A Personal Chat with Mr. Sasakawa

Altan-Od Bazarragchaa(Mongolia, 2006)

I am the only Mongolian who has been awarded a Sasakawa
Fellowship from The Nippon Foundation, and I will always be
grateful to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and The Nippon Foundation forgiving me the opportunity to study at WMU, in Malmö, Sweden.
Therefore, every time there is an opportunity, I am eager to express
my gratitude to him as I’ve done before.
It just so happened that the regional meeting of WHO was heldfrom August 21-24 at the Chinggis Khan Hotel in Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia, and Mr. Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation,and some of his staff were invited to attend this meeting. Thanks to

the “Friends of WMU, Japan” Secretariat's kindness, an appointment
with Mr. Sasakawa was arranged during his busy schedule, and I had
the opportunity to meet him briefly after his meeting on the 21st.
Despite the short time of our meeting, it was extremely nice andwarm to talk to him and his staff, and after I expressed my personal
appreciation again, we took some photos together. I don't know why I
never got good photos with him before, but this time I did for sure. Mr.
Sasakawa kindly said that if there were any courses or meetings on
maritime issues taking place in the future, he would ask Mr. Kudo to
invite me to those, which would be very helpful for my work.
On the way out of the hotel, near the entrance, we met again, but
this time I was holding my daughter, and he asked her about sumo
and Japanese cartoons, whether she watches them or not. Unfortunately,
she answered “no”.
I hope this is not the last time we meet, and if I have thisopportunity again, I will definitely express my gratitude again.
Knowing how effective and beneficial the Sasakawa Fellowshipfrom The Nippon Foundation has been, I wish for my colleagues to beawarded it as well.

Rendezvous with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa - a pleasant recountAnantha Prasad N.S.
(India, 1997)

It was a pleasant surprise to hear during the second week ofOctober that Mr. Yohei Sasakawa would be visiting Mumbai andwould be pleased to meet the Sasakawa Fellows at an informal
meeting.
I was happy firstly because it was the first time ever that Sasakawa
Fellows in India got an opportunity to meet Mr. Sasakawa. Secondly,
it was good that this happened at Mumbai, where I live. India is a
big country, and it takes hours to fly places; therefore, meeting him
in Mumbai was welcome - it was an opportunity which came six
years since we last met at a Tokyo get-together in 2001.

It was a pleasant meeting on the 12th of October at Hotel Taj. It
was also very pleasant to meet Mr. Tatsuya Tanami, Mr. Sakae Saito,
Mr. Yoshihiko Yamada, Ms. Natsuko Tominaga, and Ms. Yoko
Yokouchi, all from The Nippon Foundation. Mr. Sasakawa told methat he enjoyed very much meeting the students of WMU wherever
he went. It is a good way of keeping in touch and knowing that
WMU students are present in many fields. The time spent is always
valuable - one gets to know about a country first hand, and it is thebest way to find out what is happening. Mr. Sasakawa spoke about
the initiative taken regarding maritime security measures in the
Malacca Straits. He also enquired about maritime development ingeneral in India, which is now progressing at a great pace. I briefed
Mr. Sasakawa about my activities.
I enjoyed the free atmosphere in which we met, and it was nice tohear about Mr. Sasakawa's experience meeting WMU students in
Mongolia, which happens to be far away from maritime activities. It
only goes to show how widespread the Sasakawa-WMU Fellows'
network is. At the end of the meeting, we said we looked forward
to the future possibility of meeting all Sasakawa Fellows in India.

“To Have and To Hold”

DECEMBER

Autumn has again come to Tokyo. Tree leaves have colored - theylook so beautiful and contrast nicely with the clear blue sky. Even inthis busy city which is changing at every moment, autumn always
follows summer as it has done for thousands of years. Many thingschange, but we know there exist things which last forever. Attending
the editors' meetings, I have found this newsletter was born of andis the passion of people who have been challenging global

2007

Ref lections
Introduction

In the so-called 'golden years' of our retirement there is time to ponder
life's purpose, to reflect on what has been served up to us and to recall
our responses to various challenges.
For my part I have, I believe, been extremely fortunate - by 'being in
the right place at the right time' - to have had the opportunity to be
involved in the early development of two outstanding maritime institutionsof higher education: the Australian Maritime College (AMC) and the World
Maritime University (WMU).
Having just received a copy of the WMU Academic Handbook for the'entry 2008 class' one cannot fail to be impressed by the extent ofdevelopment in recent years. Academic development, in particular, isimpressive because it is never easy for a small specialist institution such as
WMU to gain recognition by established universities.
It is to this aspect that my reflections in this article are mainly directed.

Edward Sylvester Mabula(Tanzania, 2003)

The Concept

During the early 1980's the then Secretary-General of IMO, Mr C. P.
Srivastava, was increasingly concerned that the developing countries musthave the necessary maritime expertise to regulate, administer and manage
their emerging shipping industries safely and effectively. I well remember
him outlining his concept and vision of a global training institution toGunther Zade (to become WMU's Vice Rector but sadly no longer withus) and me over lunch at the Belgian Club in London.
His foresight was complemented by his initiative and tireless energy ineliciting the support of member countries, organisations and individuals.
And in 1983, with the generous provision of facilities by the Governmentof Sweden and City of Malmö, his vision became a reality.

It started like a fishing expedition, with blind dates romantically turning into wildest dreams. As
expected, it ended up with a grand reception held at the Aga Khan Diamond Jubilee Hall in
Upanga, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. This is how I got married to the former Miss Jessica Tumaini
Missana on the 12th of May, 2007. The event was well attended, with Mama Salma Kikwete,
Tanzania's First Lady, gracing the occasion.
We have just welcomed our first baby together on the 25th of July, 2007. His name is Edward
Junior (Jr.) Mabula. He is so lovely.

Editor’s Postscript21

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

communications in the maritime field for a long time. In sincere
appreciation, I wish for the expansion and prosperity of the newsletter.
Autumn has also brought the harvest, and so we enjoy special
autumn dishes in traditional Japanese recipes, all the while worrying
a little about our weight.

Establishment & Development

Ms.YAKABE Fumi (Japan, 2004)

Danny Waters

Whilst the establishment and development of WMU has depended upon
the generous support of many countries, organisations and individuals,
the main credit must go to Mr Srivastava. Without him WMU would notexist, and he is truly its Founding Father.
Two major considerations in the development of WMU were 'finance'and 'academic credibility'. In the case of finance WMU benefited greatly
from its unique nature, in particular from:- its close relationship with IMO, the Secretary-General being Chancellorof WMU;- its large (by conventional university standards) Board of Governors,
who were mostly IMO Council members, thus providing direct links withmember countries;

- its large number of visiting professors (again by university
standards), which provided WMU with high-level expertise at minimal
cost.
The provision (and maintenance) of the facilities in Malmö was aparticularly important factor as it meant minimal capital costs for the
University's budget. Our expenditure thus mainly comprised therecurrent staffing costs and student fellowships.
Academic staff costs were relatively low due to the large number ofvisiting professors. In the case of Student Fellowships we again
benefited from the 'international outreach' provided by our relationshipwith IMO and its member States represented on our Board of Governors.
An outstanding example is the substantial number of fellowships
provided by the Sasakawa Foundation in Japan, with Eisuke Kudo
working tirelessly with his Ministry and the Foundation to elicit Mr
Sasakawa's support and obtain funds for fellowships and seminars.

Academic Credibility

Embryo universities are generally assisted towards full status under
the auspices of an established university, often becoming 'university
colleges' in the first instance. However, WMU's establishment by
IMO did not facilitate such an arrangement. Indeed our strengths inrespect of funding and general support from IMO tended to militate
against achievement of academic credibility - raising questions about'autonomy' and 'academic freedom', etc.
In the early establishment years it was perhaps natural to first
recruit academic staff with backgrounds in the education andtraining of seafarers. In many countries the main objective of themarine training institutions was preparation of their students forthe examinations for Certificates of Competency (or Licences)
granted by the country's Maritime Administration, which in somecases conducted all theexaminations. Therefore manyof these training institutions were
not involved in the granting of
graduate and post-graduate
qualifications and the associatedresponsibilities of autonomous
institutions of higher education.
As a consequence there wassome confusion during WMU's
early years and indeed somedanger of development along the lines of a seafarer training college
rather than a university granting its own graduate qualifications.
When, in 1990, I accepted Mr Srivastava's invitation to join the
University for 4 years, most of the early difficulties had been
resolved, but there was still an underlying perception (put to me on
occasion, for example, by some of our Nordic supporters) that
'WMU was more of a technical school than a university.'
Also by this time some WMU graduates of earlier years wereapplying for admission to PhD programs in European and American
universities, and we were having difficulty responding to theirrequests for information on our graduates' grades, etc.
I therefore concluded that the establishment of an Academic
Registry was a priority in order to compile credible records ofstudent progress, grades, etc, and to develop and promulgate
Academic Rules for Courses and Examinations. When I first discussed
this with our senior academic staff they expressed reservations - notFriends of WMU JAPAN2

being familiar with the concept - and suggested that if we recruitedan Academic Registar he/she should spend half the time on teaching
duties.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain the services of AMC's
Academic Registrar, Greg Parkinson, for a year, during which time
he set up the basis of the WMU Registry and University Courses
and Awards Rules. The present Registrar, Bruce Browne, then cameon board, and I understand that WMU now has an AssistantAcademic Registrar as well.
Another essential was the establishment of research capability
for both academic and commercial work, the latter being a wellestablished practice in universities. The Australian Maritime College'scommercial arm 'AMC Search', for example, was earning substantial
income for the College from its many projects for the maritime
industries and port authorities. Staff members were encouraged to
put in the extra effort, for which they were able to earn some
additional remuneration from the project revenue. (WMU's Professorof Maritime Education & Training, Peter Muirhead, had been
extensively involved with AMC Search in his previous position as
Head of Nautical Studies at AMC).
My proposals for WMU's entry into this field elicited some rumblingsof concern from within
the IMO secretariat: theconcept of outside
earnings being foreign
to the public service ethic.
But we obtained theapproval of the Chancellor
and Board of Governors,
and the academic staff, led
by Gunther Zade, quickly
became enthusiasticallyinvolved in research
projects for the European Commission and in collaborative ventureswith other universities and organisations.
I understand from Karl Laubstein that WMU itself is funding
students by an amount of $902,000 this year (compared with
$111,000 in 1997) and now has its own PhD program, in addition to
one in conjunction with the University of Wales.

WMU Graduation Ceremony in 2007
Susan Jackson
Assistant Academic Registrar, WMU

n Sunday, October 7, WMU's Chancellor and IMO
Secretary General, Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos, conferred
postgraduate degrees on the World Maritime University's
Class of 2007: 96 students from 42 different countries graduatedfrom the Malmö-based MSc program in maritime affairs, alongwith 17 from the distance-learning postgraduate diploma in marine
insurance. Mr. Binali Yildirim, Minister for Transport andCommunications, Turkey, was the Guest of Honor.
A high point of the ceremony was the presentation of an
Honorary Doctor of Science degree to Professor Edgar Gold CM,
AM, QC. The award marks his outstanding global contribution
both to WMU and to the wider maritime field.
During the ceremony, the annual special awards to students wereannounced:

Conclusion

The successful development of WMU in recent years is due in largepart to President Karl Laubstein and the staff of the University, all themore so because of the particular academic difficulties faced by asmall, specialist institution such as WMU.
These are not readily evident to the general public, and I havetherefore attempted to illustrate the problem in these reflections on
my experiences at WMU.
Uppermost in my memories however is the pleasant and satisfying
experience of working in an institution which every country considers
to be its own. The level of support for WMU, and for those of us
charged with the responsibility of running it was truly immense. I
personally would like to offer my gratitude for the support of thestaff, visiting professors, Chancellors and members of the Board ofGovernors, together with the many other friends and supporters of
the University.
And the students? They were a real pleasure to work with andobviously valued the opportunity to study at WMU. Notwithstanding
their variety of backgrounds and cultures they quickly became an
integral part of the 'WMU Community'. They are now making theirmark on the maritime scene across the world and thus vindicating
the early vision and efforts of IMO Secretary-General C. P. Srivastava.

Danny Waters(Rector of WMU from 1990 to 1996)** Previous experience: Shipmaster; university lecturer; marine surveyor; Principal
Examiner of Masters & Mates for Australia; Asst Secretary, Australian Dept ofTransport; and Foundation Principal, Australian Maritime College (Admitted toMembership of the Order of Australia for services to maritime education).
Also represented Australia at IMO; served as a Member of WMU Board ofGovernors and its Executive Council and of an Academic Review of WMU.

- Semir Tarek Maksen of the Institut Supérieur Maritime in Algeria
won the Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence;- Lourdes Mendoza of the Philippines' National Maritime Polytechnic
won the C. P. Srivastava Award for International Fellowship;- the two Informa Dissertation Awards were won by Dang Ben
Nguyen of the Vietnam Transport and Chartering Corporation (Sasakawa
Fellow) and by Semir Tarek Maksen of the Institut Supérieur Maritime
in Algeria.
Three MSc in Maritime Affairs degrees were awarded with distinction
to: Semir Tarek Maksen (Algeria), Pablo Bonuccelli (Argentina),
Inderveer Solanki (India). One Postgraduate Diploma in Marine
Insurance was also awarded with distinction to Jens Schaefermeier(Germany).
The ceremony was also attended by a group of 4 graduands fromthe China-based MSc programs. They enjoyed a week-long special
program with a special seminar and field visits before the ceremony.

One of the current Sasakawa Fellowship students, Mr. Yusuf
Mohammad Bala was selected as a finalist, and he was eventuallyinvited to attend the Interferry Conference held in Stockholm on
September 28-30, 2007 to present his paper.

An Untapped Market for
the Ferry Industryin Lagos, Nigeria

T

Yusuf Mohammad Bala (Nigeria, 2008)

he above stated topic was discussed in a paper, which started
by describing Lagos as the most populous city in Nigeria,
consisting of a large lagoon (hence its name) and an archipelagoof large islands in the lagoon. All these islands are connected to themainland via large bridges. It is Nigeria's most prosperous city.
According to preliminary results of the 2006 census, there are 9,013,534
inhabitants in Lagos State. Although lower than anticipated, it isnonetheless substantial.
Due to the explosive population growth occasioned by the economic
boom of the 1970's and in part to the geography of the city, transport
links within Lagos are congested, teeming with poor quality transit
buses. With congested bridges, traffic is a daily problem. It takes anaverage of two to three hours to travel 10-20km in this haphazardly
developed and geographically disjointed city. However, this problem
Friends of WMU JAPANis getting all the necessary attention from both the Federal and State
Governments. In the planning stage are a high speed elevated metro
line, a fourth mainland bridge of about 26km, and several otherprojects to be executed.
Meanwhile, in looking for solutions to the perennial issue ofefficient mass transit, the advantages of the geography of the city arecompletely forgotten. As it is now, there is a ferry service between
three or four points, but the potential of water transport remains
largely untapped, carrying less than one percent of the total traffic in
Lagos. With a population spread along the Nigerian coast and upon
the islands that form the archipelago just off the mainland, the paper
analysed why this mode of transportation has not been embraced andprioritised, since the benefits are immense. lt also explored the market
and the benefits of an effective water transport system for Lagos.
3

- its large number of visiting professors (again by university
standards), which provided WMU with high-level expertise at minimal
cost.
The provision (and maintenance) of the facilities in Malmö was aparticularly important factor as it meant minimal capital costs for the
University's budget. Our expenditure thus mainly comprised therecurrent staffing costs and student fellowships.
Academic staff costs were relatively low due to the large number ofvisiting professors. In the case of Student Fellowships we again
benefited from the 'international outreach' provided by our relationshipwith IMO and its member States represented on our Board of Governors.
An outstanding example is the substantial number of fellowships
provided by the Sasakawa Foundation in Japan, with Eisuke Kudo
working tirelessly with his Ministry and the Foundation to elicit Mr
Sasakawa's support and obtain funds for fellowships and seminars.

Academic Credibility

Embryo universities are generally assisted towards full status under
the auspices of an established university, often becoming 'university
colleges' in the first instance. However, WMU's establishment by
IMO did not facilitate such an arrangement. Indeed our strengths inrespect of funding and general support from IMO tended to militate
against achievement of academic credibility - raising questions about'autonomy' and 'academic freedom', etc.
In the early establishment years it was perhaps natural to first
recruit academic staff with backgrounds in the education andtraining of seafarers. In many countries the main objective of themarine training institutions was preparation of their students forthe examinations for Certificates of Competency (or Licences)
granted by the country's Maritime Administration, which in somecases conducted all theexaminations. Therefore manyof these training institutions were
not involved in the granting of
graduate and post-graduate
qualifications and the associatedresponsibilities of autonomous
institutions of higher education.
As a consequence there wassome confusion during WMU's
early years and indeed somedanger of development along the lines of a seafarer training college
rather than a university granting its own graduate qualifications.
When, in 1990, I accepted Mr Srivastava's invitation to join the
University for 4 years, most of the early difficulties had been
resolved, but there was still an underlying perception (put to me on
occasion, for example, by some of our Nordic supporters) that
'WMU was more of a technical school than a university.'
Also by this time some WMU graduates of earlier years wereapplying for admission to PhD programs in European and American
universities, and we were having difficulty responding to theirrequests for information on our graduates' grades, etc.
I therefore concluded that the establishment of an Academic
Registry was a priority in order to compile credible records ofstudent progress, grades, etc, and to develop and promulgate
Academic Rules for Courses and Examinations. When I first discussed
this with our senior academic staff they expressed reservations - notFriends of WMU JAPAN2

being familiar with the concept - and suggested that if we recruitedan Academic Registar he/she should spend half the time on teaching
duties.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain the services of AMC's
Academic Registrar, Greg Parkinson, for a year, during which time
he set up the basis of the WMU Registry and University Courses
and Awards Rules. The present Registrar, Bruce Browne, then cameon board, and I understand that WMU now has an AssistantAcademic Registrar as well.
Another essential was the establishment of research capability
for both academic and commercial work, the latter being a wellestablished practice in universities. The Australian Maritime College'scommercial arm 'AMC Search', for example, was earning substantial
income for the College from its many projects for the maritime
industries and port authorities. Staff members were encouraged to
put in the extra effort, for which they were able to earn some
additional remuneration from the project revenue. (WMU's Professorof Maritime Education & Training, Peter Muirhead, had been
extensively involved with AMC Search in his previous position as
Head of Nautical Studies at AMC).
My proposals for WMU's entry into this field elicited some rumblingsof concern from within
the IMO secretariat: theconcept of outside
earnings being foreign
to the public service ethic.
But we obtained theapproval of the Chancellor
and Board of Governors,
and the academic staff, led
by Gunther Zade, quickly
became enthusiasticallyinvolved in research
projects for the European Commission and in collaborative ventureswith other universities and organisations.
I understand from Karl Laubstein that WMU itself is funding
students by an amount of $902,000 this year (compared with
$111,000 in 1997) and now has its own PhD program, in addition to
one in conjunction with the University of Wales.

WMU Graduation Ceremony in 2007
Susan Jackson
Assistant Academic Registrar, WMU

n Sunday, October 7, WMU's Chancellor and IMO
Secretary General, Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos, conferred
postgraduate degrees on the World Maritime University's
Class of 2007: 96 students from 42 different countries graduatedfrom the Malmö-based MSc program in maritime affairs, alongwith 17 from the distance-learning postgraduate diploma in marine
insurance. Mr. Binali Yildirim, Minister for Transport andCommunications, Turkey, was the Guest of Honor.
A high point of the ceremony was the presentation of an
Honorary Doctor of Science degree to Professor Edgar Gold CM,
AM, QC. The award marks his outstanding global contribution
both to WMU and to the wider maritime field.
During the ceremony, the annual special awards to students wereannounced:

Conclusion

The successful development of WMU in recent years is due in largepart to President Karl Laubstein and the staff of the University, all themore so because of the particular academic difficulties faced by asmall, specialist institution such as WMU.
These are not readily evident to the general public, and I havetherefore attempted to illustrate the problem in these reflections on
my experiences at WMU.
Uppermost in my memories however is the pleasant and satisfying
experience of working in an institution which every country considers
to be its own. The level of support for WMU, and for those of us
charged with the responsibility of running it was truly immense. I
personally would like to offer my gratitude for the support of thestaff, visiting professors, Chancellors and members of the Board ofGovernors, together with the many other friends and supporters of
the University.
And the students? They were a real pleasure to work with andobviously valued the opportunity to study at WMU. Notwithstanding
their variety of backgrounds and cultures they quickly became an
integral part of the 'WMU Community'. They are now making theirmark on the maritime scene across the world and thus vindicating
the early vision and efforts of IMO Secretary-General C. P. Srivastava.

Danny Waters(Rector of WMU from 1990 to 1996)** Previous experience: Shipmaster; university lecturer; marine surveyor; Principal
Examiner of Masters & Mates for Australia; Asst Secretary, Australian Dept ofTransport; and Foundation Principal, Australian Maritime College (Admitted toMembership of the Order of Australia for services to maritime education).
Also represented Australia at IMO; served as a Member of WMU Board ofGovernors and its Executive Council and of an Academic Review of WMU.

- Semir Tarek Maksen of the Institut Supérieur Maritime in Algeria
won the Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence;- Lourdes Mendoza of the Philippines' National Maritime Polytechnic
won the C. P. Srivastava Award for International Fellowship;- the two Informa Dissertation Awards were won by Dang Ben
Nguyen of the Vietnam Transport and Chartering Corporation (Sasakawa
Fellow) and by Semir Tarek Maksen of the Institut Supérieur Maritime
in Algeria.
Three MSc in Maritime Affairs degrees were awarded with distinction
to: Semir Tarek Maksen (Algeria), Pablo Bonuccelli (Argentina),
Inderveer Solanki (India). One Postgraduate Diploma in Marine
Insurance was also awarded with distinction to Jens Schaefermeier(Germany).
The ceremony was also attended by a group of 4 graduands fromthe China-based MSc programs. They enjoyed a week-long special
program with a special seminar and field visits before the ceremony.

One of the current Sasakawa Fellowship students, Mr. Yusuf
Mohammad Bala was selected as a finalist, and he was eventuallyinvited to attend the Interferry Conference held in Stockholm on
September 28-30, 2007 to present his paper.

An Untapped Market for
the Ferry Industryin Lagos, Nigeria

T

Yusuf Mohammad Bala (Nigeria, 2008)

he above stated topic was discussed in a paper, which started
by describing Lagos as the most populous city in Nigeria,
consisting of a large lagoon (hence its name) and an archipelagoof large islands in the lagoon. All these islands are connected to themainland via large bridges. It is Nigeria's most prosperous city.
According to preliminary results of the 2006 census, there are 9,013,534
inhabitants in Lagos State. Although lower than anticipated, it isnonetheless substantial.
Due to the explosive population growth occasioned by the economic
boom of the 1970's and in part to the geography of the city, transport
links within Lagos are congested, teeming with poor quality transit
buses. With congested bridges, traffic is a daily problem. It takes anaverage of two to three hours to travel 10-20km in this haphazardly
developed and geographically disjointed city. However, this problem
Friends of WMU JAPANis getting all the necessary attention from both the Federal and State
Governments. In the planning stage are a high speed elevated metro
line, a fourth mainland bridge of about 26km, and several otherprojects to be executed.
Meanwhile, in looking for solutions to the perennial issue ofefficient mass transit, the advantages of the geography of the city arecompletely forgotten. As it is now, there is a ferry service between
three or four points, but the potential of water transport remains
largely untapped, carrying less than one percent of the total traffic in
Lagos. With a population spread along the Nigerian coast and upon
the islands that form the archipelago just off the mainland, the paper
analysed why this mode of transportation has not been embraced andprioritised, since the benefits are immense. lt also explored the market
and the benefits of an effective water transport system for Lagos.
3

What’s next after the entry into force of the AFS Convention?

Analysis of the Erosion/Accretion Process
Fernando Bustamante (Mexico, 2004)
in Puerto Chiapas, MexicoTOne great news item for the IMO is the coming entry into
force of the International Convention on the Control ofHarmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships (AFS Convention).
The Convention will enter into force on September 17, 2008,
which is the date 12 months after the accession by Panama.
“Anti-fouling systems” are defined as “a coating, paint, surface
treatment, surface, or device that is used on a ship to control or
prevent attachment of unwanted organisms”. Anti-fouling paints,
developed in the 1960s, contained the organotin tributylin (TBT),
which has been proven to cause deformations in oysters and sex
changes in whelks. The Convention prohibits the use of suchorganotin compounds which act as biocides in anti-fouling systems.
Through the establishment and coming into force of the newConvention, harmful compounds leaking from ship paint into thesea will completely be banned. In addition, recent efforts of thepainting industry to develop new painting systems are expected
to make further contributions to protect the marine environment.
Some sophisticated slippery paints are said to have the effect of
reducing water resistance of ships. If this technology were realized,
it would reduce not only fuel consumption but also greenhousegases (GHG) and other harmful gases.

he following paragraphs summarise
the research done by Mr. Fernando
Bustamante (Mexico, 2004), in orderto obtain his MSc degree in Coastal
Engineering and Port Development, from
UNESCO-IHE Delft, in the Netherlands.
Puerto Chiapas, Mexico, is a typical exampleof the effect that coastal structures have inthe morphological behavior of the shoreline.
Due to the construction of the port jetties,
longshore sediment transport has been
blocked and sediment has been deposited in
the SE beach generating erosion in the NW
area, which has affected the properties along
the coast. Furthermore, the high sedimenttransport rate (estimated at 800,000 m3 peryear) and the effect of waves and currents
generate a shoaling process in the water
areas of the port, which demands enormous
investments in dredging and, at the sametime, obstructs the operations of the port.
To study and better understand the coastal
processes in the area, a numericalinvestigation was carried out in order toassess the morphological changes and to
determine the best alternatives to solve theerosion/sedimentation problem in the port.
For this purpose, the mathematical model

Recently, paint has been drawing attention at IMO for safety
reason as well. A mandatory requirement of protective coating for
sea water ballast tanks was adopted as a SOLAS requirement ofcorrosion prevention last year. Now, it also includes corrosion
protection of cargo oil tanks in tankers.
Some other concerns have been raised as well. Certain active
substrates that any be used by a system which intends to eliminate
the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms under the Ballast Water
Management Convention, might affect the paint in seawaterballast tanks. Another concern to the human health are Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOC) used for paint application.
Thus, a number of issues related to paint are discussed fromvarious aspects. MSC, at its 83rd session held in October 2007,
finally decided to recommend to the Council that consultative
status be granted to the International Paint and Printing Ink
Council (IPPIC).
The challenges concerning “paint” will probably for a while, butthere is no doubt that IMO is moving forward step by step andwill get out of this spiral sooner or later.

Meeting WMU classmates after the graduation

The Singapore Meeting - Concrete International Supportfor Historic Initiative
Norhasliza Mat Salleh (Malaysia, 2006)
historic launch of the Co-operative Mechanism between the
Littoral States and User States on Safety of Navigation andEnvironmental Protection in the Straits. It consists of the User
States Cooperation Forum, Project Coordination Committee andAids to Navigation Fund (Co-operative Mechanism), a milestone
development which provides a new framework for the littoral
States to work together with the international maritime community
to further enhance navigational safety and environmental protectionin the Straits.
The 252 participants representing 50 countries and 17 maritime
related organizations expressed their strong international support
for the Co-operative Mechanism, clearly demonstrating international
collective efforts. In addition, The Nippon Foundation, a Japanese
non-government organization, also expressed a firm commitment
to fund up to one-third of the needs of the Aids to Navigation
Fund (A to N Fund).
The Co-operative Mechanism, consonant with Article 43 on the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, wasdeveloped and completed in a relatively short span of two years.
It reflects the excellent co-operation among the three littoral
States, as well as the broad consensus achieved between thelittoral States and users of the Straits. It also provides a regularplatform for ongoing dialogue between the littoral States and user
States, as well as a structured framework for concrete co-operation
with the international maritime community.
In conclusion, the three IMO meetings, in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpurand Singapore are the concrete product of the IMO SecretaryGeneral's vision of the “Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes”
initiative. The creation and launching of the Co-operative Mechanism,
while respecting the sovereignty of the littoral States, demonstrated
the eagerness of the littoral States to work together with theinternational community in ensuring safety and environmental
protection in the Straits.

Tomomi Okubo (Japan, 2006)

T

he “Regional Seminar on Maritime Security and Piracy
Countermeasures in South East Asia” was held from July
23-27, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan, hosted by Japan Coast
Guard (JCG) and the Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF)
to promote regional cooperation and collaboration against maritime
terrorism, piracy and armed robbery against ships. 14 participantsfrom relevant authorities - mainly maritime law enforcement
officers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore andThailand - were invited to the seminar.
The seminar was divided into three sessions: piracy
countermeasures, maritime security operations and maritime
security intelligence. In the first session the participants presented
and discussed piracy-related matters such as capacity-building
programs, information sharing schemes and the need for aregular forum. In the session on maritime security operations, theparticipants gave a presentation regarding efforts to secure theirseas and made some proposals for further improvements in theoperations. In the third session, the participants shared views on
maritime security issues.
Friends of WMU JAPANAll sessions ended with constructive opinions of the participants
for more proactive measures and gave them the opportunity to
expand their human network to fight those crimes.
For me, the network which was established at the World
Maritime University (WMU) also supported the seminar smoothly.
Two classmates, Norhasliza Mat Salleh from Malaysia and Anand
S/O Ulaganathan from Singapore attended and contributed a lot.
We enjoyed drinks after the seminar with OPRF staff members
and a senior graduate, Mr. Ryoji Hayashi (Japan, 2002). Also, thecolleagues of some participants were my WMU classmates. I
hadn’t imagined that I would meet these classmates after I
graduated from WMU, but I had heard that the world-wide
network is one of the treasures of the graduates, though.

With Indonesian classmates at Jakarta, Indonesia.
Indonesia

The occasion to test this came relatively early. Last April, sixmonths after graduation, I accompanied my boss on a businesstrip and met classmates Ahmad Irfan and Agus Edi Santoso intheir country, Indonesia. They offered me time and hospitality
during my stay in Jakarta. I would never have experienced thiswithout such a great network.
I believe that the network established through opportunities
like this seminar supports international collaboration on maritime
safety, security and cleanliness. I am grateful that I can sometimes
take advantage of such opportunities.
4

Delft3D, developed by Delft Hydraulics, wasused. This model simulates the changes on
the shoreline and on the sea bottom,
considering the effect of waves, winds, tides,
sediment characteristics and many othervariables that influence the coastal processes.
After the set-up, calibration and validationof the model, 17 scenarios were definedconsidering a broad range of alternatives forsolution, including: dredging, hard measures
such as groins and revetments, beachnourishment and sand bypassing. These
scenarios have been modelled and thenanalysed and compared, in order to select an
optimal solution. Assessment of alternatives
has been done following an integrated
approach, in which environmental and socioeconomic aspects have been considered alongwith technical aspects. From the evaluation it
has been determined that a combination ofdredging and simple hard measures is thebest way to solve the problem, and that in
the long term a sand bypass system becomesthe most feasible alternative.
Please visit our website for the entire text.
http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/bustamante_researchpaper.pdf

Irecently attended the Singapore Meeting on the Straits ofMalacca and Singapore: Enhancing Safety, Security andEnvironmental Protection in Singapore. The Meeting was thethird of a series of IMO meetings on the Straits of Malacca andSingapore, with the two previous meetings held in Indonesia andMalaysia in 2005 and 2006, respectively. It was jointly convened
by IMO in close co-operation with Indonesia and Malaysia.
During the meeting, I was privileged to meet other Sasakawa
fellows, Ms. Dyah Umiyarti Purnamaningram (Indonesia, 2004),
Mr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar (Malaysia, 2001) and Mr. Mohd
Fairoz Rozali (Malaysia, 2006). The joy of meeting other Sasakawa
fellows was further enhanced as we were able to meet Mr.
Masazumi Nagamitsu, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation,
who came to deliver an address on behalf of Mr. Yohei Sasakawa,the Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
The meeting concluded successfully with strong all-roundsupport from the international maritime community for a new cooperative framework for the Straits. The meeting witnessed the
Friends of WMU JAPAN5

What’s next after the entry into force of the AFS Convention?

Analysis of the Erosion/Accretion Process
Fernando Bustamante (Mexico, 2004)
in Puerto Chiapas, MexicoTOne great news item for the IMO is the coming entry into
force of the International Convention on the Control ofHarmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships (AFS Convention).
The Convention will enter into force on September 17, 2008,
which is the date 12 months after the accession by Panama.
“Anti-fouling systems” are defined as “a coating, paint, surface
treatment, surface, or device that is used on a ship to control or
prevent attachment of unwanted organisms”. Anti-fouling paints,
developed in the 1960s, contained the organotin tributylin (TBT),
which has been proven to cause deformations in oysters and sex
changes in whelks. The Convention prohibits the use of suchorganotin compounds which act as biocides in anti-fouling systems.
Through the establishment and coming into force of the newConvention, harmful compounds leaking from ship paint into thesea will completely be banned. In addition, recent efforts of thepainting industry to develop new painting systems are expected
to make further contributions to protect the marine environment.
Some sophisticated slippery paints are said to have the effect of
reducing water resistance of ships. If this technology were realized,
it would reduce not only fuel consumption but also greenhousegases (GHG) and other harmful gases.

he following paragraphs summarise
the research done by Mr. Fernando
Bustamante (Mexico, 2004), in orderto obtain his MSc degree in Coastal
Engineering and Port Development, from
UNESCO-IHE Delft, in the Netherlands.
Puerto Chiapas, Mexico, is a typical exampleof the effect that coastal structures have inthe morphological behavior of the shoreline.
Due to the construction of the port jetties,
longshore sediment transport has been
blocked and sediment has been deposited in
the SE beach generating erosion in the NW
area, which has affected the properties along
the coast. Furthermore, the high sedimenttransport rate (estimated at 800,000 m3 peryear) and the effect of waves and currents
generate a shoaling process in the water
areas of the port, which demands enormous
investments in dredging and, at the sametime, obstructs the operations of the port.
To study and better understand the coastal
processes in the area, a numericalinvestigation was carried out in order toassess the morphological changes and to
determine the best alternatives to solve theerosion/sedimentation problem in the port.
For this purpose, the mathematical model

Recently, paint has been drawing attention at IMO for safety
reason as well. A mandatory requirement of protective coating for
sea water ballast tanks was adopted as a SOLAS requirement ofcorrosion prevention last year. Now, it also includes corrosion
protection of cargo oil tanks in tankers.
Some other concerns have been raised as well. Certain active
substrates that any be used by a system which intends to eliminate
the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms under the Ballast Water
Management Convention, might affect the paint in seawaterballast tanks. Another concern to the human health are Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOC) used for paint application.
Thus, a number of issues related to paint are discussed fromvarious aspects. MSC, at its 83rd session held in October 2007,
finally decided to recommend to the Council that consultative
status be granted to the International Paint and Printing Ink
Council (IPPIC).
The challenges concerning “paint” will probably for a while, butthere is no doubt that IMO is moving forward step by step andwill get out of this spiral sooner or later.

Meeting WMU classmates after the graduation

The Singapore Meeting - Concrete International Supportfor Historic Initiative
Norhasliza Mat Salleh (Malaysia, 2006)
historic launch of the Co-operative Mechanism between the
Littoral States and User States on Safety of Navigation andEnvironmental Protection in the Straits. It consists of the User
States Cooperation Forum, Project Coordination Committee andAids to Navigation Fund (Co-operative Mechanism), a milestone
development which provides a new framework for the littoral
States to work together with the international maritime community
to further enhance navigational safety and environmental protectionin the Straits.
The 252 participants representing 50 countries and 17 maritime
related organizations expressed their strong international support
for the Co-operative Mechanism, clearly demonstrating international
collective efforts. In addition, The Nippon Foundation, a Japanese
non-government organization, also expressed a firm commitment
to fund up to one-third of the needs of the Aids to Navigation
Fund (A to N Fund).
The Co-operative Mechanism, consonant with Article 43 on the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, wasdeveloped and completed in a relatively short span of two years.
It reflects the excellent co-operation among the three littoral
States, as well as the broad consensus achieved between thelittoral States and users of the Straits. It also provides a regularplatform for ongoing dialogue between the littoral States and user
States, as well as a structured framework for concrete co-operation
with the international maritime community.
In conclusion, the three IMO meetings, in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpurand Singapore are the concrete product of the IMO SecretaryGeneral's vision of the “Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes”
initiative. The creation and launching of the Co-operative Mechanism,
while respecting the sovereignty of the littoral States, demonstrated
the eagerness of the littoral States to work together with theinternational community in ensuring safety and environmental
protection in the Straits.

Tomomi Okubo (Japan, 2006)

T

he “Regional Seminar on Maritime Security and Piracy
Countermeasures in South East Asia” was held from July
23-27, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan, hosted by Japan Coast
Guard (JCG) and the Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF)
to promote regional cooperation and collaboration against maritime
terrorism, piracy and armed robbery against ships. 14 participantsfrom relevant authorities - mainly maritime law enforcement
officers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore andThailand - were invited to the seminar.
The seminar was divided into three sessions: piracy
countermeasures, maritime security operations and maritime
security intelligence. In the first session the participants presented
and discussed piracy-related matters such as capacity-building
programs, information sharing schemes and the need for aregular forum. In the session on maritime security operations, theparticipants gave a presentation regarding efforts to secure theirseas and made some proposals for further improvements in theoperations. In the third session, the participants shared views on
maritime security issues.
Friends of WMU JAPANAll sessions ended with constructive opinions of the participants
for more proactive measures and gave them the opportunity to
expand their human network to fight those crimes.
For me, the network which was established at the World
Maritime University (WMU) also supported the seminar smoothly.
Two classmates, Norhasliza Mat Salleh from Malaysia and Anand
S/O Ulaganathan from Singapore attended and contributed a lot.
We enjoyed drinks after the seminar with OPRF staff members
and a senior graduate, Mr. Ryoji Hayashi (Japan, 2002). Also, thecolleagues of some participants were my WMU classmates. I
hadn’t imagined that I would meet these classmates after I
graduated from WMU, but I had heard that the world-wide
network is one of the treasures of the graduates, though.

With Indonesian classmates at Jakarta, Indonesia.
Indonesia

The occasion to test this came relatively early. Last April, sixmonths after graduation, I accompanied my boss on a businesstrip and met classmates Ahmad Irfan and Agus Edi Santoso intheir country, Indonesia. They offered me time and hospitality
during my stay in Jakarta. I would never have experienced thiswithout such a great network.
I believe that the network established through opportunities
like this seminar supports international collaboration on maritime
safety, security and cleanliness. I am grateful that I can sometimes
take advantage of such opportunities.
4

Delft3D, developed by Delft Hydraulics, wasused. This model simulates the changes on
the shoreline and on the sea bottom,
considering the effect of waves, winds, tides,
sediment characteristics and many othervariables that influence the coastal processes.
After the set-up, calibration and validationof the model, 17 scenarios were definedconsidering a broad range of alternatives forsolution, including: dredging, hard measures
such as groins and revetments, beachnourishment and sand bypassing. These
scenarios have been modelled and thenanalysed and compared, in order to select an
optimal solution. Assessment of alternatives
has been done following an integrated
approach, in which environmental and socioeconomic aspects have been considered alongwith technical aspects. From the evaluation it
has been determined that a combination ofdredging and simple hard measures is thebest way to solve the problem, and that in
the long term a sand bypass system becomesthe most feasible alternative.
Please visit our website for the entire text.
http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/bustamante_researchpaper.pdf

Irecently attended the Singapore Meeting on the Straits ofMalacca and Singapore: Enhancing Safety, Security andEnvironmental Protection in Singapore. The Meeting was thethird of a series of IMO meetings on the Straits of Malacca andSingapore, with the two previous meetings held in Indonesia andMalaysia in 2005 and 2006, respectively. It was jointly convened
by IMO in close co-operation with Indonesia and Malaysia.
During the meeting, I was privileged to meet other Sasakawa
fellows, Ms. Dyah Umiyarti Purnamaningram (Indonesia, 2004),
Mr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar (Malaysia, 2001) and Mr. Mohd
Fairoz Rozali (Malaysia, 2006). The joy of meeting other Sasakawa
fellows was further enhanced as we were able to meet Mr.
Masazumi Nagamitsu, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation,
who came to deliver an address on behalf of Mr. Yohei Sasakawa,the Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
The meeting concluded successfully with strong all-roundsupport from the international maritime community for a new cooperative framework for the Straits. The meeting witnessed the
Friends of WMU JAPAN5

After lunch, it was time for our call at the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport, where the Director General of the
Maritime Bureau, Mr. Makoto Harunari, gave the students a brief
outline of the Ministry's various activities. The students were thenbroken up into groups according to their academic specializations
and given the opportunity to discuss relevant questions withappropriate Ministry officers. These discussions were highly
appreciated by the students and time ran out all too quickly.

Japan! Kobe! Hiroshima! Tokyo!

Twenty-eight lucky Sasakawa Fellows and one extralucky accompanying staff member - myself! - left
Copenhagen a little after lunchtime on Saturday,
September 8, 2007. First stop, Helsinki. Next stop, KansaiInternational airport, and we were on Japanese soil.
The first good thing to happen was the sight of Mr. Shinichi
Ichikawa of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation and tour guide
Ms. Miyoko Wada waiting to greet us. We were grouped together,counted and shepherded into our waiting bus with the friendly
Another interesting visit was to the National Institute of Advanced
efficiency that was to hallmark our week together.
Industrial Science and Technology, where the research program for
The welcome reception that evening made us feel warmly coastal environment conservation was very impressive. The facilities
welcomed indeed. We were greeted by the Executive Director of at the Institute include an accurately-proportioned hydraulic model
the Ocean Policy Research Foundation, Mr. Eisuke Kudo, and Mr. of the Seto Inland Sea, which is utilized in researching the impact ofEiji Sakai, also of the OPRF, and a delightful group of well-wishers - amongst other things - global warming on this sensitive area.
including former WMU Professors Kenji Ishida and Toshio Hikima,and WMU graduates Tomoya Shimizu (Japan Coast Guard) andFumi Yakabe (Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport).
Good food, good cheer and even some musical performances
encouraged by Mr. Ichikawa made it a very happy evening.
Early Monday morning, our field studies started in earnest with aninteresting visit to the Marine Technical College in Kobe, where thefacilities available to students were much admired by the Fellows.
It soon became obvious that
While staying in Hiroshima we had the opportunity to visit two
great care had been taken in
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. First, Itsuku-shima Shrine on Miyajima
planning the program of study
island. The contrast of the vermillion-painted water gate with thevisits, so as to ensure that theblue-grey sea and mountains is a breathtakingly beautiful sight, andspecialization of every student
I believe most of us count this as one of the highlights of our week.
was catered for. In the three
The second was our visit to the A-bomb dome in central Hiroshima,
days allotted for study visits
together with the Peace Memorial Park and museum. What happened
we were privileged to call on
in Hiroshima in 1945 is world history, and the opportunity to seea wide variety of companies, including Shinko Ind. Ltd., MAZDA
the dome and to understand firstMotor Corporation, Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
hand the terrible consequences ofand Tokyo Gas. These gave us great insight into manufacturing
the use of nuclear weapons is aprocesses, production logistics and logistics of transport ofvaluable lesson for every visitor.
goods, as well as the high productivity of these companies. The
Towards the end of our week
students were also impressed by the hard work and dedication
was the Big Day. First up was aof the Japanese workers they observed.
courtesy call on Mr. Yohei Sasakawa
at The Nippon Foundation. Although
the meeting had a formal agenda, Mr. Sasakawa soon put us at easewith his friendly interest in the students. We also learned of some of
the wider activities of The Nippon Foundation, including its dedication
to the eradication of leprosy. Mr. Sasakawa kindly allowed many
photographs to be taken, with many different cameras and in manydifferent groups; each student has their own very personal souvenirof that meeting!

Friends of WMU JAPAN

6

time for all of us. Some students took the opportunity for more
shopping, while others explored the Museum of Modern Art. For
myself, the free time gave me the opportunity of a much longed-for
visit to the Eastern Garden of the Imperial Palace, where thegraceful landscaping was an inspiration, even for my own small
garden in Malmö.
Snapshots: Miyo's rapid-fire counting of students on the bus;
Back to The Nippon Foundation that evening, this time for our boxed lunches that are
farewell reception. We were very pleased to see Mr. Sasakawa and works of art; the streamlined
Mr. Harunari there, as well as Mr. Nagamitsu of The Nippon efficiency of the bullet train;
Foundation. We were also honored by the attendance of so many the noisy, crowded, steamy,
distinguished guests from the Diplomatic Corps and Japanese lunch spot where wemaritime industry and institutions. Following the formalities, the enjoyed okonomiyaki; aevening provided a very pleasant opportunity for the Fellowsポポ
to kimono-clad elderly woman
meet and talk to many of the guests. The Fellows regaled the buying her subway ticket
assembly with a stirring rendition of the WMU song, much to from a vending machine;running to keep up witheveryone's delight.
Saturday, September 15, was our last full day in Japan. We the pace of the crowd in Tokyo; the timeless grace of the tea
enjoyed a cruise of Tokyo Bay in the morning, which gave us a ceremony; the city lights viewed from a 53rd floor restaurant.
Japan!
close-up view of some of the port facilities, as well as spectacular
The Sasakawa Fellows extend their sincere thanks for the generosity
views of the city from theBay. Following the cruise we of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation - and all the hard work! visited the very popular Sensoji that made their visit to Japan possible and so rewarding. We thankShrine and the even more in particular Mr. Eisuke Kudo, Mr. Eiji Sakai, Mr. Shinichi Ichikawa,
popular Asakusa market, and Ms. Emi Senuma of the OPRF, and Ms. Miyoko Wada, ourwhere many of us stocked unforgettable tour guide.
up on souvenirs to take home.
Our last afternoon was freeLyndell Lundahl
Student Services Officer, WMU

Let's Widen our Horizons and Keep up our Network
Secondly, due to the rapid expansion of ship volume, we must
tackle various kinds of problems such as navigational safety,
security issues, and environmental issues.
I really hope that all Sasakawa Fellows will make good use of
their knowledge and abilities cultivated at WMU in order to copewith the above mentioned problems. What is exemplary about
WMU is that it has sent excellent graduates to the world maritime
society. They have been playing key roles in the international
maritime sector as well as in each national maritime sector.
Sasakawa Fellows can carry on their great friendships evenafter graduation and can also keep up their alumni networking.
I hope you all will make efforts to solve a wide range ofproblems and contribute to the world maritime society throughsuch friendships and networking. Our Maritime Bureau officials,
especially WMU graduates, will also keep close contact with you
and work in a proactive way.
Thank you.

Mr. Makoto Harunari
Director General of Maritime Bureau
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Hello, Sasakawa Fellows!
I met you all at our office and at the reception on September
14, during your study tour. Your bright eyes and intelligent
conversations were very impressive.
As I said in my welcome speech, for the past ten years, theworld maritime industry has expanded spectacularly thanks to thethriving world economy, and accordingly, there are a lot of things
for us to do in the coming future.
Firstly, we must maintain a sustainable maritime industry for
the wealth and health of the world economy.

Friends of WMU JAPAN7

After lunch, it was time for our call at the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport, where the Director General of the
Maritime Bureau, Mr. Makoto Harunari, gave the students a brief
outline of the Ministry's various activities. The students were thenbroken up into groups according to their academic specializations
and given the opportunity to discuss relevant questions withappropriate Ministry officers. These discussions were highly
appreciated by the students and time ran out all too quickly.

Japan! Kobe! Hiroshima! Tokyo!

Twenty-eight lucky Sasakawa Fellows and one extralucky accompanying staff member - myself! - left
Copenhagen a little after lunchtime on Saturday,
September 8, 2007. First stop, Helsinki. Next stop, KansaiInternational airport, and we were on Japanese soil.
The first good thing to happen was the sight of Mr. Shinichi
Ichikawa of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation and tour guide
Ms. Miyoko Wada waiting to greet us. We were grouped together,counted and shepherded into our waiting bus with the friendly
Another interesting visit was to the National Institute of Advanced
efficiency that was to hallmark our week together.
Industrial Science and Technology, where the research program for
The welcome reception that evening made us feel warmly coastal environment conservation was very impressive. The facilities
welcomed indeed. We were greeted by the Executive Director of at the Institute include an accurately-proportioned hydraulic model
the Ocean Policy Research Foundation, Mr. Eisuke Kudo, and Mr. of the Seto Inland Sea, which is utilized in researching the impact ofEiji Sakai, also of the OPRF, and a delightful group of well-wishers - amongst other things - global warming on this sensitive area.
including former WMU Professors Kenji Ishida and Toshio Hikima,and WMU graduates Tomoya Shimizu (Japan Coast Guard) andFumi Yakabe (Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport).
Good food, good cheer and even some musical performances
encouraged by Mr. Ichikawa made it a very happy evening.
Early Monday morning, our field studies started in earnest with aninteresting visit to the Marine Technical College in Kobe, where thefacilities available to students were much admired by the Fellows.
It soon became obvious that
While staying in Hiroshima we had the opportunity to visit two
great care had been taken in
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. First, Itsuku-shima Shrine on Miyajima
planning the program of study
island. The contrast of the vermillion-painted water gate with thevisits, so as to ensure that theblue-grey sea and mountains is a breathtakingly beautiful sight, andspecialization of every student
I believe most of us count this as one of the highlights of our week.
was catered for. In the three
The second was our visit to the A-bomb dome in central Hiroshima,
days allotted for study visits
together with the Peace Memorial Park and museum. What happened
we were privileged to call on
in Hiroshima in 1945 is world history, and the opportunity to seea wide variety of companies, including Shinko Ind. Ltd., MAZDA
the dome and to understand firstMotor Corporation, Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
hand the terrible consequences ofand Tokyo Gas. These gave us great insight into manufacturing
the use of nuclear weapons is aprocesses, production logistics and logistics of transport ofvaluable lesson for every visitor.
goods, as well as the high productivity of these companies. The
Towards the end of our week
students were also impressed by the hard work and dedication
was the Big Day. First up was aof the Japanese workers they observed.
courtesy call on Mr. Yohei Sasakawa
at The Nippon Foundation. Although
the meeting had a formal agenda, Mr. Sasakawa soon put us at easewith his friendly interest in the students. We also learned of some of
the wider activities of The Nippon Foundation, including its dedication
to the eradication of leprosy. Mr. Sasakawa kindly allowed many
photographs to be taken, with many different cameras and in manydifferent groups; each student has their own very personal souvenirof that meeting!

Friends of WMU JAPAN

6

time for all of us. Some students took the opportunity for more
shopping, while others explored the Museum of Modern Art. For
myself, the free time gave me the opportunity of a much longed-for
visit to the Eastern Garden of the Imperial Palace, where thegraceful landscaping was an inspiration, even for my own small
garden in Malmö.
Snapshots: Miyo's rapid-fire counting of students on the bus;
Back to The Nippon Foundation that evening, this time for our boxed lunches that are
farewell reception. We were very pleased to see Mr. Sasakawa and works of art; the streamlined
Mr. Harunari there, as well as Mr. Nagamitsu of The Nippon efficiency of the bullet train;
Foundation. We were also honored by the attendance of so many the noisy, crowded, steamy,
distinguished guests from the Diplomatic Corps and Japanese lunch spot where wemaritime industry and institutions. Following the formalities, the enjoyed okonomiyaki; aevening provided a very pleasant opportunity for the Fellowsポポ
to kimono-clad elderly woman
meet and talk to many of the guests. The Fellows regaled the buying her subway ticket
assembly with a stirring rendition of the WMU song, much to from a vending machine;running to keep up witheveryone's delight.
Saturday, September 15, was our last full day in Japan. We the pace of the crowd in Tokyo; the timeless grace of the tea
enjoyed a cruise of Tokyo Bay in the morning, which gave us a ceremony; the city lights viewed from a 53rd floor restaurant.
Japan!
close-up view of some of the port facilities, as well as spectacular
The Sasakawa Fellows extend their sincere thanks for the generosity
views of the city from theBay. Following the cruise we of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation - and all the hard work! visited the very popular Sensoji that made their visit to Japan possible and so rewarding. We thankShrine and the even more in particular Mr. Eisuke Kudo, Mr. Eiji Sakai, Mr. Shinichi Ichikawa,
popular Asakusa market, and Ms. Emi Senuma of the OPRF, and Ms. Miyoko Wada, ourwhere many of us stocked unforgettable tour guide.
up on souvenirs to take home.
Our last afternoon was freeLyndell Lundahl
Student Services Officer, WMU

Let's Widen our Horizons and Keep up our Network
Secondly, due to the rapid expansion of ship volume, we must
tackle various kinds of problems such as navigational safety,
security issues, and environmental issues.
I really hope that all Sasakawa Fellows will make good use of
their knowledge and abilities cultivated at WMU in order to copewith the above mentioned problems. What is exemplary about
WMU is that it has sent excellent graduates to the world maritime
society. They have been playing key roles in the international
maritime sector as well as in each national maritime sector.
Sasakawa Fellows can carry on their great friendships evenafter graduation and can also keep up their alumni networking.
I hope you all will make efforts to solve a wide range ofproblems and contribute to the world maritime society throughsuch friendships and networking. Our Maritime Bureau officials,
especially WMU graduates, will also keep close contact with you
and work in a proactive way.
Thank you.

Mr. Makoto Harunari
Director General of Maritime Bureau
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Hello, Sasakawa Fellows!
I met you all at our office and at the reception on September
14, during your study tour. Your bright eyes and intelligent
conversations were very impressive.
As I said in my welcome speech, for the past ten years, theworld maritime industry has expanded spectacularly thanks to thethriving world economy, and accordingly, there are a lot of things
for us to do in the coming future.
Firstly, we must maintain a sustainable maritime industry for
the wealth and health of the world economy.

Friends of WMU JAPAN7

A Personal Chat with Mr. Sasakawa

Altan-Od Bazarragchaa(Mongolia, 2006)

I am the only Mongolian who has been awarded a Sasakawa
Fellowship from The Nippon Foundation, and I will always be
grateful to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and The Nippon Foundation forgiving me the opportunity to study at WMU, in Malmö, Sweden.
Therefore, every time there is an opportunity, I am eager to express
my gratitude to him as I’ve done before.
It just so happened that the regional meeting of WHO was heldfrom August 21-24 at the Chinggis Khan Hotel in Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia, and Mr. Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation,and some of his staff were invited to attend this meeting. Thanks to

the “Friends of WMU, Japan” Secretariat's kindness, an appointment
with Mr. Sasakawa was arranged during his busy schedule, and I had
the opportunity to meet him briefly after his meeting on the 21st.
Despite the short time of our meeting, it was extremely nice andwarm to talk to him and his staff, and after I expressed my personal
appreciation again, we took some photos together. I don't know why I
never got good photos with him before, but this time I did for sure. Mr.
Sasakawa kindly said that if there were any courses or meetings on
maritime issues taking place in the future, he would ask Mr. Kudo to
invite me to those, which would be very helpful for my work.
On the way out of the hotel, near the entrance, we met again, but
this time I was holding my daughter, and he asked her about sumo
and Japanese cartoons, whether she watches them or not. Unfortunately,
she answered “no”.
I hope this is not the last time we meet, and if I have thisopportunity again, I will definitely express my gratitude again.
Knowing how effective and beneficial the Sasakawa Fellowshipfrom The Nippon Foundation has been, I wish for my colleagues to beawarded it as well.

Rendezvous with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa - a pleasant recountAnantha Prasad N.S.
(India, 1997)

It was a pleasant surprise to hear during the second week ofOctober that Mr. Yohei Sasakawa would be visiting Mumbai andwould be pleased to meet the Sasakawa Fellows at an informal
meeting.
I was happy firstly because it was the first time ever that Sasakawa
Fellows in India got an opportunity to meet Mr. Sasakawa. Secondly,
it was good that this happened at Mumbai, where I live. India is a
big country, and it takes hours to fly places; therefore, meeting him
in Mumbai was welcome - it was an opportunity which came six
years since we last met at a Tokyo get-together in 2001.

It was a pleasant meeting on the 12th of October at Hotel Taj. It
was also very pleasant to meet Mr. Tatsuya Tanami, Mr. Sakae Saito,
Mr. Yoshihiko Yamada, Ms. Natsuko Tominaga, and Ms. Yoko
Yokouchi, all from The Nippon Foundation. Mr. Sasakawa told methat he enjoyed very much meeting the students of WMU wherever
he went. It is a good way of keeping in touch and knowing that
WMU students are present in many fields. The time spent is always
valuable - one gets to know about a country first hand, and it is thebest way to find out what is happening. Mr. Sasakawa spoke about
the initiative taken regarding maritime security measures in the
Malacca Straits. He also enquired about maritime development ingeneral in India, which is now progressing at a great pace. I briefed
Mr. Sasakawa about my activities.
I enjoyed the free atmosphere in which we met, and it was nice tohear about Mr. Sasakawa's experience meeting WMU students in
Mongolia, which happens to be far away from maritime activities. It
only goes to show how widespread the Sasakawa-WMU Fellows'
network is. At the end of the meeting, we said we looked forward
to the future possibility of meeting all Sasakawa Fellows in India.

“To Have and To Hold”

DECEMBER

Autumn has again come to Tokyo. Tree leaves have colored - theylook so beautiful and contrast nicely with the clear blue sky. Even inthis busy city which is changing at every moment, autumn always
follows summer as it has done for thousands of years. Many thingschange, but we know there exist things which last forever. Attending
the editors' meetings, I have found this newsletter was born of andis the passion of people who have been challenging global

2007

Ref lections
Introduction

In the so-called 'golden years' of our retirement there is time to ponder
life's purpose, to reflect on what has been served up to us and to recall
our responses to various challenges.
For my part I have, I believe, been extremely fortunate - by 'being in
the right place at the right time' - to have had the opportunity to be
involved in the early development of two outstanding maritime institutionsof higher education: the Australian Maritime College (AMC) and the World
Maritime University (WMU).
Having just received a copy of the WMU Academic Handbook for the'entry 2008 class' one cannot fail to be impressed by the extent ofdevelopment in recent years. Academic development, in particular, isimpressive because it is never easy for a small specialist institution such as
WMU to gain recognition by established universities.
It is to this aspect that my reflections in this article are mainly directed.

Edward Sylvester Mabula(Tanzania, 2003)

The Concept

During the early 1980's the then Secretary-General of IMO, Mr C. P.
Srivastava, was increasingly concerned that the developing countries musthave the necessary maritime expertise to regulate, administer and manage
their emerging shipping industries safely and effectively. I well remember
him outlining his concept and vision of a global training institution toGunther Zade (to become WMU's Vice Rector but sadly no longer withus) and me over lunch at the Belgian Club in London.
His foresight was complemented by his initiative and tireless energy ineliciting the support of member countries, organisations and individuals.
And in 1983, with the generous provision of facilities by the Governmentof Sweden and City of Malmö, his vision became a reality.

It started like a fishing expedition, with blind dates romantically turning into wildest dreams. As
expected, it ended up with a grand reception held at the Aga Khan Diamond Jubilee Hall in
Upanga, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. This is how I got married to the former Miss Jessica Tumaini
Missana on the 12th of May, 2007. The event was well attended, with Mama Salma Kikwete,
Tanzania's First Lady, gracing the occasion.
We have just welcomed our first baby together on the 25th of July, 2007. His name is Edward
Junior (Jr.) Mabula. He is so lovely.

Editor’s Postscript21

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

communications in the maritime field for a long time. In sincere
appreciation, I wish for the expansion and prosperity of the newsletter.
Autumn has also brought the harvest, and so we enjoy special
autumn dishes in traditional Japanese recipes, all the while worrying
a little about our weight.

Establishment & Development

Ms.YAKABE Fumi (Japan, 2004)

Danny Waters

Whilst the establishment and development of WMU has depended upon
the generous support of many countries, organisations and individuals,
the main credit must go to Mr Srivastava. Without him WMU would notexist, and he is truly its Founding Father.
Two major considerations in the development of WMU were 'finance'and 'academic credibility'. In the case of finance WMU benefited greatly
from its unique nature, in particular from:- its close relationship with IMO, the Secretary-General being Chancellorof WMU;- its large (by conventional university standards) Board of Governors,
who were mostly IMO Council members, thus providing direct links withmember countries;