Since

2002

March
2015

Thoughts on the Futureof Our Oceans- Interview with Chairman Yohei Sasakawa -Interviewed by OPRF on December 25, 2014

May I congratulate you on receiving the Ruleof Law Award, which is regarded as the Nobel
Prize in the field of law. There are now 543
Sasakawa Fellows in 64 countries, including
those who are presently studying at the WMU(World Maritime University). The next editionof the Newsletter will be the 50th.

extremely toxic materials, we will need to reexamine the wisdom of Hugo Grotius in the 17th
century when he wrote that the sea, which is thefount of all living things, is limitless.

Chairman Sasakawa: Well, that’s mostnatural. After all there is only one earth, and wehave only one ocean. And these are common
heritage of humankind. In our globalized world,
all users of the ocean have the responsibility toThat was the concept in his work “The Free- take disciplined actions. I believe sustainable
dom of the Seas”, wasn’t it?
management of the oceans requires humility on
our part as we ply the oceans and use them for
Chairman Sasakawa: The earth is finite, and our own sustenance and profit.
Chairman Sasakawa: Well done! We havea saying in Japan: “Continuity is the father of so is the ocean. We are at a point when we have
When we were working on our own as a
success.” I am grateful to all those involved for to consider how best to manage it and for each private initiative for the purpose of safe passage
stakeholder to use it well. In spite of it all, we through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore,
their great efforts.
continue to use the seas in a disorganized and many were at first skeptical that nonprofession------------------------------------------------reckless manner. The ocean is crying in distress. als like us would succeed als like us would
May I first ask you your general thoughts on We have entered an era in which we must think succeed in organizing international mechanism.
hard about what must be done to ensure the It took time, but concerned persons and counthe sea?
sustainable use of the oceans. This is why I am tries began to feel they had to do something
about it, and they did.
Chairman Sasakawa: All living things, sounding a warning.
------------------------------------------------including we humans, have all come from thesea. Without the sea, human life would not
Other efforts that were begun through yourexist, but we are a mysterious breed, and we
advocacy include The Regional Cooperation
The CSR Era
only think about our problems on the land
Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed
Most people are firmly wedded to the conven- Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), thebecause that’s where we all live.
The world’s population already exceeds seven tional ways of doing things and are reluctant to agreement to prepare anti-piracy measures forbillion. In the no-so-distant future we will reach make serious changes. You have for some time Asia, and the Heads of Asian Coast Guard
10 billion. If acidification of the ocean proceeds insisted that the time for social innovation has Agencies Meeting (HACGAM). What are you
unabated, if we continue to harvest fish in a come, and encouraged the private sector to take expecting from the parties concerned to further
reckless manner, pollute the seas with oil in our the initiative instead of the government and for develop and enhance such global mechanisms anddevelopment of ocean resources, and allow private citizens to help each other. Why must we networks in the future?
create such a society?
maritime freight to transport vast amounts ofChairman Sasakawa: There is clearly a needfor interdisciplinary international organizations
to manage the use of the oceans. The IMO(International Maritime Organization) is doing
fine work, but it alone cannot cope with otherocean-related issues including acidification of theocean and management of fishery resources.
According to our research with the University ofTokyo, it is in danger of exhausting fish stocks,
except deep-sea fish, in 30 or so years if the present overfishing continues. I therefore believe thatthe time has come for us to establish a comprehensive system of specialists covering all ocean
related issues as well, instead of the present
scheme of having separate organizations for eachspecialized field. This will enable a sustainable
and comprehensive management of the oceans.
-------------------------------------------------

Expectations toward WMUConsidered from such a perspective, would therole of the WMU change as well, given that itwas established over 30 years ago and is
expected to relocate its campus next year?
Chairman Sasakawa: The WMU wasestablished in the beginning to study maritime
international rules. Thanks to the efforts ofmany related parties, it has grown to a high level
matching the standards of EU universities. But,
as I said earlier, I personally believe the university should reach beyond the maritime world
and develop into a unique university, the only
one of its kind in the world, where comprehensive policy research can be undertaken across theentire range of ocean-related topics, that is, toinvestigate not just maritime affairs but toundertake policy research to enable the sustainable use of the ocean.
-------------------------------------------------

Network
Currently The Nippon Foundation has morethan ten human development programs for thesea alone. What is your motivation as chairman
to devote such a variety of efforts to humandevelopment? What aspects of personnel training are inadequate in today’s world?

Chairman Sasakawa: It’s often said that if
you want to see results in one year, sow seeds
and the results will soon appear. If you have aten-year timeframe, plant a tree. Grooming
people takes a hundred years. One cannot
expect people to change and grow in a span ofthree or five years. We simply have to givethem enough time. What’s more, individuals
are often not capable of working alone. After all
is said and done, things begin to move forward
when strong bonds and networks are createdamong co-workers and colleagues. In thissense, human development that seems the mostlong-winded way is in reality the shortest.
One superb leader has the power to nurture
one million or even ten million people. Building infrastructure such as roads is vital for
improving people’s lives, but leading them in abetter direction with a universal vision is whatdefines us as human beings. In that sense I
believe developing people is of fundamental
importance.
Take for example, the scholarship projectwould people grow and develop if they were
given scholarships to cover their tuition? That’s
not the real point. It is all about mutuallyinvesting long hours, building trusting relationships, broadening one’s circle of friends andbuilding a network – this is what is important.
It is all about investing time and effort and,above all, selflessly loving each student andgraduate.
The late Chairman Ryoichi Sasakawa, yourfather used to say, “ A person who doesn’t love
his country cannot be trusted.“As far as
Sasakawa Fellows are concerned, that is of little
concern because many of them are officials andnaturally support the interest of their countries.
However, there is also a limit, in a sense of
having an open mind to others, because they
are under many restrictions. How should
Fellows relate to each other when, in the future,they will be representing their respective countries with possibly differing viewpoints?
Chairman Sasakawa: In two ways. Basically, their priority would be to do their best toserve their country. On the other hand, Fellows
are also involved in policy decisions that take
into account broader issues from global standpoints. They have shared their time and experience at the same university and later throughthe network of the Friends of WMU, Japan,
and may realize that they have different ideas asindividuals as do their countries. What is
important is that they develop an understanding of such differences. For the Fellows tounderstand the differences between the national
interests of their own countries and those of2others, and to do all they can to reconcile
them, would all result in building trust between
them. This is good for the countries each ofthem represents. There is a great difference
between going to international conferences
without understanding the positions of theother countries simply in order to assert one’s
own country’s position, and engaging in deliberations with knowledge and understanding.
The difference between the two is very significant. I believe the network is functioning
extremely effectively.
-------------------------------------------------

Elimination of Leprosy(Hansen’s disease)
The Nippon Foundation is carrying out projects in a variety of areas, including welfare, theenvironment, education and global peace, bothin Japan and overseas. I would like to ask youwhat initiatives have you taken to address the
problem of Hansen’s disease (Leprosy). Since
you were appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, the number ofpatients has declined sharply. In July 2007, you
received the Gandhi Award in recognition ofyour distinguished services. Could you tell us
about this program, including future efforts thatare being planned?
Chairman Sasakawa: My father, the late
Ryoichi Sasakawa, who was the founding
chairman of The Nippon Foundation, worked
tirelessly to fight Hansen’s disease. With thecooperation of the WHO and many generous
individuals and organizations, we are closer toeliminating the disease. That does not mean wehave solved all the problems. For example, noone bothers to ask whether someone has had
tuberculosis or not. It is with Hansen’s diseasealone that individuals continue to suffer fromsocial stigma even after they recover. They areoften denied admission to restaurants or hotels.
I believe it is vitally important to solve thisproblem because it lies at the heart of social
discrimination. I do hope our efforts will havepositive effects in eliminating discrimination
against individuals living with other disabilities.
-------------------------------------------------

Words for
the Next Generation
The late chairman Ryoichi Sasakawa, who
had a major influence on you, was a man who
consistently challenged those in power, both
before and after World War II. After the war
he pursued activities that contributed to theworld and the restoration of Japan’s honor. His
philosophy was very easy to understand yet
resonated with profound implications: "Workfor the world,” “Restoring wealth to Japan is thefirst step towards world peace,” “Japan exists
because of the world,” “I exist because ofJapan,” and “The world is one family.” His
words were very easy to understand yet resonated wth profound implications.

What legacy would you like to hand down,
not only to WMU Fellows but to all young
people around the world?
Chairman Sasakawa: I believe it isimportant for each of us to know who we are,to accept our fate, and to live the life we are
given taking full advantage of our learningand personal situations and to act with integrity. We should all continue to do our best tolive well, so that at the end of our lives we
can honestly say, “I did my best,” since allthings given life on earth are equal in death.
Thank you very much for giving us time forthis long session today.

Father and son jogging in front of the United Nations
Headquarters in the 1980s

Amr Monir Ibrahim(Egypt, 2013)

Here is the letter sent to Chairman Yohei
Sasakawa in December, 2013, by one of theWMU Sasakwa Fellows, Amr Ibrahim(Egypt,2013). This letter was drafted right before his
graduation.

Dear Dr. Sasakawa,
My name is Amr Ibrahim. I graduated from
WMU a few years ago, class of 2013, and I’mwriting to you while packing my luggage before catching a flight tomorrow morning.
I started my WMU experience by writing to you in
my application for a scholarship, and I wanted to end
my stay here by writing to you as well. There are notenough words to express my gratitude toward you, The
Nippon Foundation, and the OPRF.
I was honored to be chosen to represent the 2013
Sasakawa Fellows and give the Fellows' appreciation
speech in Malmö on the 22nd of November. However, we were saddened not to be able to meet you in
person. I am enclosing a copy of my speech at theceremony.
“We are gathered here today to celebrate thegraduation of a very special group of students
from the World Maritime University, theSasakawa Fellows, class of 2013. In addition to
the great added value that we as WMU graduates
have gained, we are privileged and honored tohave been chosen as Sasakawa Fellows.
When I was first accepted for the Fellowship, I
met a former Fellow from my organization who
said something to me that I believe I will neverforget. He said, “Being a Sasakawa is a gift
whose value you may not realize until years later. It
can literally change your life.” Now I know what
he meant, and how this experience has influenced
his life, and indeed, mine for that matter.
Another friend asked me one day, after findingout about my scholarship, why a foreign foundation would fund a post graduate program for a
student that is not one of its own. This made me
think. Why would a Japanese organization beinterested in the future of a lawyer from the Solomon Islands, a university teacher from Egypt, or a
Coast Guard officer from Argentina? It didn’t
make much sense until I understood that it’s notindividuals that The Nippon Foundation and
OPRF are interested in, they are interested inbuilding cadres competent enough to support theirworkplaces and their communities in general.
Knowing that fact, and speaking for myself and
my Fellows, it’s a great responsibility we have on
our shoulders right now. The Nippon Foundation
and OPRF are waiting for their payback, and that
payback is simply to invest what we have learned
here at WMU and implement it in our workplaces, not only for our own personal achievements, but for the glory of our nations.
Although I’m sure that personal glory will nonetheless occur. Also, what we have right here is
priceless; we are the latest gear added to aperfectly running development train, theSasakawa Fellows train, so please let’s do ourvery best to sync in with other Fellows in theircountries and regions from all around the world,and most importantly with our mother network,
the Friends of WMU, Japan.

3

Dear Mr. Unno, please inform Dr. Sasakawa
that we really wished he were here, as we were
not as lucky as some previous batches; wedidn’t get to meet him in person, but I’m surethat he feels as much longing to meet us as we
do him. It has been 25 years since the first
WMU Sasakawa Fellowship was awarded in
1989, and if he looks around the world he willfind the fruits of his goodwill represented inpeople holding his debt for decades to come.
Tell him to keep putting his trust in us, andwe promise - I promise - we will not let him
down.
Also, we cannot have this opportunity without acknowledging the role of Kudo-san andShin-san, for their endless and sincere efforts
to make our Sasakawa experience an unforgettable one, and for that we thank them.
Finally, before ending, I have a special
request from my father. When he knew that I
was to be honored to represent the Fellows
here today, he told me to pass this message to
Dr. Sasakawa. He said “Son, tell Dr. Sasakawa
that he has made me a very proud man.”Thank you all. (end of speech)

This was my speech, I hope it wasn’t too long andboring. I wanted to share it with you to get the feelingthat you were with us at the ceremony.
Please accept all my respect from my family and me.
Sincerely,
Amr Monir IbrahimRef lecting
Memories of WMU during the Late 1980s
Hiroyuki Adachi(TMS 1987-1990)
Former President, Ship Research Institute

It was 1987 when I took up my position at WMU
as a professor.
My predecessor, the late Professor Nomoto, was
one of the founding fathers at the inception of
WMU (1983).
The atmosphere of the university at the time still
had a feeling of excitement, carried over from theuniversity’s new establishment, as well as a degree ofconfusion in university operations.
Thanks to the strenuous efforts of the staff since
the establishment, however, all the departments of
the university have pulled together somehow, andcurriculum contents have become firmly established.
Nevertheless, a significant number of classes are
conducted in the form of shortterm intensivec o u r s e s ( o n e - w e e k u n i t s ) , w i t h m a r i ti m e
specialists from the world outside the university asguest lecturers.
I believe this method was considered in view ofthe small number of fulltime professors at theuniversity and a commitment to achieve theprinciples of IMO and WMU.
Due to budget constraints, however, WMU had
to invite specialists without offering remuneration,and therefore, many of the specialists came from
Europe. When inviting Japanese specialists, we
often made requests of those living in Europe orJapanese specialists involved at IMO.
Among the people attending WMU as students
are persons from communist countries, the People’s

Recollections of WMU 25 years ago
Masatsugu Kimura(MET(E) 1990-1992)
Former Rector, Marine Technical College

Twenty five years ago, in December 1990, I took
up my post as a MET(E) Course Professor at
WMU. In my early days in Sweden, I found it difficult to get used to notice signs written in Swedish in
my apartment as well as the long hours of winterdarkness, unique to the Nordic region. This experience at the time of my posting gave me an insight
into understanding the hardship experienced by
students who came to a foreign country, leaving
behind their families. The visiting professors, who
number more than 100 annually, gave lecturescontinuously for one to two weeks and actively
engaged in exchanges with students in the dormitories where the students stayed. During the first term,
80% of the lectures were core course subjects andfocused mainly on laws relating to IMO. This
curriculum at the time seemed to be somewhat
dissatisfying to students who were expecting to learn

specialized subjects centered on technology, such as
thermodynamics, automatic control, and internalcombustion engines. Nevertheless, in the course of
their studies, their dissatisfaction dissipated as they
began to understand that having knowledge aboutsuch laws would be essential for them in the future.
At the time WMU was in financially difficult
straits, and had little choice but to reduce the numberof visiting professors and curtail field trips. To cut
expenses I drove the school’s van, and sometimes
shepherded students around neighboring countries. It
was also difficult for Japan's Government to provide
further financial assistance to WMU, because it was
making donations to the IMO. The Nippon Foundation was accepting about eight scholars for
SASAKAWA Fellowships each year. Also during thetime I was at WMU, Mr. Kudo came to conduct afield investigation, and afterwards funding was

Republic of Korea, Middle Eastern countries,
and landlocked African countries without any
access to coastlines. I can sense the ideals of IMO
in these students who aspire to enhance global
common awareness in maritime safety,
conservation of marine environments, andefficiency in shipping operations.
The living costs of the students have been
provided by scholarships through scholarshiporganizations in developed countries, as well asfrom the students’ countries of origin.
Assistance for students and contributions foreducational materials by organizations such as The
Nippon Foundation and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai,
together with the presence of Japanese professors,
have been particularly noticeable at WMU.
Since then until today, support for WMU fromJapan has been ongoing. I feel very pleased that anorganization dedicated to providing support for
WMU was established at the Ship and Ocean
Foundation.

increased and today, in addition to fellowships for
20 individuals, professorships also are provided
annually, which needless to say is contributing to
WMU’s development. The Friends of WMU, Japan
Newsletter was begun in 2002, and this issue is No.
50. At times when I read the Newsletter, I’m proudof my friendship with the Sasakawa scholars andtheir activities, and at times I learn of the passing ofboth teachers and students with whom I spent thedays together in Malmö, and sadly but fondly recall
their memories. So I wish to express here my respect
for and gratitude to the individuals involved in theediting of the Newsletter.
I’m now 76, and spend my time working as avolunteer guide on the S.S. Nippon Maru, a sailingship moored at Yokohama Minato Mirai, and singing shanties (sea songs) as a member of The S.S.
Nippon Maru Fan Male Choir. Last year I participated in a music festival (Shanty Concert) in Bergen,
Norway that was one event of The Tall Ship Races
2014. I dream of revisiting Malmö. If you can cometo Yokohama, please come to visit the Nippon
Maru.

Backbone of the Sasakawa Fellows Network
Toshio Hikima(MET 1999-2002)
Rector, Marine Technical College

When I left WMU and returned to Japan in thesummer of 2002, the number of Sasakawa scholarship recipients had reached 230 individuals, and theformation of an international network comprisingthese scholars as a means to exchange their opinions
and information internationally was being planned.
A decision was taken to create a homepage andlaunch an English newsletter as a medium for establishing and maintaining this network. The first issueof the Newsletter No. 1, was released in October ofthat year. As the individual who has served as Editing Committee chair from that founding issue, I am
deeply moved by the release of Newsletter No. 50,
which commemorates 13 years of success. I take off
my hat to everyone involved at OPRF, where such a

wonderful idea for creating a network among
Sasakawa scholars was envisaged.
I first learned of WMU when I received an invitation to a special lecture as a Visiting Professor fromDr. Kenji Ishida, a senior of mine at university who
had worked as a WMU Associate Professor, after it
was announced at an international colloquium
convened in Hamburg in September 1992.
When I entered the hall to present my lecture, I
was first surprised that so many people were gatheredat this remote countryside in Sweden. I gave my talkin front of students who had come from perhaps
more than ten countries to study, and felt great
admiration for Kenji’s leadership, which he handled
as chairman, and as his junior I felt great pride and a
yearning that this wonderful person was playing anactive part in Malmö, such a great distance fromJapan.
I had no relationship with the program after that,4

but in 1995 had the good fortune to be asked toserve as Kenji’s successor. However, the Marine
Technical College in Ashiya, Japan, where I had
just taken a post, was severely damaged by the Great
Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and I had to devote
my efforts to the school’s restoration. After ourrecovery was completed, I was to take over the
MET in 1999 as Dr. T. Nakazawa’s successor, but
in all honesty, although I felt happy, my uneasiness
was even greater. That I was equal to my responsibilities for nearly four years reflected nothing lessthan the varied advice I received from many professors, including Kenji, Takeshi, Gunther Zade, andPeter Muirhead.
I sincerely wish for the further development of
WMU and expansion of its network, and hope I
will further strive to publish the Newsletter in the
future.

on WMU
Jan Horck

Former Faculty Member
World Maritime University

Dear colleagues,
it is with great pleasure that I have been given
this opportunity to address you.
Those of you that have been nominated to study
at WMU should be very proud. Take this opportunity to learn about shipping in all its different
areas. Marinate yourself. Listen to people that cantell you how to do things in the best and mosteconomical way. You should support your arguments with theoretical knowledge, otherwise there
will be no trust in your words. Take home andintroduce what you believe will be suitable in yourown environment. There is always room for
improvement. Broaden your views during fieldtrips,
not only on technical issues but also on the way
people live. Take advantage of meeting people fromdifferent cultures. Learn how to present and thepedagogy of presenting and then practice this on
your colleagues. You will need this skill when you
perhaps come to IMO and will argue in favour of
your country. Be keen to help, it is a learning experience in itself. Show empathy and take it as anotherlearning opportunity during your time at WMU.
You most probably will not get this fantastic opportunity again. Be thankful to your sponsor. In
modern shipping you cannot operate alone – learn
to cooperate. Learn how to implement anddiligently exercise ratified IMO conventions, it is asurvival factor for your country.
To those of you that already have graduated, do
not fall back on an attitude of being a guru. Be

humble and realise that there are those who are
better than yourself. But continue to learn andteach others what you have learnt and experienced– cooperate. Keep contact with other WMU
graduates and exchange experiences, free of charge.
Being alone is not strong in the sphere of shipping.
Be green from your heart and in your actions. Be
an example, become a model for others to respect.
You know what I mean, now you have the potential.
It has been a great pleasure to meet many of you
during my time at WMU. Without doubt, fromthe rostrum, during fieldtrips and at parties, it has
been very enriching to meet you, a maritime
focused group that represents such a variety ofqualifications. You have professionally grown andmany of you have been well marinated.
Good luck to all of you in your professional
endeavours.

opportunity to exchange ideas with the Indonesian Friends, to observe the tremendous progress ofthe port development, and particularly to see
WMU graduates in their home country. During
the long and enjoyable time the graduates and I
had together, apart from sharing the wonderfulexperiences and unforgettable time they had had at
WMU, they told me, proudly, about Jakarta’s morethan 6 million TEU performance, the brand newcontainer terminal with deep water draft, the stateof the art logistics park, and more… They also
told me about their jobs, promotions, new responsibilities and increased pressures, as well as showing me the photos of their families.
Seeing our graduates in their homeland is such asatisfying experience: they are doing marvelously
well. They are full of energy, so optimistic, very
proud of their work and extremely confident about
the future. This is really great! For a teacher, what
could be more rewarding?

tion. Any student will spend between a year and ayear and a half working and living together withother students of varying age (roughly between 25
and 50) of up to 50 different nationalities. As aresult, our graduates have a thorough practical education in multiculturalism, preparing them for theircontinued careers. I believe this adds significant
value to their education, which no other university
can offer to the same degree.
One thing often forgotten is that the faculty faces
the same challenges – and rewards – working withsuch a diverse group of students as well as the multinational staff, and we learn from it every day. In
my 20 years at WMU, I have taught and mentored
well over 2,000 students from 139 countries in the
MSc programme, and the staff complement at
WMU also represents about 25 nationalities, whichshows just how truly global WMU is. We have solid

education and experience, but when we come to
WMU we are normally not trained to deal withthis multicultural variety. It is something that wehave to learn, just like the students do.
Teaching at WMU has given me constant inspiration and challenges as well as rewards. One of
the most enjoyable facets is the network of graduates. In the “old days” it was more difficult, but
now hardly a day goes by without an e-mail from a
graduate or a post on LinkedIn or Facebook,which helps me keep track of how “my graduates”
advance in their careers or private life. Sometimes,
actually quite often, it may be a request for a reference to support further studies or a career development, sometimes a question relating to work, but
often it is just an update. These messages give me asense of still being part of their lives and give me
great pleasure.

Shuo Ma

Vice President (International)
World Maritime University

I started my teaching career at the World Maritime University in 1995. The very first group of
students I was responsible for in the Port Management course at WMU had a “course representative” from Indonesia Port Corporation IV,
Herman Harianja. Thanks to him, I formed aninterest in the development of Indonesian ports.
Over the years, I have been very pleased that thisparticular knowledge of mine has been kept upto-date because almost every year there are
students from Indonesian ports at WMU. And ofcourse, many Indonesian students have been sponsored by the Sasakawa Fellowship Programme.
In 2013, the Indonesian Port Corporation II
invited WMU to conduct an executive development course in Jakarta. I was happy to have thePatrick Donner

Acting Vice-President (Academic)
World Maritime University

The most distinguishing aspect of the World
Maritime University (WMU) is its international
character; a truly global institution of higher education in and for a truly global industry. The MSc
in Maritime Affairs offers comprehensive insight
into all aspects of maritime administration, governance, pollution prevention and sustainability fordeveloping as well as developed maritime countries. In addition to that, students at WMU face
another challenge – that of international coopera-

5Sasakawa Fellows’ Current Activities
IAPH,PAPC Report 2014
Fiona Mbandi (Kenya, 2013)
The setting was the Leisure Lodge in Diani,
Kwale County, Mombasa, Kenya. This is a popular,
beautiful beach resort on the southern coast in
Kenya’s second largest city.
The date was November 16-17, 2014, and theoccasion, the 10th PAPC and IAPH Conference.
The theme was “Contemporary Port Developments
and Management: Alignment with AIMS 2050.”
My country hosted the conference, which was
facilitated by the Kenya Ports Authority, where I
work, and was organized by the regional body,
PMAESA. As hosts, it was our mandate to coordinate and ensure a successful conference.
However, we experienced some very unnerving
months prior to the event. Kenya has had many
security challenges by terrorists originating fromoutside our borders, attacks in our coastal host cityand in other towns. These attacks intensified withinmonths of the conference date, and activities had tobe monitored closely to make quick changes ifnecessary. Yet another challenge was the Ebola

outbreak in West African countries, which gave
the organizers a huge nightmare. How were wegoing to deal with a possible failed conference?
What of travel advisories? The massive withdrawal ofdelegates from those countries directly or indirectly
affected? The ripple effect in other countries apprehensive about visiting Africa due to security issues
and Ebola?
The publicity and technical teams had to remain
courteous and keep everyone informed about thelatest information and changes.
I was part of the logistics team, and the event was
especially memorable for me. Being a WMU alumni
made it even more exciting, as we all networked. I
had some opportune time to discuss and share experiences with many speakers, all of whom wereseasoned experts from Kenya, the rest of Africa,
Europe and Japan. Some of the interesting topics I
listened to were: Candid steps towards exploitationof African maritime wealth by Juvenal Shiundu,
IMO; Current maritime trade performance andfuture outlook by Vincent Valentine, UNCTAD;
a goodwill speech by Susumu Naruse, Sec. Gen.
IAPH, Japan; Role of ICT to enhance innovativemodels of competitive intelligence for the port
sector by Hugo Diogo, Glintt.
I was particularly impressed by senior WMU
alumnus, Mr. Juvenal Shiundu, who focused on
maritime education in promoting maritime
subjects, technology, establishing maritime
research, training and information centres, andcreating jobs for today’s youth.
The conference has awakened my desire to be a
speaker, as I promised in my motivational statement to Mr. Sasakawa in 2011, and I now actively
seek such an opportunity.
This gives me new impetus to soldier on inpromoting maritime education, and as a
WOMESA member, to support more women in
the maritime field.
This has been a good year, and the above is justone of the events I participated in.

Step-by-Step to Progressive National Development
Felicity Ankoma-Sey(Ghana, 2001)
Maritime transport and its allied industries havebeen and will continue to be instrumental to thedevelopment of Ghana due to the nature of international trade commodities throughout the country. I
am honoured to contribute my efforts to this industry in support of national development. After mystudies at WMU in 2001, I have shared with, andimparted knowledge about this global industry to
many young people from Ghana and from the West
African region, as I lecture at the Regional Maritime
University in Ghana. It has been gratifying to findmyself supporting one of our mentor Dr. Yohei’s

principles, which may be paraphrased as: “It isbetter to teach a hungry man to fish rather than togive him fish to eat”.
Research that is of relevance to the progress of ourindigenous communities has also been a passion. The
objectives of my research have mostly been to suggest
ways based on empirical evidence to ensure andsustain peace, harmony, friendliness and wellbeing
amongst all people linked somehow to the maritime
industry. These are also principles which I learned
from our most admirable mentor. To this cause, I was
glad to hear that some recommendations from mywork in 2009, entitled ‘An investigation of Tema
Port’s impact on the Port Community (A case ofTema Newtown),’ had been useful for the enhancement of security in Ghana’s Ports. The researchinterestingly revealed amongst other things that theindigenous fishing community had the potential tosupport the protection of ships in the port area fromthe menace of petty stealing, armed robbery, or evenpiracy. Today these modest fisher folk are informallyengaged by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, for which Ghanaian waters and ports arebranded as amongst the safest in the sub-region.

Visit to Japan for Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)A S M Shahjahan (Bangladesh, 2000)
We, the 3-member team of senior officers from
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), visited Japan
from April 10-13, 2014 for a PSI of 2 units of“TADANO” Brand Cranes, Model GR-600EX,
under a project for procurement of equipment. The
International Inspection Agency, Bureau-Veritas,
was also appointed by CPA for this inspection.
TADANO Ltd. is a crane manufacturing company, with its factory in Takamatsu. We completed
our inspection successfully in two days, and thetime remaining we spent visiting remarkable placesin Takamatsu, Hiroshima and Tokyo.
2 big projects have recently been completed - The
Container Terminal Management System (CTMS)
and the Vessel Traffic Management Information
System (VTMIS) - and a good number ofon-going and up-coming projects are being
handled by CPA, including Procurement of 61 nos.
Equipment for the New Mooring Container Terminal. It should be mentioned that CPA is currently
enjoying dramatic maritime change. It handled

6

million TEUs of containers and 50 million MetricTons of cargo in 2013-2014, which is about 90% of
the total maritime trade of Bangladesh. The container traffic growth at CPA is about 14%.
My visit to Japan was my 3rd in all, after a gap of
12 years. My 1st visit was in 1999 on a Field Study
Tour while at WMU, and the 2nd occurred in
2001, to participate in the Sasakawa Fellows Forumin Tokyo. I still remember one of the happiest
moments of my life when I was nominated to study
at WMU with help from The Nippon Foundation.
Presently, I am working as Deputy Chief Engineer(Mechanical) and am responsible for Administration of Mechanical Department and procurementof Cargo/Container handling Equipment at CPA.

Doubly and Eternally Grateful
Jean Ver P. Pia (Philippines, 2003)
I graduated from the World Maritime University,where I obtained my Master of Science (MSc.)
degree in Maritime Affairs, specializing in Maritime
Administration (MA). After graduation, I went
back to the Philippines to continue my service in the
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), where I
have been working for the past twenty years. As
Hearing Officer at the Franchising Office, I handle
the grant of franchise to ships plying the domestic
trade. Although I mainly work in the domestic shipping sector at MARINA, I was able to apply what I
learned at WMU as Technical Assistant at the
MARINA Foreign Desk and in writing decisions

relative to MARINA’s quasi-judicial function.
I am currently pursuing a fully-funded scholarshipas a Seafarers International Research Centre(SIRC)/Nippon Foundation Post-graduate Research
Fellow to study for my Ph.D. at the School of Social
Sciences of Cardiff University in Wales, United
Kingdom. SIRC is an international research facility
which conducts research on seafarers and their lives.
My thesis explores the seafarers’ work and employment experience on the effective implementation of
the government prescribed standard employment
contract for seafarers onboard overseas ships. My
research has developed in relation to issues of regula-tion, globalization, migrant labour, and the protection of seafarers.
My modest achievements were certainly inspiredby the benevolence of Mr. Yohei Sasakawa. The
knowledge, skills and exposure I gained from
WMU certainly fueled my ardent desire in furthering my competence to keep pace with international
developments, not only for my personal advancement but more for the love of service. This makes
me eternally grateful to Mr. Sasakawa and The
Nippon Foundation for giving me this rare opportunity. Twice.
MABUHAY!

Grateful for My Achievements!
Rolando Lizor N. Punzalan, Jr. (Philippines, 2002)
I graduated from the World Maritime University in
2002, majoring in Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection. Thereafter, I continued my service in
the Philippine Coast Guard and am a proud memberof the Friends of WMU, Japan.
Right after graduation, I got assigned to our Education and Training Command, where I found mystudies extremely useful. It was a very good opportunity to impart the knowledge I gained. The vast
knowledge I was able to impart to my students, inaddition to other exploits in the course of my work,
were duly recognized and I was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.
A few years later, I skippered search and rescue

vessels and realized the relevance of my studies,
which resulted in the successful completion of this tourof duty. This episode of my career was highlighted byaccomplishments which include successful maritime
security and marine environmental missions to Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively, as well as garnering theaward for the PCG’s Best Ship of the Year in 2009!
Soon after, I was bestowed the rank of Commander.
My service continued at the Coast Guard Station in
Cebu, where I ensured maritime safety, marine environmental protection and maritime security right in
the heart of the Philippine archipelago. My two years
plus of service at Cebu resulted in over 600 lives
rescued and contraband seized in maritime traffic

WMU beyond WMU
Shantanu Paul (India, 2009)
I think we were among the very few lucky WMU
students and Sasakawa Fellows to visit WMU again
after our graduation to attend a course. Although
the course was for only five days, it was a very different feeling to meet some of our old -and a few new professors, and staying at Henrik Smith hostel. I
graduated in 2009, and my friend Mr. Aji Vasudevan, who is working in the Indian Administration,
graduated in 2010.
The course was “WMU & IMO train-the-trainer
initiative on energy efficient operations of ships,”
held in May 2013. There were 20 participants fromdifferent parts of the world. The objective of thecourse was to develop regional expertise in this area.
I have tried to do justice to my training sponsored by
IMO, and my friend also extended his full cooperation. In March 2014, I conducted a one-day awareness course on energy efficient operations of ships(MARPOL Annex VI, Ch-4) at the Maritime
Training Institute (MTI) in Mumbai, where both ofus shared our knowledge of WMU.

amounting to millions of pesos. As a result, my men
and I were awarded the best Coast Guard station in
2011. This award was handed over by no less than the
President of the Republic of the Philippines during
the PCG’s anniversary in October that year!
I am now a Coast Guard Captain and haveadvanced to a post of much higher responsibility. All
my achievements are certainly anchored in theknowledge and skills I developed at WMU. My
wholehearted, continued service in our Coast Guardis humbly dedicated to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and to
the Sasakawa Foundation, which have given me thisvery treasured opportunity. Domo arigato gozaimasu!
However, the most exciting thing happened after
that. I received a message from IMO to be a consultant for the South Asia Regional Workshop on thesame topic held at Mumbai, Oct.10-12, 2014.
Being a govt. employee, it was difficult for me toaccept the assignment immediately, but my obligation to contribute to this noble initiative of IMO
was haunting me, especially when Dr. Raphael
Baumler and Dr. Zabi Bazari, lecturers of the
WMU & IMO course, recommended my name forthe event.
Finally, I could only attend the workshop, but
made a one-hour presentation on behalf of my company, The Shipping Corporation Of India, Ltd. (AGovt. of India Enterprise) on the “Indian Perspective” of the workshop theme. It was a great event
and a real honor for me.

Teaching at the United States Naval Academy
Yusuf Mohammad Bala (Nigeria, 2008)
It’s been a while since I graduated from the World
Maritime University, and a lot has happened bothin my professional and personal life. Professionally, I
have had some exciting moments, which includes
delivering papers at different forums in Asia, Europe
and North America. I did meet with our indefatigable Mr. Eisuke Kudo and the ever-present Mr.
Shinichi Ichikawa in one of those events, the International Conference on Piracy At Sea (ICOPAS
2011), held in Malmö. Most interestingly, over thelast two years (February of 2013 and 2014) I havedelivered lectures to the Midshipmen at the UnitedStates Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It isan exciting experience to have young naval officers

as students, learning about their varied experiences
onboard. They have mostly served on naval ships like
Frigates, Destroyers, and Cruisers, among others,
before returning to the classroom. Many others havealso served on Aircraft Carriers (some on the Nimitz

7class) and submarines. One of my students waseven a Navy pilot, and another a Mexican Navy
Officer. This year, I also had an exceptionallybrilliant female submariner in the class.
Teaching this group of individuals has been awonderful experience for me, discovering theirvaried backgrounds, which always come to bear inclassroom discussions. I always leave the class withgreater knowledge and cherishing the experience,
while looking forward to teaching the next group of
exceptional professionals.
I give thanks and appreciation to The Nippon
Foundation for the opportunity to study at WMU,
which has helped me to contribute what I can to theglobal maritime Industry.

Messages from Affiliated Institutions
WMU Sasakawa Fellows of the Philippine Coast Guard:
Dependable Pillars of the Organization
Rodolfo D. Isorena

Vice Admiral
Philippine Coast Guard

The Philippine Coast Guard is a major recipientof sponsorship from The Nippon Foundation, withseveral of its officers having received Fellowship
Grants for studies at the World Maritime
University in Malmö, Sweden. Of a total of fifty
graduates and current students at WMU, 56%
have been sponsored by The Nippon Foundation,
all twenty-eight being PCG officers.
The sponsorship by The Nippon Foundation of
PCG officers started in 1994 with the aim ofassisting the PCG to professionalize and develop
their competence, notwithstanding the need todevelop a network of maritime professionals in the
country.
True enough, the Philippine Coast Guard has

fully benefited from this support. Of thetwenty-eight graduates, six are currently designatedas Commanders of Coast Guard Districts, which
are the major operational units of the PCG. Three
hold Functional and Support Command positions,
three hold Central Staff positions, another three are
currently assigned onboard ships, seven hold otherimportant staff positions, two are now studying at
WMU, and five have retired from service.
Of the retirees, one was a former Commandant of
the PCG, one is currently serving as an Assistant
Secretary at the Department of Transportation andCommunications, another is working with the
Bureau of Customs, the fourth is working with theForeign Service, and the last has emigrated toanother country.
The Nippon Foundation-sponsored WMUgraduates have played vital roles in molding the
PCG to what it is now – a dynamic andservice-oriented organization for the Filipino
people.
They could be considered as dependable pillars
who have withstood the challenges of time andnature, which the PCG has faced recently as wellas in the past. They have provided policy-making
decisions and have been in the thick of the action
as they perform their functions.
To this, the PCG is very thankful to The Nippon
Foundation for its continuous trust and support
towards our organization.

The Newsletter’s Beginnings

Masato Mori

Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, MLIT
（Former Director-General, Maritime Bureau, MLIT）

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations to theJapan Newsletter of the Friends of WMU on the
publication of its 50th issue since the beginning of
publication in October 2002.
In 2001, the administration of Japan’s WMU
scholarship system was transferred from the Tokyo
Foundation to the Ocean Policy Research Foundation. For a two-year period commencing in August
2000, I was temporarily transferred to OPRF from
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism and took part in preparations for thetransfer.
During that time my senior officer at the ministry, Mr. Kudo, and I often had long, passionate
discussions from early in the morning until late atnight. The focus of our discussions can be summa-

rized in the following two points:(1) What should Japan as a maritime nation do to
make a more active and effective contribution to
IMO and WMU?
(2) What should be done to continue and maintain a close-knit network among and between
fellows and maritime-related persons in Japan not
only during their studies but also after graduation?
These discussions in fact resulted in a number of
positive outcomes, thanks to the heart-warming
understanding of Chairman Sasakawa. These
include a significant increase in the number ofFellows (1st year, from 12 to 25 students), theestablishment of an endowed chair, and the holdingof meetings to build a Sasakawa Fellow network. At
the meeting held in July 2001, 145 Fellows from 28

countries joined in discussions regarding measures to build a close-knit, long-lasting network,and the newsletter plays a key role in this.
In the past I was in a position where I assisted in
the selection of Japanese scholarship students andlater received them in the workplace after graduation. It is clear to me that the graduates have asound understanding of the international nature of
the oceans and that they are leaders in their workplaces.
I sincerely hope that the Fellow network will bepassed on to your children’s generation and thatthe newsletter will continue publication wellbeyond the 100th or 200th issue.

The Impact of Sasakawa Scholarship Programmes in Kenya
Nancy W. Karigithu

Director General
Kenya Maritime Authority

It is a fact that the single most important asset a
company or country can be said to possess is its
human resources. This is what determines its development. It is with this realization that Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) embarked on the trainingof its employees, in order to address the major challenge of lack of skilled and appropriately qualified
human resources in the maritime sector. This gap
came about due to the fact that Kenya was for along time not on the ‘white list’ of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO), and under thosecircumstances it was not entitled to train seafarers
as per the clear provisions of the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certificationand Watchkeeping (STCW), 1978, (as amended).
In this regard, we take great pride in the Sasakawa
scholarships granted to our employees, which haveassisted the completion of critical training

programmes at the World Maritime Authority(WMU) and International Maritime Law Institute(IMLI) in Sweden and Malta, respectively. The
scholarships granted to our employees throughSasakawa Fellowship programmes are evident fruitsof the warm, cordial and brotherly relationship thatexists between Kenya and Japan.
Since the inception of the Authority, six employees
have undertaken post graduate programmes at
WMU. Two of them were fully sponsored by
Sasakawa Fellowship programmes. These highly
trained and skilled personnel have been instrumental
in the development of our country’s framework forthe implementation of international conventions
that Kenya has ratified for the maritime sector. The
employees represent the Authority and our country
in international meetings and forums and have also
assisted in the development of the curricula necessary

8for national maritime training. Based on this andother areas of performance, Kenya has since entered
the IMO ‘white list,’ and the country’s maritime
education and training is back on course. The staff
also represents the country in various negotiations
for bilateral and multi-lateral agreements. Currently, most of the employees who occupy senior
positions in the Authority are either graduates of
WMU or IMLI.
On behalf of KMA, I wish to express my sincere
appreciation to The Nippon Foundation for granting me and my fellow employees the prestigious
Sasakawa Fellowship scholarships. These scholarships have gone a long way towards building sorely
needed capacity in our country’s maritime sector.
The strides we have made as a nation could nothave been possible without these generous andnoble Sasakawa scholarships.

Benefits that Lecturers Obtained at WMU
Nguyen Van Thu

President
Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport

First of all I would like to express my sincere
appreciation to OPRF and The Nippon Foundation for their continuing, tremendous support. For
all the fellowship students, having the opportunity
to study at WMU not only offers them the chance
to be in a very good academic setting, embracing
new knowledge and expertise, but it also gives
them a unique chance to experience a multicultural
working environment, which is an important factor
in this modern, flat world.
At the moment, there are about 4 lecturers at the
University of Transport in Ho Chi Minh City
(UT-HCMC) who have received scholarships to
WMU. These colleagues are really valuable assetsof our university. After studying in Sweden, theobvious improvement that I can see is that they are
more confident, better at English, with significantly improved communicative skills, and mostimportantly, enriched knowledge and expertise,allowing them to be more creative and work
enthusiastically.
It is good news that after completing their
Master’s Degree at WMU, many of these students
confidently continue to pursue greater challenges by
getting their PhD, studying in many other countries
such as Germany, Japan, etc. Personally, I think thisis a beneficial result of their previous multiculturallearning experiences at WMU.
At UT-HCMC, they have organized many workshops, such as “Scientific Research Methods at University,” which they were taught very assiduously at
WMU, and “Logistics and Transport in Vietnam –the Reality and New Trends.” Some young lecturers
also attracted projects from other countries, allowing UT-HCMC to become a part of the global
academic network.
They do more research and guide their students todo the same. They also eagerly participate in many

seminars and workshops domestically and internationally. Moreover, lecturers who have studied at
WMU always get good reviews from the students
in our biannual surveys.
We are proud that we have such good andtalented people, particularly those returning from
WMU, where they have obtained a good background and a solid foundation from their studies.
Therefore, I would like to express my thanks once
again to Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and all the staff
members from OPRF and The Nippon Foundation for your extraordinary efforts in supporting thefuture intellectual generation of Vietnam. As for
HCMC, we are committed to continue to supportand encourage our people to actively contribute to
the development of our nation and to humanitarian efforts around the world, with their energy,
their newly gained knowledge and expertise.

Maritime Information from Sasakawa Fellows
Maritime Logistics Infrastructure
Development Strategy in Myanmar
Swe Swe Zin (Myanmar, 2010)
Myanmar, one of the developing countries inSoutheast Asia, has been well-known in the region
for its rich natural resources, abundant labor force
and being strategically located between two
economic giants: the People’s Republic of China andIndia. Myanmar is now in a transition period of
opening up to trade, encouraging foreign investment,
and deepening its financial sector in line withwide-ranging national economic and policy reforms.
Accordingly, it is expected to increase its maritime
trade with foreign countries in the near future. The
vital role of logistics service in the maritime transportindustry has also been acknowledged in this regard.
However, UNCTAD (2003) reported that mostdeveloping countries are usually confronted with anumber of factors that are particularly detrimental totheir nation’s logistics service quality, and thus many
importers, exporters, and manufacturers have only
limited access to logistics service offered by local
service providers in these countries. Therefore, taking
into consideration how to assess maritime logistics
service quality and what influencing factors are of
critical importance to its substantial improvement interms of Myanmar, I concentrated my PhD research
on an empirical assessment of my country’s maritime
logistics service quality.
The research findings indicate that physicalinfrastructure has the greatest impact on the level ofservice quality, not only for local logistics operations
but also for the successful integration of its logistics
service into the regional and international logistics
network. Under these circumstances, thegovernment’s logistics infrastructure development
strategy through encouraging private sector
participation - for instance, investment in the current
implementation of the Yangon inner harbordevelopment plan; deep sea port projects in thestrategic location of the country’s coastal areas would be beneficial to the sustainable developmentof maritime logistics service with improved quality in
Myanmar.

Quality Training for the Human Element a Way to Reduce Casualties in Maritime Transportation
Khalid Mahmud (Bangladesh, 2007)
Over the past three decades, it has been observedthat shipping accidents are rife in the maritime
field, even though there has been a tremendous
integration of innovative technologies in this
sector.
Although some statistical analysis shows thatmaritime accidents and disasters occur due tocyclones, collisions, design error, overloading,
structural or navigational or other such failures,
researchers and casualty investigators havediscovered that around 80% of accidents are due tohuman error and the human element. Hence, there
is a definite need for an adequate safety culture,
which will be brought about by the values,

attitudes, competency and patterns of behavior
seen in the lifestyle, commitment, and proficiency ofseafarers, as well as the shipping industry.
There is no denying that maritime transportationis trusted worldwide, both for international andinland shipping, due to its lower operating costs,
higher accessibility and comparatively safe nature.
Nevertheless, recent recurring global shipping accidents are changing the state of affairs. Although
Bangladeshi local and international maritime accidents are different in nature, all of these occur due
to the miscalculation of humans.
At this point in time, we are looking at circumstances that cause people to make dangerous

9

mistakes. The most common is people on duty
during emergency episodes who are found to bephysically tired, drowsy, or asleep. Symptoms offatigue are forgetfulness, distractedness, difficultyin keeping the eyes open, sore muscles, reduction
in motivation, and inability to properly operate
equipment. This affects reaction time, manual
dexterity, mental arithmetic, cognitive reasoning,mood, attention span, and motivation. With theaim of increasing awareness on the effects offatigue on the human element, various functional
and inspectional documents indicate that quality
training towards a safety culture is of paramountimportance.

Host Family in Malmö
Bengt and Carin Bergman
To be a WMU host family gives us so muchpleasure and insight into other cultures and waysof being and thinking. Another bonus: in
September 2014, we visited our student (now a
WMU graduate) Baigalmaa Damba, in Mongolia.
We spent lovely days in Ulaanbaatar with
Baigalmaa’s family; friendship, culture andpleasure. Then began the real adventure: a visit to
the nomads of the Gobi Desert.
Baigalmaa planned the trip for us with some true
“desert foxes,” all of whom had roots in the Gobi.
After some days off-road driving on the steppe andsemi-desert visiting friendly nomads, we arrived at
the home of our hosts’ brother, Zurig, and hiswife. How do you find them and their yurt(nomad tent) in the vast desert? You call theirsatellite phone and ask where they are! Nomads
today have solar panels for electricity.

We shared their nomad life for a couple of days
and tried to be helpful. Survival in this vast sandand gravel environment looked impossible, with
only very few dried-up tufts of grass around. It was
fascinating to see how the animals were cared forand their milk used. Camels, goats and sheep
wandered back to the camp each evening after theirday grazing. The nomads used a system of
milking and allowing young animals to nurse at
separate times, so that everyone got what theyneeded. Fascinating to see the huge camels milked
by hand by our hosts: I was too frightened to try.
The milk was fermented to yoghurt, distilled, andthen dried on the roof of the yurt to curd.
Distillation gives “camel-vodka”: not for sale, but areal elixir of life!
After sharing this nomad life my view ofsurviving in the desert has totally changed. It is not
only possible to survive, in many ways it is a goodlife of high quality, with little stress. So relaxing tosit together on the carpets in the yurt eating anddrinking. If it’s chilly, put on a shirt. If you’retired, take a nap.
Our thanks to Baigalmaa for this unforgettable
experience!

Kjell and Britt-Marie Wernebecker
We are a Swedish family living in Malmö. For
many years we have been meeting students from
WMU, and in 2010 we decided to apply to be an
official host family. That decision also gave us theopportunity to learn more about the organizations
and people behind the scenes, like OPRF.
Through the years we have hosted many
Sasakawa Fellows from different countries,
mostly from Asia. Every year we ask for 2-3
students, and the funny thing is that we always“adopt” a couple of their friends, so sometimes wehave 6-8 students with us in our home or on trips
that we arrange.
When we meet our students we try to introduce
them to Swedish culture. We invite them to ourhome to celebrate Swedish holidays withtraditional food and drink. Sometimes we also do
outdoor activities like ice skating in winter, orcelebrate Spring, or just a picnic in thesummertime. But for us it’s also important tolearn about their cultures, so we feel this is a
win-win situation for all of us. One of the most
joyful days for us is International Day, which isarranged each year by the students, where we cansee the cultures of so many countries. Of course,
Graduation Day is also one of the highlights, but
it’s a sad day as well, since we realize that oursoon be leaving us. However, as we are a couple
that likes to travel, we never say goodbye to them.
We always say “See you!”
On our journeys we have met a couple ofstudents in their own environment and in theirhomes. In 2012 we went to Australia to visit
relatives, and at the same time we met one of ourstudents and Sasakawa Fellow, Mr. Alim Fazleyfrom Bangladesh, who had just moved to Sydney!
Last year (2014) we visited Thailand andVietnam and had a reunion with students fromthere. In Thailand we saw Sasakawa Fellow Mr.
Sopun Maneechot and some other WMU
students. In Vietnam we met Ms. Doan Thu Ngaand Mr. Khuong Duy Hiep and many more
students from years back.
Our trip this year is planned for the Philippines,
where we hope to see Mr. Jose Romualdo
Denzon and many, many more.

Patrik and Shara Andersson
My wife and I became a host family for WMU
students sponsored by the OPRF in 2013. I am
Swedish but have my roots in Sri Lanka, where I
am adopted from, and my wife is Sinhalese. This is
why so far we have hosted students from Sri
Lanka. By chance we made friends with WMU
students in 2012, and we spent a lot of time withthem during the spring, fall and winter that year. It
was due to this experience that we had the pleasureof becoming a host family for the coming WMUbatches.
Apart from introducing the students to Swedish
traditions in terms of cultural events associatedwith Christmas, Easter and of course Swedish
midsummer, we have engaged them in otheractivities, including seeing and experiencing
Giants’ kettles, skiing and looking for the
Northern Lights.

The most memorable event was when three
WMU students and I went to northern Sweden, a
trip of about 1500km, to try skiing and to see thenorthern countryside. We had a great time, andthey have told me many times afterwards that thosedays will stay in their memories forever. Especially,
all the falls and pain and bruises on their “behinds”

10

that they endured during our cross country
training!
Last summer we took the students to my
Swedish parents’ summer house, which is close to
the west coast of Sweden. It’s a small cabin in the
middle of the forest, with sites and historicalremains nearby from the last ice age, as well asfrom the time of the Vikings.
Recently, we have been taking this year’s batch of
students onto our family sailboat to show them theÖresund sea, outside the cities of Malmö and
Copenhagen. These have been very happy times,
especially since the Swedish summer this year was
so nice.
We look forward to continuing to host andsupport WMU students for decades to come,building a long-lasting network and friendshipsthat will span over generations.

Kent Andersson
Mayor of Malmö

Now as the World Maritime University is
preparing to move into its new premises, it seems
a good time to reflect on the 30 year period the
University has been in Malmö. Clearly, the University is not the same as it was in 1984. WMU
has developed from an institution offering topclass education to one accommodating both education and research at the very cutting edge ofworld maritime affairs.
Just as WMU is not the same institution as itwas 30 years ago, Malmö is not the same city.
During the decades that have passed, the city haschanged fundamentally in many important ways.
In common with many other cities, Malmö haschanged its business structure. It has transformed
from a traditional city dominated by large industries – the metal industry, textile and similar
manufacturing industries – into the city we see
today, hallmarked instead by small andmedium-sized companies with a much more
knowledge-based economy.
This change has, like all significant changes,
brought with it challenges as well as opportunities.
One of those challenges is employment: Malmö
has, of course, lost tens of thousands of jobs inindustry and manufacture and many people havebecome unemployed as a consequence. Malmö
still has a level of unemployment higher thanmany other cities in the region and we need to
dedicate a lot of resources towards helping people
attain new skills. As many unemployed are in the
middle of their working lives, strategies for lifelong learning are central to addressing this challenge.
Amongst the possibilities brought about by thechanges in Malmö are the centrally-located sites
previously occupied by industry. These areas
make possible modern, environmentallysustainable town planning. The Western Harbour
area is the clearest example of the way such sites
are being developed.
When WMU opened, this site was part ofMalmö Kockums’ shipyard, an industry ofparticular importance to Malmö’s economy andin fact to its identity. But it was an industry
which closed just a few years later, in the mid1980s. What remained was an industrial site thatfor many years stood abandoned, a constantreminder of a closed chapter in the city’s history.
Today, the Western Harbour area has truly put
Malmö on the world map as a prime example ofsustainable development. An area that was once arun-down, environmentally soiled industrial site
is today the home of thousands of people and alsoa work-place offering many more job opportunities than the shipbuilding industry could in its lastyears. Instead of these jobs being offered by one
large employer, today there are hundreds of small
and medium-sized businesses offering work.
Another large change we can trace in Malmö isthe difference in its demography. The city now has
an international population, providing a fitting
context for the diversity that WMU sowonderfully typifies. In the course of its history,
WMU has enabled over 3,900 to gain skills andeducation; these students have come from a totalof 165 countries. Over the same period, Malmö
has changed from being a traditional Swedish city
into an international home to residents from morethan 175 countries. That Malmö is a city peoplechoose to move to also means that we have ayoung population, envied by many. WMU’s
young, international students fit in well here.
A third big change in recent years for Malmö isof course the opening of the Öresund Bridge
which connects Sweden and Denmark,Copenhagen and Malmö. This developing

11Öresund Region has an economic anddemographic significance that gives this area
enormous potential for development. Not least, it
gives Malmö a wonderful strategic connection to
Copenhagen Airport, something that WMU cantake great advantage of when it moves to its newbuilding. The new premises is situated just a few
metres from the train station and the connection
to Copenhagen Airport, which runs every 20
minutes every day. And the journey itself takes
under half an hour!
As I noted at the beginning, Malmö is not thesame city it was when WMU opened its doors.
However, we feel the same pride now as we didthen to be the host city for IMO’s importantcentre of education for maritime specialists. We
are delighted to be able to contribute to WMU’sdevelopment in a positive way. At the same time
we are aware that there are many supporters whomake important and essential contributions to
WMU, not least the Nippon Foundation and the
Ocean Policy Research Foundation. In thiscontext, we are pleased that WMU continues tostrengthen our city’s international contact
network.

Japan’s Support for WMU (A Review of the Past 30 Some Odd Years)
1) Since World War II, ships have become
remarkably specialized and large-sized. In
addition, the system of ownership andoperation of vessels has become extremelycomplex, with an increasing number of ships
flying flags of convenience and having crews ofdiverse nationalities. In tandem with thesedevelopments, international treaties have also
been growing in complexity and scope. Against
this backdrop, the IMO has recognized theneed for high-level elite training, particularly indeveloping countries.

scholarships for 10 students from 1995 to 1996. Facebook page in 2014.
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, affiliated with
The Nippon Foundation, was entrusted with the 7) Little by little, the activities of the Sasakawa
Fellows network are becoming moremanagement of this scholarship fund.
widespread through various efforts, including
4) Japan’s shipping industry, shipbuilding the following:industry, and classification society expressed ① Sasakawa Fellows regional meetings every
their gratitude for the scholarship program that few years (Bangkok, Thailand in 2008,
The Nippon Foundation managed on behalf of Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2010, Accra, Ghana in
the Japanese maritime societies, and provided 2013)
scholarships to more than 10 students from ② Collaboration with WMU projects (such as
1993 to 1998 in total. Reacting in concert with the Commemorative International Conference
their generosity, The Nippon Foundation for the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment
increased its contributing scholarships at a rate of WMU in 2008)of 25 every year since 1997.
③ Publication of the Directory of the WMU
Sasakawa Fellows (first issued in 2008)
5) In 1998, the management of the scholarshipfund was transferred to the Global Foundation
for Research and Scholarship (currently, The
Tokyo Foundation), and in 2001 was againtransferred to the Ship and Ocean Foundation(currently, Ocean Policy Research Foundation).

2) In 1983, the same year as the establishmentof WMU, Professor Kensaku Nomoto of
Osaka University, a global figure in the field ofnaval architecture, was dispatched to WMU at
the request of the IMO. Moreover, from 1987
onwards the Japan Shipbuilding Industry
F o u n d a t i o n ( c u r r e n t l y , Th e N i p p o nFoundation), headed by the late Ryoichi
Sasakawa, donated scholarship funds of one
million dollars to WMU. Under the
management of WMU, these funds were 6) In July 2001, at the initiative of Mr. Yohei
allocated to scholarships for seven to nine Sasakawa, the “WMU Japan Sasakawa Fellow
Forum” was held in Tokyo, inviting almost all
students every year from 1988 to 1994.
graduates sponsored by Japan. At that time the3）When these funds were running out, the launch of the network was decided unanimously
IMO strongly requested that Japan continue in earnest. Methods of communication with
the WMU scholarship program. Upon Fellows since then have been further enriched
receiving this request, The Nippon Foundation by various means, including the publication of
established the Sasakawa Scholarship Fund the Friends of WMU Japan Newsletter, whichwith an amount equivalent to four million US commenced in 2002, the establishment of the
WMU website in 2005, and the launch of adollars. The Nippon Foundation provided

The Ship and Ocean Foundation, known today as the Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF), was established in 1975 as the JapanFoundation for Shipbuilding Advancement. Since then it has actively worked to promote shipbuilding and related industries, as well as
engaging in research activities covering all aspects of the ocean.
As of April 1, 2015, our Foundation will be consolidated with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and will continue as before to carry on our
activities in the maritime and related fields. We look forward to working with you and for your continued support and guidance.
Friends of WMU, Japan Secretariat, OPRF

I still remember a straightforward question raised by an
Indian Fellow when I visited there in 2008, “Mr. Kudo, what
do you mean by a network?” It took some time for me to beconvinced that network meant ‘a circle of trust’. Since Fellows
come from various organizations in different countries, it is nowonder that their interests do not always match. Even so, theycan expect each other to find a solution in common somehow,
under “a circle of trust”.
We have continued to publish these Newsletters with the solewish to create such an atmosphere. What I enjoy most is reading reports and looking at photographs you send us, whichreflect friendships engaging in serious discussions, while sharing good camaraderie.
Chairman Yohei Sasakawa says, “our acquaintanceships arefor our lifetime.” That is the true value of being part of the“Sasakawa family”. As a member of this family, it is really
important to relay our bond to junior Fellows, so we also
encourage retired Fellows to tell us what you have been up to
recently. Because we are FAMILY. Please feel free to write to
us about anything.
Your active contribution is an expression of your affection to
our network and your pride in being a Sasakawa Fellow.
Therefore, the protagonist of this Newsletter is supposed to be
YOU. If your passionate feelings toward it ever disappear,that is when this Newsletter will come to the end, and somight the scholarship program.
Let me express my sincere gratitude to Professor Hikima
and Mme. Sue Jackson and the staff of the WMU, who havebeen with us since the first issue, and all who are involved in
the editing of the Newsletter. Also, it is our great hope thatthe interview with Chairman Sasakawa - which honors the
Eisuke Kudo,
50th anniversary of this Newsletter - expresses his deepest Special Adviser, OPRF
thoughts and feelings to you all. Thank you.

Toranomon 35 Mori Building, 3-4-10 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 JAPAN
Tel: +81-(0)3-5404-6843 Fax: +81-(0)3-5404-6800 URL: http://www.sof.or.jp/