recast CCS requires the development of a circular carbon economy using a
calciner to heat limestone, a material used in
the production process of cement. The limestone, or calcium carbonate, is broken downby the heat process into calcium oxide which
can be used in the exhaust gas of Windship’s
diesel electric system, collecting GHG’s andreturning the calcium oxide to its original
calcium carbonate.
Recast designer Brian Sweeney said, “Thedevelopment process has already begun inAustralia with a 2MW diesel test genset
currently under construction.” He added,“We will soon begin building a full-scale cement plant, with zero emissions which will
be ready by 2025.”
According to Mr. Sweeney, shipping does
not have a good alternative for deep-sea vessels, but the Recast system combined withsail and solar energy will deliver a propulsion system that will cut carbon emissions tozero, with comparable operational costs to aconventional vessel.
Designer Simon Rogers, who began his
career as a racing yacht engineer, said, “Overtypical transoceanic trade routes (Windshiptested three major routes) the WindshipTechnology system saves two-thirds of thefuel used and hence, costs, whilst emitting
zero CO2.”
Mr. Rogers’ Windship design includes aseries of innovations, but one appealing factor is its comparative simplicity with propulsion delivered through a single shaft using
a direct electrical drive. Electrical energy isprovided by four 2MW gensets mounted
on flatrack rails, allowing the gensets to beeasily overhauled or replaced through a sidepanel in the hull.
Additionally, gensets can be set to operate
at an optimum load and used as and whenneeded, meaning one to four gensets can be
operational depending on energy demand,increasing fuel savings and further cutting
emissions.
Another innovation is the waste heat recovery system which uses heat from the exhaust, which reaches 350˚C to create steam,driving a turbine to generate more energy.
The CCS system will add to the waste heatwith the calcium oxide reaction boosting theheat in the exhaust to 500˚C, offering substantial power generation for the ship.
According to Mr. Sweeney, the Windship,over a standard voyage, derives one-third ofits motive power via sails, one-sixth fromsolar energy, one-sixth from CCS, and one-

third from electricity generated through thediesel electric system.
That means a Windship Kamsarmax willburn only eight tonnes of fuel a day compared to the 20 tonnes for a comparable
conventional vessel design.
CCS operations require four tonnes of calcium oxide per tonne of fuel and the system
captures three tonnes of carbon dioxide in
the process. However, expelling calcium oxide into the ocean can capture 1.3 tonnes of
CO2 from the atmosphere per tonne of calcium oxide, according to Mr. Rogers, which
would make the system carbon negative.
“The question is, how much calcium oxide
do you want to go into exhaust dosing? You
capture more carbon by putting it into theocean, [and it is environmentally benign]
but you get less energy from the heat recovery system,” explained Mr. Rogers.
Capital expenditure for a Windship vessel
will be around $6-8m more than a standard
Kamsarmax, but projected savings with theintroduction of carbon trading at $75/tonne
are more than $2m a year, with eight tonnesof fuel consumed daily, fully loaded, andsix tonnes/day in ballast depending on theroutes operated. However, again, this is inline with conventional ships.
Overall, the return on the extra investment
costs would be repaid within three years according to Windship calculations, without
an industry-wide carbon levy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rogers explained, “In aretrofit situation there will be a large twostroke engine, whose specific fuel consumption will increase as power requirements
drop.”As a result, any retrofitted vessel will notbenefit from the diesel electric and CCS
element of the Windship design, but will
nevertheless reduce a vessel’s fuel consumption considerably with a significant return on
investment at current fuel prices. The returnis dependent on the trading patterns of each
vessel, but it is expected to reduce fuel consumption by more than 30%.
Windships, of course, are a modern designof old technology. In the 1970s, the Japan
Marine Machinery Development Association commissioned research into sail-assisted
ships which led to the development in 1980of the tanker Shin Aitoku Maru, built by Japan’s Nippon Kokan shipyard, which sported
computer-controlled sails.
The Shin Aitoku Maru successfully cut
10% of the vessel’s fuel consumption, thereby also reducing the ship’s carbon emissions.
While this is only a fraction of the fuel andemission savings of the Windship design, theShin Aitoku Maru was an early indication ofwhat the modernisation of sail technology
could achieve.
Like Nippon Kokan before him, Simon
Rogers believes that the timing for theWindship design is perfect with the market conditions, political understanding, andtechnological requirements all becomingaligned at the right moment.
“With newbuild shipping we can unlock
the full potential of the rigs. The amount offuel and emission savings will depend on thevessel route and the amount of solar installed,
but savings of 70% over an existing ship canbe expected.”

Official sea trial of MV Shin Aitoku Maru August,1980
Image provided by THE AITOKU CO.,LTD.

5

Updates fromThe Serious Problems of the Cargo Container Shortage
and Shipping Tonnages (Space)

Supakorn Pattarawichean(Thailand, 2001)

Thailand is one of the world’s export countries
suffering from dramatic increase in freight.
For this reason, Mr. Chaicharn Charoensuk,
Chairman of the Thai National Shippers’
Council (TNSC), presented and discussed theserious problems of the cargo container shortage
and shipping tonnages at a seminar conductedat the United Nations Conference on Trade andDevelopment.
These problems have been caused by
COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, resulting
in: decreased labor and port efficiency inmany countries and temporary closures ofmanufacturing facilities; Chinese exports
recovering and US and EU demand increasing;Suez Canal issues and disruptions to operationsat several major ports; and limitations on
container production and data links between
stakeholders. These lead to the current issues of:port congestion and longer transit times between
ports, ships being delayed beyond deadlines,
and scarcity of containers and ships from fierce
increases in freight rates.
The impact on international trade in Asia
is clear. For example, the waiting period forcargo to be loaded onto mother ships at ports
has grown longer and longer, and longer freighttimes create the risk of raw material shortages
in the global value chain. Longer transportation
times lead to longer payment periods undercertain trading terms and conditions, causing
cash flow problems for exporters. Schedule
delays caused by container shortages andmanagement of logistics-related activities cause
conflicts among domestic stakeholders such as
shipping carriers, ship agents, dock operators,
and trucking companies. Container stacks, etc.,
accumulate in warehouses, increasing inventory
costs due to the large quantities of finishedproduct stocks. Exporters have higher costs, butcannot raise prices because consumer purchasing
power has not yet recovered.
In conjunction with the Asian Shippers
Alliance (ASA)—which comprises the export
councils of allied nations in Asia—the TNSC
outlined recommendations to the international
community to expedite solutions. Firstly, raising
standards to reflect the role of exporters, who are
currently growing rapidly in number but remain

Singapore Container Port by Kimon Berlin
CC BY-SA 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kimon/12848714813

urgent consideration and resolution of common
issues among member nations.
Secondly, trade competition regulators ineach country need to prioritize and expedite thedevelopment of competition control mechanisms
and rate determination and service charges
related to maritime transportation. They should
define or make legal recommendations forestablishing a clear pricing policy for transportand logistics providers. This is important toensure the credibility of the pricing policy, as wellas to help maximize the effectiveness of solutions
to today’s problems, including creating a platform
for stakeholders to discuss common solutions
before enforcing the law.
Thirdly, many governments also have theidea of setting up shipping lines in order topromote policies for reducing transportation
costs. However, we need to take into accountthe fiercely competitive conditions for shippinglines, focusing on building comprehensive service
routes and linking major and secondary ports
and trade routes around the world, with the aimof enabling economies to reduce costs related tocargo size, which is a barrier for smaller vessels
with limited capital to invest in order to meetrequirements.
Fourthly, the long-term situation of themaritime shipping market, which may stagnate
again in the future, could lead to unsuccessful
investments, causing national debt. Fifthly, eachSeminar participants commented that firstly, country should carefully enhance its management
container shortages and rising freight rates of daily in-and-out container information systems
continued to hinder international trade and in order to increase efficiency in addressing theaffect all sectors throughout the global supply shortage of containers. And finally, each country
chain, including importers and exporters, agents must accelerate development of the Nationalof the contractors transporting goods along Digital Trade Platform and regional digitalshipping lines, and related logistics providers trade platforms, as well as digital systems in theirsuch as warehouses. These players should, domestic commercial industry.
therefore, push discussions to the global stage forconstrained by logistics costs and domestic costs(local charges), as well as shortages in facilities
that support the efficiency of international
shipping vessels. Secondly, pushing andcooperating with government agencies andinternational organizations governing tradecompetition to monitor the provision ofmaritime freight services in accordance withfair trade competition supervision. Thirdly,
promoting cooperation between the Exporters’Councils in each country such as exchanging
information about the availability and quantityof containers, and best practices in each country;
and applying these in member countries.

6Sasakawa Fellows

My Contributions to the Prevention and Control Efforts ofMarine Litter in Nigerian Seaports
Roland Ijabiyi (Nigeria, 2019)

enforcement of regulations, and execution ofmarine clean-up projects.
I am privileged to have built a successfulcareer in port environmental management withover 20 years of experience working with the
Nigerian Ports Authority as a Senior Manager for
Pollution Control. Recently, I acquired a Master’s
Degree in Ocean Sustainability, Governance,and Management from WMU, which was madepossible by generous funding from SPF. My
WMU experience has equipped me with the
At the Environmental Laboratory of the Nigerian
tools and the voice needed to make contributions
Ports Authority
towards MPL control in Nigeria.
As part of my duties, I supervise the provision
The challenge of marine litter has become
a global menace, costing billions of dollars in of port reception facilities for the management oflosses annually. Particularly problematic is marine ship waste in our seaports, following the Reduce,
plastic litter (MPL), an inexpensive, persistent, Reuse, Recycle principle. I also oversee Port Stateand non-biodegradable material. According to Control functions to ensure ships’ compliance with
the International Union for Conservation of the MARPOL 73/78 Convention and London
Nature, plastic pollution constitutes 80% of all Convention & Protocol. These regulations havemarine litter. Scientists have also warned that if helped to significantly reduce pollution in ourleft uncontrolled, the volume of plastics in our ports and coastal waters.
At the regional level, I am a member of theoceans will outweigh the fish by the year 2050.
Nigeria is no exception in this global MPL Marine Security and Environment Protection
crisis. Our waterways and coastal areas are reeling Operations Sub-committee of the Port
from the pressure of plastic pollution. Efforts Management Association of West and Central
have been made at different levels of government Africa, which develops technical solutions toto control this through measures such as public the challenges faced by seaports in the region,
sensitization to reducing single-use plastics, including solutions to MPL.

Recently, I was appointed to the Glolitter
National Task Force for Nigeria. The Glolitter
Partnerships Project is a joint initiative by theGovernment of Norway, IMO, and FAO to support
developing countries in tackling MPL within theirmarine transport and fishing industries.
Plastic pollution in the Nigerian marine
environment is an issue of national concern,
particularly considering the resultant economic
losses and the impact on ecosystem goods andservices. I am honored to be playing a role intackling this challenge, both in my capacity as
an environmentalist and as a member of theprestigious WMU Sasakawa Fellowship.

Shaking hands with IMO Secretary General,
Mr. Kitack Lim

Gathering Fellows’ Letters for Dr. Sasakawa.
Yutaka Emi (Japan, 2007)

Here, I would like to share with you a story ofan experience last year. On 13 December 2021, sixJapanese Sasakawa Fellows and I had the fortunatechance to meet with Dr. Sasakawa, during which
we handed him a set of letters written by many
Japanese Fellows. You see, prior to this visit, I had
asked all the Japanese Fellows to fill out a form withthe following information: name, position, andcareer after graduating from WMU. At the bottomof each page was a short and personal message
addressed to Dr. Sasakawa. Lastly, I requested thatthey also include a photo of themselves on theform. Then, I waited to hear back.
To my great luck, I ended up receiving 22 forms.
During our meeting with Dr. Sasakawa, he looked
through each and every one of those letters, digging
into them eagerly. Even though all the Fellows who
wrote in weren’t able to participate in the meeting,they still had the chance to “tell” him how theirlives had changed thanks to his generosity.
Something else happened that I also appreciatedvery much. During this process of gathering letters,a friend whom I haven’t been in contact with fora long time reached out to me, even though she
had kept some distance from our Fellows’ activities
since leaving her employment. If you were able
to reach out to your friend after a long silence,
wouldn’t you feel happy? I certainly was!
7

Announcing OPRI’s New Twitter AccountIn the pursuit of becoming more social media savvy, the Ocean

Policy Research Institute (OPRI) at SPF recently started a Twitter

account. All OPRI-related news, events, and publications will be
tweeted here. Though much of the content will be in Japanese, expect
English updates as well – maybe even related to the Sasakawa Fellows!
Please follow @OPRI_SPF if interested.

Correction and Apology Regarding Issue #77

The name of a Sasakawa Fellowship student was incorrectly printed on their resolution in the previous issue (December, “New Members of
WMU Sasakawa Fellowship, Class of 2022”, page 2). “Raga Dicklies PURWANTO” should be the correctly listed name. The Friends of WMU,
Japan Secretariat regrets the error and would like to apologize to Mr. Purwanto for this oversight.

According to “Our World in Data,” as of February 1, 2022, the 7-day
average of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 3 million per day. 2 years
have passed since the World Health Organization declared a Public
Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020.
However, it hasn’t been all a long and dark tunnel; we glimpsed brighter signs as well. As the saying goes, “There is no night without dawn,”
and the morning will surely come. However, that morning is the morning of a new world.
The Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) is implementing a hybrid learning approach, which incorporates
new online classes in training ship exercises to provide more effective
trainings. In order to prevent the spread of infections, overnight voyages were cancelled and replaced with day trips. As a result, the period
which would be dedicated to group work prior to the ship training
became shorter, and students were able to watch training materials beforehand. In addition, students also watched videos of a real training

taking place on board the ships, and were tested on their knowledge
and skills. As it turns out, these students who had watched these materials ahead of time achieved higher average scores than those before
the COVID-19 pandemic, in all categories they were being evaluated for. Furthermore, their average rates of success improved by 6.0%.
Even after the pandemic is over, we would like to conduct even more
effective trainings through hybrid learning and make best use of such
online resources for trainings on training ships.
This is just one small example from the field of maritime educationand training, but I am sure that novel, improved methods are emerging
in places all over the world. And it is you who will play a leading rolein this. Yes, WMU is the platform for you to create a new world of“connections” where we can care for and learn from each other.
As of this issue, I, Kunieda, will be stepping down as head of the
Friends of WMU, Japan Newsletter’s Editing Committee. I would liketo wish you all continued success in your future endeavors.

Dr. Yoshiaki Kunieda
Tokyo University of Marine
Science and Technology

Scenes from a training on board a training ship
(Top: inside the bridge, Left: forward, Right: ECDIS screen)This newsletter is published under a grant from The Nippon Foundation

to promote communication among the Sasakawa Fellows of WMU (World Maritime University)and edited by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in cooperation with Dr. Yoshiaki Kunieda
Ms. Maki Tominaga, Ms. Marika Nishimuro, Mr. Eisuke Kudo and Ms. Sue Jackson.
Friends of WMU, Japan Secretariat, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation
The Sasakawa Peace Foudation Bldg., 1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8524 Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-5157-5263 Fax: +81-(0)3-5157-5230 URL: http://www.spf.org/en/