52
September
2015

WMU New Building Inaugurated
Maia Brindley Nilsson

Communications Officer
World Maritime University

State-of-the-art facilities for the World
Maritime University (WMU), including the
new Sasakawa Auditorium, were inaugurated on May 19. The celebrations included agathering of distinguished speakers and invitees from around the globe, and WMU was
honored to welcome WMU Chancellor and
IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Koji Sekimizu, and Dr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of
The Nippon Foundation.
The official ribbon was cut by Mr. Sekimizu
together with Mr. Erik Bromander, State Secretary to the Minister for Infrastructure, Ministry for Enterprise of Sweden, and Ms.
Katrin Stjernfeldt-Jammeh, Chairman of the
Malmö City Executive Board. Inside thebuilding, Dr. Sasakawa, Mr. Sekimizu, and

WMU President Designate, Dr. Cleopatra
Doumbia-Henry, cut the ribbon to declareopen the new Sasakawa Auditorium.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Sekimizu noted
the significant growth of the University programmes beyond the original M.Sc. to now
include a Ph.D. programme, multiple postgraduate diploma programmes, customized
professional development courses, a significant
research portfolio, and conferences on current
maritime topics. He stated, “The new premises
mark a historical milestone in the relations
between Malmö and the University and will
provide the forum for the University to continue growing and meeting the educational
needs of the maritime sector.”
Mr. Sekimizu stated that the University’s
growth over the coming decades would beSasakawa Auditorium - ribbon cutting

shaped by the evolving shipping industry, andthat several new strategic directions, outlined
in a study for the financial sustainability of theuniversity, would be key to its growth. The
draft study was approved by the WMU Boardof Governors in May and presented to the
IMO Council in June. Among the strategic
directions are the expansion of the WMU
scope to include ocean-related matters, and theestablishment of a Maritime and Ocean Policy
Research Institute within WMU; strengthening the University’s research function for maritime policy and ocean subjects; exploring new
mechanisms of collaboration with national
maritime universities and with the International Association of Maritime Universities;
exploring further collaboration with activities
of IMO Headquarters in the field of TechnicalCooperation; and establishment of an Endowment Fund.
Dr. Sasakawa then addressed the distinguished gathering. The Nippon Foundation,
through the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, isthe largest fellowship donor to the University
and further supports the capacity building mission of WMU by sponsoring three Professorial
Chairs, an Assistant Professor, and provides
support for numerous conferences and events
connected with WMU. In his remarks, Dr.
Sasakawa voiced his support for an expanded
oceans-related agenda for WMU stating, “It is
my wish for WMU to keep moving forward to
establish itself as an educational and research
institution that can address ocean issues fromnot just the maritime but the greater oceanic
field.” In support of that goal, he announced
extended annual support for the University andthe establishment of a special endowment fundof US$100 million.
Remarks on behalf of the Secretary-Generalof the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon,
were delivered by Mr. Vladimir Ryabinin,
Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission and Assistant
Director General of UNESCO. The importance of the seas and oceans to everyday life
was emphasized, noting that the new facilities“will enable the World Maritime University tomake an even stronger contribution in the years
ahead to the welfare of society, the protection,
preservation and wise management of the oceans
and for the achievement of the emerging post2015 development agenda.”
Representing the host country of Sweden, Mr.
Bromander remarked on Sweden’s support fortechnical cooperation, particularly in regard tosustainable shipping, and that Sweden is proud tohost the University. From the City of Malmö,
Ms. Stjernfeldt-Jammeh spoke of the transitionof Malmö over the last three decades from ahomogeneous, industrial city to an international
one. “With residents from over 175 countries, thedemographics of Malmö reflect those of thegraduates of WMU, and today the City is aknowledge-based economy,” she stated. She
noted that the historic Harbour Master’s Building played an important maritime role inMalmö’s history, and that now, “it will return toan important maritime role, but now not only for
Malmö, but for the world… We are proud tohave such an important institution in the heart ofthe city center.”
Closing remarks were delivered by Dr.
Doumbia-Henry, who will take up her post as
President of the University in July. She remarked
on her commitment to a global maritime sector
in which policy and governance are based on theinternational Conventions of the IMO and therelated Conventions of the ILO. “To implement
these Conventions effectively requires an educated and sophisticated global network, which is2

where WMU can contribute to the worldwide
health and sustainability of the oceans, seas, andshipping industry,” she stated. “As WMU continues to support and advance these critical initiatives, the University will strengthen partnerships
with Governments, shipping industry actors, andall UN agencies that deal with ocean issues…
Within these extraordinary new premises, WMU
will bring together maritime professionals fromaround the globe to advance the maritime andoceans capacity-building goals of IMO within
the spirit of the United Nations.”
The new facilities of almost 6,000 square
meters have essentially doubled WMU’s floor
space, offering immense opportunities to support
the growth of the University with a new auditorium, multiple research labs, seminar rooms, andvideo-conferencing facilities. The WMU library,which houses an exceptional collection of maritime titles, has quadrupled in size, and vitalcollaborative spaces for students and faculty arelocated throughout the building.
The landmark Old Harbour Master’s Building
was generously provided by the City of Malmö as
the new home of WMU. Through an architectural competition, the City selected a dramatic
extension wing completed by the renowned
Danish architect Kim Utzon in collaboration
with Australian architect Tyrone James Cobcroftof Cobcroft Architects. The new extension is abold architectural statement that serves as an"urban hinge" between the historic city and the
docklands. It responds to surrounding contemporary developments to the west and north, while
the historic building remains a significant part ofthe city’s historic fabric to the east and south.

MET Symposium Marks Inauguration of New WMU Building
Michael Ekow Manuel

Associate Professor
World Maritime Univeristy

After thirty-two years at the old WMU
address, the University moved to new premises
in April, and on May 19, 2015, the impressive
new facilities were inaugurated. Gathered in
Malmö for this auspicious event were the IMO
Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor, Mr.
Koji Sekimizu, Mr. Erik Bromander, State
Secretary to the Minister for Infrastructure,
Ministry for Enterprise of Sweden, Ms. Katrin
Stjernfeldt-Jammeh, Chairman of the MalmöCity Executive Board, Dr. Yohei Sasakawa,
Chairman of The Nippon Foundation and (atthe time) WMU President-Designate Dr.
Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, among manyother distinguished guests and well-wishers.
The events were held in WMU’s new Sasakawa
Auditorium, named in recognition of the generous support of Dr. Sasakawa and The
Nippon Foundation to the University since
1987.
The Inauguration Ceremony was followed
over two days by a Symposium on Maritime
Education and Training in its broad sense.
Keynote speakers were Mr. Sekimizu, Dr.
Doumbia-Henry and Professor Olof Lindén of
WMU.

The first session of the Symposium beganwith introductory remarks by Professor Larry
Hildebrand, after which a panel of speakers
discussed the challenges and opportunities of
Educating Tomorrow’s Maritime and Ocean
leaders. They included Vladimir Ryabinin(Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission), Anne Christine
Brusendorff (General Secretary, International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea), Stefan
Micallef (Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO), Johan Röstin (Chief Executive
Officer, Copenhagen Malmö Port), Ted Bågfeldt (Head of Academy, Kalmar Maritime
Academy, Linnaeus University), Carl Gustaf
Lundin (Director, International Union forConservation of Nature), Claes Berglund(Director, Public Affairs & Sustainability,
Stena AB) and Lahsen Ababouch, (Director,
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO).
The panel agreed on the need to place much
more emphasis on the protection of the marine
environment and for collaboration between

research and practical interventions. Thissession was excellently moderated by Mr.
Michael Grey, eminent columnist and former
Editor of Lloyd’s List and Fairplay.
The second session (chaired by Associate Professor Michael Manuel and Assistant Professor
Lisa Froholdt) was on Sustainable MET: History, Contemporary Issues and Future Scenarios. This session focused on the more traditional meaning of MET, that is the education,
training, assessment and certification of seafarers. Speakers for the session included: Brad
Groves (Chairman of the HTW Sub Committee of IMO), Ismail Abdel Ghafar
Ismail Farag (Professor and President, ArabAcademy for Science, Technology & Maritime
Transport), Glenn Blackwood (President,
Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial
University of Newfoundland and Chairman of
the International Association of Maritime Universities), Luis G. Evidente (Captain and
Administrator, representing Mary Lou Lacson
Arcelo, Chairperson, John B. Lacson, Foundation Maritime University in the Philippines)
and Kevin Slade (Director, Northern Marine& Chair of UK Merchant Navy Training
Board). The speakers explored the history of
MET, discussed current challenges including
the attractiveness of seafaring as a career andthe requirements of the current international
legislative and administrative regime for
seafarer education and training. They werethen joined by Toshio Hikima (Professor andPresident of Marine Technical College/Marine
Technical Education Agency of Japan) and
Mike Barnett (Professor and Associate Director, Warsash Maritime Academy of Southampton Solent University), for a lively panel
discussion moderated by Associate Professor
Clive Cole on the strategies that should characterise optimum MET in the context of contemporary and evolving maritime issues.

The third session, chaired by Professors
Daniel Moon and Aykut Ölçer, discussed
broad Contemporary Maritime Issues. Insightful deliveries were made by invited speakers,
including Kimberly Karlshoej (Head of International Transport Federation Seafarers’

3

Trust), Nicolaos Charalambous (Director ofTechnical Co-operation Division, IMO),
Pamela Tansey (Senior Deputy Director ofTechnical Co-operation Division, IMO),David Patraiko (Director Projects, the Nautical
Institute) and Rolf Skjong (Director/Chief
Scientist, International Regulatory Affairs,
DNVGL – Maritime). Professor Jens-Uwe
Schröder-Hinrichs moderated a panel discussion on how higher education and researchorganizations should respond to emerging
maritime issues.
Michael Grey, in his concluding remarks,
reiterated the need for all stakeholders toensure that MET moves in tandem with (andperhaps even ahead of) advances in the industry
and wider environment: “We shouldn’t be
training people to run yesterday’s ships inyesterday’s environment”. While acknowledging the progress that the industry has made in
the areas of sustainability and efficiency, Mr.
Grey further noted that contemporary discussions of MET issues should include thedemand for better and more effective ocean
governance.

The Symposium was an exciting and fruitfulcap to the grand opening of the new building,which was accomplished through the warmthand generosity of the people of Malmö andSweden. The new building has been called the“Urban Hinge” because of its dramatic combination of the old Harbourmaster’s office, Tornhuset, and a new avant-garde addition, symbolizing the connection between the historiccity centre and the new Malmö nearer the
docklands. For WMU too, this is a hinge
moment when it embraces a needed balance
between the maritime education it has traditionally offered and a new focus on the oceans
and their sustainability.
Over the two days of the Symposium,
friends of WMU from all over the world gathered to wish WMU well as she sails into new
oceans. With new premises, a new President
and a new mission, this thirty-two year old
ship is poised to sail on safely, no matter how
the wind blows. Join me in wishing her well!

Japan Field Study Trip in 2015
Lyndell Lundahl

Assistant Registrar (Student Services)
World Maritime University

Saturday and Sunday May 9-10:
The journey and arrival
22 excited students and one tense staff
member meet at Triangeln station for the startof the long journey to Tokyo. What does theweek ahead hold for us? Will we cope withchopsticks? (student concern!) Will everyone beon time for our appointments? (Lyndell’s
concern!) One thing we are sure of: thewelcome from the Sasakawa Peace Foundation
will be warm.
Sure enough, on arrival at Tokyo Narita
airport after our long flight, we were welcomedby the smiles of Mr. Shinichi Ichikawa from
SPF and Ms. Miyoko Wada, our tour guide forthe week. And so it began, the counting ofheads: ichi, ni, san, shi…
Arrival at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel was adelight. Firstly, because we were met by anothersmiling face, Mr. Eisuke Kudo, and also by awelcome buffet lunch served high up in the
hotel with a stunning view over Tokyo. What a
start to our week!
Tokyo, Monday May 11: The BIG day

advance, then Mr. Ali Juma gave some words
of appreciation on the students’ behalf.
Lunch was followed by a visit to Mitsui
O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and after that we were
bussed to our much-anticipated visit to The
Nippon Foundation and meeting with Dr.
Yohei Sasakawa.
We were rather nervous waiting, but Dr.
Sasakawa quickly put us at our ease. Eachstudent introduced themselves and then Dr.
Sasakawa gave an address outlining his
philosophy on ocean research andphilanthropy. Ms. Fatima Angeles spoke onbehalf of the students, noting how theylooked forward to making good use of theopportunities they had been given. The hourpassed all too quickly.
A Welcome Reception was held thatevening, and again the students and I weretouched by the warm greetings of senior
representatives of The Nippon Foundationand MLIT, WMU graduates, members ofThis day had been so carefully prepared for
us. We spent the morning at the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism（MLIT）, where Mr. Toshiya Morishige,
Director General of Maritime Bureau
welcomed us. Later, Mr. Takayuki Ikeda
shared a lot of information with the students
in answer to questions they had submitted in4

the Tokyo diplomatic corps and local
maritime industry representatives. Mr.
Mukund Gujar delivered an address from thestudents, voicing the student perspective on
their visit to Japan and their futures in themaritime industry. A particular highlight wasa senior choir performing sea shanties withgreat gusto and skill. The WMU students
were able to reciprocate with a spirited
rendition of the WMU song, joined by the
WMU graduates and by the senior choir. It
was a very happy evening.
Yokohama, Tuesday May 12

Tuesday morning wasspent at the Japan Marine
United Corporation
Tsurumi Works, where wewere given a very interesting
tour of the shipyard. The
students and I were very impressed by the rangeof construction in progress.
The afternoon we spent at the Japan Coast
Guard Yokohama Maritime Disaster
Prevention Base and later at Port of
Yokohama. We were so interested to see thisfamous port and its facilities: a bonus was thetour of a Coast Guard vessel. Our day was
made complete by a very pleasant boat tour ofPort of Yokohama.

Tochigi Pref., Yaita, Wednesday May 13
On Wednesday we travelled outside the city
to visit TOKYO KEIKI INC. Yaita Works.
We were greeted there with great warmth byt h e T o k y o K e i k i s t a ff a n d s h o w n t h e
manufacture of intricate instruments such as the
gyrocompass – used so very often in marine
navigation. Back in the meeting room, Mr.
Kudo suggested we should sing the WMU songfor the Tokyo Keiki staff: we were getting used
to performing!
Travelling to Tokyo Keiki in Yaita also gave
us a chance to see some of the countryside.
When one is in such an urban environment as
Tokyo, it is easy to forget that the majority ofland in Japan is in fact covered by forest.
Travelling through forest and green fields was
such a contrast, and very refreshing.

Tokyo to Kobe, Thursday May 14
Up early and off! We hurried to the railway
station to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train)
towards Kobe. Boarding the train is an art:
precision of platform placement and swift
embarkation are essential. No wonder our big
suitcases had been sent ahead by bus! We
enjoyed the train ride: wonderful views ofbeautiful Mt. Fuji and again the opportunity to
see the countryside.

We alighted at Aioi station and visited“SPring-8”, which is the world’s largest
synchrotron radiation facility. The science was alittle foreign to us, but we could understand thata very high level of research was carried out
there. We were interested to see the use of thisimpressive facility by a wide range of companies
and institutions.
Our day concluded with a visit to Himeji
Castle. How beautiful! Set upon a hilltop in
Hyogo Prefecture, the castle has been likened toa white heron. The graceful curves of its whiteroofs emerge from the surrounding gardens
with such elegance. The Castle was listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, andwhen we saw it, a five–year renovation had justbeen completed. It is simply lovely.
Kyoto, Kobe and away to Copenhagen,
Saturday May 16

Kobe, Friday May 15
With two “academic” visits on the schedule,
this day felt like coming home. Firstly we visited
Marine Technical College where the welcome
from former WMU Professor Toshio Hikima
and his colleagues was hearty to say the least. It
was interesting to see the campus and note thesimilarities (and differences) to WMU.
The afternoon was spent at Kobe University
Graduate School of Maritime Sciences, where
we listened to interesting presentations by PhD
candidates.
We spent the evening as the guests of theJapan Ship Machinery and Equipment
Association (JSMEA). Representatives of 9companies were present, including the
Nakashima Propeller Company – famous to
WMU students for the propeller standing
outside our new building. The event was
successful and again, we were treated to fine
hospitality. At Mr. Kudo’s suggestion, we
thanked them by singing the WMU song…

5

An early start was richly rewarded. We visited
Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, full ofhistorical interest. Our first visit was to Fushimi
Inari Taisha where long rows of vermillion
Shinto “gates” snake their way through theforest.
Second was a visit to Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Set in beautiful gardens, the traditional temple
architecture was breath-taking. Many students
queued to drink water that guarantees longevity.
Others simply enjoyed strolling through thegardens, marvelling at the number of couples
dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos. The
market area outside the temple precinct was alsoof great interest for souvenir hunters!
Our final day concluded back in Kobe with areception attended by many SPF friends andwell-wishers. Diana Henry gave the farewell
address on behalf of all the students, thanking
everyone for a week that would live in ourmemories and hearts forever. Again, the WMU
song!
Then for the last time, …ichi, ni, san, shi…
and we were on our way home.
Our heartfelt thanks for the generosity
extended to us by The Nippon Foundation,
MLIT, all our wonderful site hosts and most of
all to Mr. Kudo, Mr. Ichikawa and Ms. Wada.
Special thanks, too, to our own students Maki
Tominaga and Sadaharu Koga for answering all
our questions with such patience.
Arigato gozaimasu!

IMO’s World Maritime Day Parallel Eventin Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan
Tomoyasu Izaki
Director for International Affairs
Seafarers Policy Division
Maritime Bureau, MLIT

Japan had the privilege and honour to hostthe World Maritime Day Parallel Event inTokyo on July 20 and in Yokohama on July 21,
2015. The event, focusing on this year’s theme:“Maritime Education and Training”, wasjointly organized by IMO and Japan, attended
by over 400 stakeholders from around theworld, including high-level representatives
from Member State governments, the diplomatic corps in Japan, the maritime/ocean
related industries, academia and NGOs. The
first day of the event marked a milestone commemorating the twentieth anniversary of theenactment of “Marine Day” as a Japanesenational holiday. In order to have a joint
celebration of the World Maritime Day Parallel Event and the national holiday, “Grand
Opening of Marine Days 2015” took placeprior to opening the Parallel Event. At the“Grand Opening”, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime
Minister of Japan; Ms. Eriko Yamatani, Minister in charge of Ocean Policy of Japan; andDr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon
Foundation, made respective speeches. Subsequently, at the “World Maritime Day Parallel
Event 2015 Opening Ceremony”, Mr. Akihiro
Ohta, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, and Mr.
Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General of IMO,
welcomed all participants to the event in theirremarks. Following that, the two-day international symposium was organized, at which six
sessions were established in total, four discussion panels on the first day and two on the
next. In each session, prominent speakers gave
insights into, and discussed the theme from awide spectrum. Three WMU leaders attended
as panelists: Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry,
who just assumed the role of President of
WMU in June, Mr. Glenn Blackwood, Chairof the IAMU and the Board of WMU, andDr. Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr., Administrator of
MARINA, Philippines, and a former Professor at WMU. The first panel, “Maritime
Human Resources today”, discussed current
trends, future perspectives and challenges in
education and training of maritime humanr e s o u r c e s . Th e s e con d p a n e l, “H u m a n
Resources related to the Seas and the Oceans”,
discussed the challenges of human resource
development in order to ensure sustainable useof the seas and the oceans, in light of thegrowth and diversification of ocean-related
activities in recent years, such as offshore
exploration and marine research. “Education
for Future Generations” discussed how tofoster interest towards the seas and the oceans,consequently to attract and inspire young generations to maritime professions. And thefourth panel, “Next Steps in Education andTraining”, discussed the future direction ofthese issues. On the second day, a technicalvisit programme to Yokohama, one of Japan’smajor port cities, was offered to the participants. This programme included observing
maritime heritage sites and witnessing demonstrations on practical on––-board training for
cadets. The participants spent over half a day
visiting the historic sail training ship “Nippon
Maru” at Yokohama Port Museum, Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum, and two
training ships “Taisei Maru” and “Kaiwo

Sail Training on Kaiwo Maru

Maru”, which were moored at the Yokohama
Port in order to join this Parallel Event. Then,the symposium resumed and Mr. Sekimizu
presented a certificate of appointment as “theIMO Maritime Ambassador” to Capt. Shigeru
Kojima and Capt. Yoshikazu Kamikubo, whowere appointed and nominated by the Government of Japan. At the conclusion, Mr.
Toshiya Morishige, Director General of Maritime Bureau, MLIT, expressed his sincere
appreciation to all participants and speakers forfruitful discussions over the two days. As theoutput of the symposium, he proposed thatparticipants deliver a message to the international community by consensus, reflecting theunderstanding and views they shared. “TheYokohama Declaration”, which summarized
discussions made at the symposium, was supported by all participants by acclamation. The
declaration listed actions which should be promoted and developed, in order to ensure thatthe skills and competence of personnel afloat
and onshore are adequately secured througheffective maritime education and training. The
Parallel Event closed with a passing the flag
ceremony of the World Maritime Day Parallel
Event from Japan to Turkey, which will be thehost next year. Mr. Akihiro Nishimura, State
Minister of MLIT handed over the flag toCapt. Ozkan Poyraz, Deputy Undersecretary,
Ministry of Transportation Maritime andCommunication of Turkey. In his speech, hecongratulated Japan on a successful event andcalled for widespread participation for Turkey
in 2016.

Attendants connected to WMUMore information on the 2015 World Maritime Day Parallel Event is available on its website
http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/worldmaritimeday2015.html

6

Shipping’s Pivotal Role in Sustaining the World Economy
and Fostering International Cooperation
William A. O’Neil
CMG CM FREng

International shipping is an extraordinary
business, especially when we consider that over
90% of the world's materials and goods are, at
one time or another, carried by ships. Yet thegeneral public is mostly unaware that almost
everything they consume in their daily lives wasonce on board a seagoing ship. Tens of thousands of vessels move cargo safely andefficiently, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Yet little or no thought is given to the fact thatit requires the preparedness of skilled seafarers
to serve the world’s most important transportation system, often without shore leave andwithout seeing their families for months at thetime.
Furthermore, every tonne of cargo moved
thousands of miles on board a ship spawns amultitude of ancillary businesses and occupations. These range from port workers to landbased freight forwarders, road, rail and inland
waterway transporters, the legal and insurance
professions, and of course ship designers, builders, owners and managers, marine equipment
manufacturers, and so on. All this activity
stimulates economic development and growth.
It also provides employment to many thousandsof ordinary seamen and ships’ officers, who are
the backbone of the shipping industry as theprime carrier of world trade.
Shipping is truly global in nature, engaging
countries around the world, each providing
individual components that together makeocean transportation so cost effective. For
example, a relatively small country such as
Panama, which has a population of some 3.5
million and is tucked away in Central America,
fulfils a core function in the global transportation chain in the form of the Panama Canal,
which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
and thereby shortens trade routes by thousandsof miles. The construction of this unique,cross-isthmus water route through unforgiving
terrain and under the constant threat of deathfrom malaria and other tropical diseases was
attempted by French companies at the turn of
the 19th century and eventually completed by
the United States in 1914. More than a hundred years on, the same Canal continues toprovide an essential service to the world
economy, under the able management of the
Panama Canal Authority, which has funded theentire cost of some US$5.6 billion to keep the
Canal fit well into the 21st century. By earlynext year, a massively expanded Canal system,comprising huge new locks and channels
capable of accommodating the increasing size ofships, will enter into operation.
Also noteworthy of course is the Suez Canal,

linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,of which the first construction dates back to thetimes of the Pharaohs, some four millennia ago.
The Suez Canal Authority, too, has taken thenecessary measures to allow the transit of bigger
ships through an enlarged Canal in the serviceof world trade.
The global standards adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for safe,
secure, clean and efficient shipping provide anessential, harmonized regulatory regime. Without it, the smooth and efficient functioning of
the global maritime transportation system
would not be sustainable. Proper implementation of IMO standards is therefore of paramount importance, and this depends first andforemost on the availability of properly trainedand qualified seafarers to operate ships in a safeand environmentally sound manner.
Today, there are many maritime training
institutions and distance learning facilities
around the world providing the opportunity foryoung people to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. But, in the late 1970s, IMO
recognised that there was a serious gap in maritime training programmes, especially in developing countries, which are the most important
suppliers of maritime manpower. By way of
example, the Philippines provide about a quarter of the seafarers for the world’s merchant
fleet. Thus, the then Secretary-General, Mr.
C.P. Srivastava, conceived the idea of creating
an IMO World Maritime University (WMU)
which would concentrate on developing theskills of young people from these countries by
providing a postgraduate MSC degree course indifferent maritime specialities, drawing on
specialist personnel from the international community to teach the students.
Founded in 1983 and located in Malmö,
Sweden, WMU is the most important, as wellas the most successful, technical cooperation
project ever developed by IMO, producing
about 100 graduates every year. Many occupy
high-level positions in government or in the
shipping and maritime industries in their homecountries and work tirelessly to support IMO’s
efforts for full and effective implementation ofits many conventions, codes and other instruments. The IMO Council recently elected Mr.
Ki-tack Lim, a WMU graduate from theRepublic of Korea, to be the next SecretaryGeneral, succeeding Mr. Koji Sekimizu fromJanuary 1, 2016, onwards.
The Government of Sweden and the City of
Malmö have been consistent in their generosity

7

to provide excellent academic and housing
facilities to WMU. In addition, financial
support from various institutions and governments around the world has been vital for the
University’s successful development. The continuing funding provided by the Sasakawa
Peace Foundation for professorships andstudent bursaries has enabled the University tofunction properly as a global educational andresearch centre and to provide graduates withrecognized certificates for their future careerdevelopment.
I have no doubt that the maritime world has
been greatly enhanced by the devotion of theFoundation to ensuring that highly skilled
professionals are available to support maritime
activities, in particular in developing countries.
It is my fervent wish that the close bond
between the Foundation and WMU may continue to grow in strength. This will also be to
the benefit of IMO’s continuing efforts toretain its global standard-setting role for international shipping as the most dependable, safe,
secure, environmentally sound and economicaltransportation system servicing all peoples of
the world.
William A. O’Neil

William A. O’Neil, of Canada, graduatedfrom the University of Toronto with a degree
in Civil Engineering in 1949. He then joined
the Canadian Federal Department of Transport in Ottawa. When the Saint Lawrence
Seaway Authority was established in 1954,
he became one of the nucleus of engineers
and subsequently became the Director ofConstruction in charge of all major engineering projects on the Seaway.
Mr. O’Neil resumed working for the
Department of Transport in 1971, and in1975 he was made the First Commissionerof the Coast Guard. In 1980 he wasappointed President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Seaway Authority.
In 1972, Mr. O’Neil became involved with
the International Maritime Organization as
the Canadian Representative. He subsequently was elected Chairman of the IMO
Council, a position he held from 1980 to
1990, when he became the SecretaryGeneral of IMO. He was re-elected as
Secretary-General several times until his
retirement in December 2003.
Mr. O’Neil is currently in his retirement
the Chairman of the Panama Canal Advisory Board and Advisor of Videotel Marine
International Limited.

Notice of Relocation of Offices

We hereby announce that we will commence business at our new offices as of September 24, 2015.
Since the spring of 2012, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation has occupied temporary offices duringreconstruction of the new building. The new premises have now been safely completed and our new
address is in the right column. We sincerely look forward to your continued support and cooperation.

Address:
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation Building
1-15-16 Toranomon Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-8524
Japan
TEL: +81-3-5157-5430
FAX: +81-3-5157-5420

URL: http://www.spf.org/

Ki-tack Lim Elected IMO Secretary-General
Mr. Ki-tack Lim (Republic of Korea) has been elected as the Secretary-General of the International
Maritime Organization, with effect from January 1, 2016, for an initial term of four years. Mr. Lim iscurrently president of Busan Port Authority. He served as the Republic of Korea’s Deputy Permanent
Representative to IMO from 2006 to 2009 and was Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Flag State
Implementation (FSI) from 2002 to 2004. He studied maritime administration with a major in navigation at the World Maritime University, graduating with a master’s degree in 1991.
Photo: IMO

Come See Dr. Sasakawa at the IMO Assembly!

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided to award
the International Maritime Prize for 2014 to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
Established in 1980, the International Maritime Prize is a prestigious
international prize awarded to a person who has made a global contribution
in areas such as the development of marine transportation and advances in

Delivery of New Courses at WMU

The last of five offerings of a Maritime Governance (MG) and Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) course took place at WMU from July 20-24.
Since 2014, the course has been delivered to 161 students, across specializations.
Through an agreement signed in 2013, funding for developing the courses wasprovided by the Danish Maritime Fund through the Danish Shipowners’
Association and The Danish Maritime Authority. The courses combine theory
and practice of MG and CSR in the maritime industry.
WMU professors involved:
Dr. Olof Linden, Professor, Director of Research; Professor Neil Bellefontaine, Vice President Academics; Dr. Aykut Ölçer, Professor, Director Post
Graduate Diploma Energy Efficiency Management; Dr. Larry Hildebrand,Professor, Head Ocean and Environmental Management; Dr. Daniel Moon,
Professor, Head Shipping Management & Logistics and Port Management;
Dr. George Theocharidis, Adjunct Professor; Dr. Lisa L. Froholdt, AssistantProfessor, Head CSR Research group, Project manager.
In addition, the reference group included:
MAGSAYSAY, Philippines, President Marlon R. Rono; STENA, Sweden,
Head of Communication, Mr. Erik Lewenhaupt; Ecoflect, UK, Director Dr.

I have had significant changes in my life these days. First of all, I transferredfrom the Japan PSC office of Maritime Bureau, MLIT, to my original training
institute (National Institute for Sea Training) as a Coordinator for International Affairs in April, which is very challenging. Now I am in charge of IMO
matters and international cooperation in terms of Maritime Education andTraining (MET). Furthermore, next April, my training institute will merge
with the Marine Technical Education Agency. I hope my job will be one of thepillars of Japanese MET activities, and I would like to contribute to “Safer
Ships and Cleaner Oceans” not only in Japan but also internationally with myworldwide colleagues.
In addition, the theme of world maritime day 2015 is MET, as you may

safety technology. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place at
IMO Headquarters on November 23 at the venue of the IMO General
Assembly. WMU Sasakawa Fellows who are planning to attend theAssembly as a delegate of your organization are asked to notify the Secretariat of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (wmujapan@spf.or.jp).

Anne Marie Warris; Dr.
Yoshinobu Takei, Senior Legal
Council with the UN Division
for Ocean Affairs of the Law of
the Sea (DOALOS) in New
York; Dr. Ilias Visvikis,
WMU, Professor, Director
Executive Professional Development.
An exhibition was displayed in the WMU library with sustainability reports
from maritime companies, e-books, research articles from internal and external academics, and search machines with links to aspects of MG and CSR.
Graciously funded by The Nippon Foundation, WMU arranged the Northern
European Shipping CSR Symposium that took place on November 12, 2013,
in Denmark, in cooperation with the Danish Shipowners’ Association, Baltic
and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Japan International Transportation Institute, and with 200 participants, the event highlighted theimportance and benefits of CSR as part of business strategy for shipping companies.
Lisa Froholdt
Assistant Professor
World Maritime University

know. The IMO parallel event of WMD took place in Tokyo and Yokohama in July 2015 in conjunction with Japanese Marine Day. I think MET isa very fundamental element for maritime safety, which has been especially
focused on this year.
Five years have passed since I graduated from WMU, and I have comeacross many WMU alumni at IMO and international events. I am sure continuous, strong connections among the alumni is very important for the future.
Masashi Sugomori
National Institute for Sea Training

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation Bldg., 1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8524 Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-5157-5430 Fax: +81-(0)3-5157-5420 URL: http://www.spf.org/e/