37

Commandant, Admiral Ramon Castaneda Liwag of
the Philippines Coast Guard and His Delegation Visit The Nippon Foundation

Commandant, Admiral Ramon Castaneda Liwag of the Philippines
Coast Guard paid a courtesy visit to The Nippon Foundation on
September 5 and met with Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon
Foundation. Admiral Liwag is a WMU Sasakawa Fellow who traveled
to Sweden with support from the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan andgraduated from the World Maritime University in 1996.
During this courtesy visit, Chairman Sasakawa spoke about the
introduction in April 2011 of the Coast Guard Capacity Improvement
Program to Secure Safety and Environmental Conservation in Asian
Oceans at the Japan Coast Guard Academy, the only coast guard
academy in the Asian region, in cooperation with the Japan Coast
Guard, the Japan Coast Guard Association, and The Nippon
Foundation. At that time Chairman Sasakawa expressed his hope that

the Japan Coast Guard Academy would take on the role as aninternational base responsible for training personnel for maritime safety
organizations in the future.
(On the following day, September 6, Commandant Liwag visited theJapan Coast Guard Academy where he met with Philippines Coast
Guard officers who were participating in this program.)
In the evening on September
5, Commandant and Mrs.
Liwag met with five Japanese
Sasakawa Fellows and had theopportunity to spend somepleasant time in a friendly
atmosphere and to deepen theirmutual friendship as WMU
Sasakawa Fellows.

December
2011

On October 18, with the President of the Philippines
in attendance, a ceremony was held to commemorate the110th anniversary of the establishment of the Philippines
Coast Guard. A plaque of appreciation that was to bepresented to Chairman Sasakawa at the ceremony waslater entrusted to Executive Director Umino of The
Nippon Foundation by Commandant Liwag who wasattending the 7th Heads of Asia Coast Guard Agencies
Meeting (HACGAM7) in Hanoi in late October.

Our Expanding Family
Ram & Sutopa Saha (Bangladesh, 2009)

Dear All,
Hope all of you are doing well and are having a wonderful day. I remember with very much love
my WMU life and OPRF support. Now I want to share the wonderful news that our first daughter‘Raakhi’, was born at the Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital, Dhaka, on October 12th at 10:50
pm. We were so blessed to bring her home when she was three days old! Raakhi means “piece ofcolored thread worn around the wrist as a symbol of protection.” This name was chosen by mymother. We are enjoying her sweet smile. She is such a good baby and hardly ever cries! Our lives are
so much happier and better (with a few challenges) because of our little one! She is full of joy andtruly the light of our lives. Life is good… God is great!

Kingdom of Thailand
Heavy rainfall in Thailand since October 10 has resulted in devastating floods, particularly in the northeast and central regions of the country,
including the area of the historical remains of Ayutthaya, the country’s ancient capital. According to government reports, 366 people had lost theirlives as of October 25, and it has been reported that a large number of people have fallen victim to the floods. We pray for the quick recovery andrebuilding of areas affected by the floods and hope that those who have suffered losses may soon find comfort in the days ahead.
Republic of Turkey
At 1:41 pm (7:41 pm Japan Time) on October 23, a major earthquake registering a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale hit the southeasternregion of Turkey. The Government of Turkey announced that as of October 27 over 500 people had lost their lives and more than 2,000 people
had suffered injuries. We pray that the people of Turkey will overcome this disaster as soon as possible and make every effort for their recovery.

Editor’s note

Important discussions on securing and training adequate crew
members to serve on Japanese vessels have begun in Japan. There arealso rumors afoot concerning Japan’s maritime institutes whose
jurisdiction is divided between the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. According to these rumors,these institutions are currently being reviewed with the intention ofreorganizing and integrating them to eliminate wasteful overlap. For
professors and instructors of these institutes, who see “wastefuloverlap” as an unavoidable part of education, the possibility of suchchanges is not by any means welcome. However, maritime transport isa vital mainstay in transportation, and securing and training superiorcrew are common challenges that countries the world over face. Withan awareness of the instrumental role they play in education andtraining in the maritime industry, instructors must be willing todemonstrate greater efforts for its future.
Prof. Toshio Hikima

Mr. Kunihiko Kitabayashi, Mr. Tomoya Shimizu

Marine Technical Education Agency

Field Study Trip Class 2011
On

Sunday, August 14, 2011, 24
Sasakawa Fellows representing 14
different nationalities, together with WMURegistrar Ton Smaal, arrived at Kansai
Airport in Osaka, Japan for the Class 2011
Study Trip upon invitation by The Nippon
Foundation and organized by the Ocean
Policy Research Foundation (OPRF).
Given the disastrous earthquake andtsunami of March 11 and the subsequentcancellation of the field study trip in May, it iseven more remarkable that only five months
later, the Fellows were given the opportunity
to visit and learn about the country, culture
and maritime industry of Japan. Many thanks
to Dr. Sasakawa’s strong will, the unlimited
efforts of The Nippon Foundation and OPRF
for making this study trip possible… For us!
During the bus trip to our hotel, we
immediately witnessed the impressive
infrastructure of the cities of Osaka and Kobe,
their major port areas, bridges and highways.

August 15: Marine TechnicalCollege, Kobe
Our first visit was to the Marine TechnicalCollege in Kobe. It is the only governmental

institute of vocational training for mariners
under the direct control of the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport andTourism (MLIT). We were welcomed by
Prof. Toshio Hikima, former professor at
WMU, who explained enthusiastically about
the Japanese maritime education andtraining system.

August 16: Nippon Survival Training
Center (NSTC)NSTC is the first private training facility inJapan which was established to:
1. decrease the loss of human life from
accidents at sea;
2. correspond to an international approach;
3. develop the knowledge, skills andcompetency of marine and maritime
human resources.
We were able to observe several spectacular
practical training exercises, such as the Freefall
Lifeboat Safety Operation Training, theHelicopter Underwater Escape Training(HUET), and more.

Kanmon Kaikyo Vessel Traffic
Service Center

The mission of the Kanmon Kaikyo Vessel
Traffic Service Center, Kanmon MARTIS, is
to maintain and improve the safety andefficiency of vessel traffic in the Kanmon
Strait. It was established and is operated by theJapan Coast Guard. The narrow strait, busy
traffic, and strong currents make it a real
challenge for navigators to safely pass throughthis area. After observing the VTS-center‘over the shoulders’ of the operators, we visited
Hinoyama Park, which is right along the
Kanmon Strait. The strength of the currents
was clearly visible, as we noted the differencein speed of ships going upstream anddownstream.

Current activities of ISO/TC8 (Ships and Marine Technology)
Kunihiko Kitabayashi
Japan Ship Technology and Research Association (JSTRA)

Field Study Trip Class 2011
August 17: The Shimonoseki
Shipyard & Machinery Works
The Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery
Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
took advantage of its favorable location on the
Kanmon Strait to start operations in 1914,
with ship repair as its main business. This yard
is very important to the community and isactually located in a residential area. As wearrived by bus, we were shocked to see a huge
ship’s hull looming high above theneighboring houses. At the site, we visited therepair dock, interior shop, assembly andwelding shops, among others. It is remarkablethat the Shimonoseki Shipyard builds manydifferent types of ships: ferries, car carriers,
RORO boats, and special-purpose vessels,
such as cable layers, ocean research vessels andaluminum-alloy high-speed boats.

August 18 : Heishin Kikai Kogyo
Co., Ltd.
Heishin Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd. has emerged
as a leading manufacturer dedicated to thedesign and manufacture of marine equipment,
including oil-water separators. Currently,
almost a third of new ships built in Japan(mid-size cargo ships) use their pumps.
In addition, Heishin Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd.
conducts various R&D activities for theeffective utilization of idle farmland,
improving Japan’s self-sufficiency in foodproducts, and bringing back young people
who have been moving away from farming inrecent years. At the ‘Heishin Farm’ we wereshown a video of the farm’s activities
supporting and distributing their food to those
suffering from the effects of the March 11
disaster. Afterwards, we enjoyed an excellent
lunch, which, of course, included vegetables
and fruit from their own greenhouses.

of the events that occurred in March, thetime spent receiving our group was greatly
appreciated. The Nippon Foundation and
OPRF staff provided us with anunforgettable week in Japan.

August 19 : Courtesy Visit to The
Nippon Foundation
Unfortunately, Chairman Yohei Sasakawa
was away on an overseas business trip theweek of our visit. Instead, we experienced avery warm welcome from Mr. Takeju Ogata,President of The Nippon Foundation and
Mr. Shuhei Okazaki, Executive Director of
OPRF. Mr. Ogata spoke to us about theDisaster area in the north of Japan, where hehas his roots and family. Such a personal
story made a strong impression on us andcould only be answered with silence andrespect.
After this overwhelming beginning, thestudents introduced themselves, telling of
their individual backgrounds and reasonsfor studying at WMU. Mr. Rajesh Mittalfrom India then spoke for all of us. Though
it was meant to be a very formal meeting,
we ended with a question-and-answer
session, with Mr. Ogata and Mr. Okazaki
giving us much of their precious time.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism (MLIT)
At the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism, students were
informed about the organizational setup,
policies and action plans of Japanesemaritime affairs. Mr. Norifumi Ide, DG ofthe Maritime Bureau and Mr. Hideo
Kubota, Director of the Maritime Safety
Standards Division, paid the Fellows a warm
welcome. Mr. Ivan Roldan from thePhilippines expressed our gratitude toward
MLIT, in the name of all Fellows. Finally
Mr. Shinichiro Otsubo, Director forInternational Regulations, Safety Standards
Division, gave a very interesting lecture on
Ship Recycling and the Hong Kong
Convention.
Many Japanese organizations andinstitutes were visited that week. During
thevisits,weexperienced
theheart-warming
hospitalityof
staff
members, as no effort was spared to makeour visit as interesting as possible. In light2

1. Maritime Transport and ISO
ISO (International Organization forStandardization) has 214 Technical Committees(TC), and TC8 (Ships and Marine Technology)
develops various standards relating to maritime
transport safety & environmental issues. In thisarticle, I would like to introduce current topics
concerning ISO/TC8 activities in which you may
be interested.
TC8 has several Sub Committees which coverimportant issues in maritime transport anddevelop various standards related to maritime
transport technology. In many cases, regulations
and technical requirements developed by IMO arecomplemented by related ISO standards.
2. ISO/TC8 Plenary Meeting
The annual ISO/TC8 Plenary Meeting was heldin Helsinki, Finland, from October 24-28.
At this plenary meeting, it was agreed that TC8
will concentrate on developing standards on“special offshore structures and support vessels”,
bearing in mind that the offshore wind energy
sector is the most urgent in this industry.
Along with that, the latest activities of each Sub
Committee are reported as follows. In this article,
several topics that readers may be interested in aretaken up.
SC1 (Lifesaving and Fire Protection)
It was reported that new ISO standards tocomplement the IMO FSS Code (“International

We also must mention the unlimited
enthusiasm and dedication of the entire
organizing team, which guided us all week.
Just some examples:
The Sasakawa Fellowship program has now
provided 476 Fellowships for students from 54
countries to study the M.Sc. program at
WMU in Malmö, Sweden. Japan has been
the biggest supporter of WMU for years. Not
only in the number of fellowships, but also by:- funding professional chairs to enable
WMU to provide the teaching and researchcapabilities required by the maritime industry;- funding upgrades in IT facilities;- offering sponsorship and opportunities forour relocation to the Old Port Building in
Malmö.

On behalf of the Fellows of the Class of
2011, I would like to thank Dr. Sasakawa,
The Nippon Foundation, OPRF and the(host) institutes from the Japanese maritime
industry for their continuous support for
more than 22 years, and hopefully, for many
more years to come.
Ton Smaal
Registrar, WMU

Code for Fire safety Systems) were underdevelopment. In addition, ISO/TC8 agreed to
examine existing standards and requirements forthe design, operation and maintenance of lifting
appliances.
SC2 (Marine Environment Protection)
IMO AFS Convention (“International
Convention on the Control of Harmful
Anti-fouling Systems on Ships”) encourages, in its
resolution, to continue to work towards the
harmonization of test methods and assessment
methodologies, and performance standards foranti-fouling systems containing biocides. In
relation to this, the ISO 13073 series for risk
assessment on anti-fouling systems on ships isbeing developed. At this plenary meeting, thecurrent level of development of these standards
was reported.
SC3 (Piping and Machinery)
It was reported that ISO standards on ballast
water management and cold ironing are being
developed. For future ISO standards, LNG
marine engines, dual fuel marine engines andreduction of noise from machinery werementioned.
SC4 (Outfitting and Deck Machinery)
It was decided that the current ISO standards forrubber fenders (ISO 17357) are to be reviewed toreflect the latest technology. In addition, new ISO
standards on mooring equipment are being
developed.

SC6 (Navigation and Ship Operations)This SC has been developing numerous standards
on navigation equipment which are required by
SOLAS Chapter V. In this plenary, it was statedthat SC6 plans to develop new standards forinclinometers.
SC8 (Ship Design)
It was reported that draft ISO 16145 series
guidelines for IMO PSPC (PerformanceStandards for Protective Coating) were being
developed, divided into five parts. For future
projects, the standardization of WIG (wing inground effect craft) was raised.
3. Conclusion
As shown above, ISO/TC8 discusses anddevelops various international standards which are
deeply related to IMO regulations such as
SOLAS and MARPOL. Therefore, it is useful for
us to carefully follow the activities of ISO,
especially for TC8, as well as IMO.

Reminiscing about My First Visit to Myanmar
Takanori Shigenaga
ZENI LITE BUOY CO., LTD.

I

landed at Yangon International Airport in
Myanmar at night on October 1, 2010. It has
been one year since my first trip to Myanmar
and my two-week rehabilitation of navigational
aids in Yangon Port.
It is still vivid to me how surprised I was thatmany people inside and outside the airport
seemed to fill the air with a lot of energy. I walked
up to Immigration and at first, with the security
cameras, I felt nervous. At an empty counter twolady officers were posing and checking how theylooked in a security camera, laughing at eachother. They noticed me watching and smiled. I
smiled back. That made me relax, and I felt thatwith these friendly people here my work would gosmoothly.

Cyclone Nargis had hit Myanmar in 2008.
There were a lot of casualties and many facilities
were damaged, including the navigational aids toYangon Port. The number of vessels entering thePort at night was restricted, especially because of
the narrow and shallow Monkey Channel, with
its complicated flows caused by 2 rivers and 1
creek. Zeni Lite Buoy Co., Ltd., as a navigational
aids manufacturer, and I participated in thedesigning, manufacturing, installing and training
to rehabilitate the leading lights for night
operation. This was successfully completed. With
some help from Sasakawa Fellows.
To bring our products into Myanmar for the
rehabilitation was difficult. A Bill of Lading was
required first by Myanmar to issue an importpermit. On the other side, the forwarder insisted3

on having the import permit first before shippingand issuing a Bill of Lading. Time passed and I
was quite behind schedule. I contacted two
Sasakawa Fellows, Mr. Kyaw Myo Win and Mr.
Aung Thein Win. Later on, the goods were safely
sent, and arrived without any trouble after theirhelp.
My most memorable time during my stay was
the reunion with the Fellows and our surprise tourof the beautiful and peaceful Shwedagon Pagoda.
Three Fellows from the Class of 2008, Mr. Aung
Thein Win, Mr. Kyaw Myo Win and Ms. Thet
Thet, who visited our Okayama factory during
their stay in Japan, Mr. Myat Moe (Class of1997) and Mr. Htay Aung (Class of 2007) got
together. Of course we all happily sang, “World
Maritime University, far away from home.”

Current activities of ISO/TC8 (Ships and Marine Technology)
Kunihiko Kitabayashi
Japan Ship Technology and Research Association (JSTRA)

Field Study Trip Class 2011
August 17: The Shimonoseki
Shipyard & Machinery Works
The Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery
Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
took advantage of its favorable location on the
Kanmon Strait to start operations in 1914,
with ship repair as its main business. This yard
is very important to the community and isactually located in a residential area. As wearrived by bus, we were shocked to see a huge
ship’s hull looming high above theneighboring houses. At the site, we visited therepair dock, interior shop, assembly andwelding shops, among others. It is remarkablethat the Shimonoseki Shipyard builds manydifferent types of ships: ferries, car carriers,
RORO boats, and special-purpose vessels,
such as cable layers, ocean research vessels andaluminum-alloy high-speed boats.

August 18 : Heishin Kikai Kogyo
Co., Ltd.
Heishin Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd. has emerged
as a leading manufacturer dedicated to thedesign and manufacture of marine equipment,
including oil-water separators. Currently,
almost a third of new ships built in Japan(mid-size cargo ships) use their pumps.
In addition, Heishin Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd.
conducts various R&D activities for theeffective utilization of idle farmland,
improving Japan’s self-sufficiency in foodproducts, and bringing back young people
who have been moving away from farming inrecent years. At the ‘Heishin Farm’ we wereshown a video of the farm’s activities
supporting and distributing their food to those
suffering from the effects of the March 11
disaster. Afterwards, we enjoyed an excellent
lunch, which, of course, included vegetables
and fruit from their own greenhouses.

of the events that occurred in March, thetime spent receiving our group was greatly
appreciated. The Nippon Foundation and
OPRF staff provided us with anunforgettable week in Japan.

August 19 : Courtesy Visit to The
Nippon Foundation
Unfortunately, Chairman Yohei Sasakawa
was away on an overseas business trip theweek of our visit. Instead, we experienced avery warm welcome from Mr. Takeju Ogata,President of The Nippon Foundation and
Mr. Shuhei Okazaki, Executive Director of
OPRF. Mr. Ogata spoke to us about theDisaster area in the north of Japan, where hehas his roots and family. Such a personal
story made a strong impression on us andcould only be answered with silence andrespect.
After this overwhelming beginning, thestudents introduced themselves, telling of
their individual backgrounds and reasonsfor studying at WMU. Mr. Rajesh Mittalfrom India then spoke for all of us. Though
it was meant to be a very formal meeting,
we ended with a question-and-answer
session, with Mr. Ogata and Mr. Okazaki
giving us much of their precious time.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism (MLIT)
At the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism, students were
informed about the organizational setup,
policies and action plans of Japanesemaritime affairs. Mr. Norifumi Ide, DG ofthe Maritime Bureau and Mr. Hideo
Kubota, Director of the Maritime Safety
Standards Division, paid the Fellows a warm
welcome. Mr. Ivan Roldan from thePhilippines expressed our gratitude toward
MLIT, in the name of all Fellows. Finally
Mr. Shinichiro Otsubo, Director forInternational Regulations, Safety Standards
Division, gave a very interesting lecture on
Ship Recycling and the Hong Kong
Convention.
Many Japanese organizations andinstitutes were visited that week. During
thevisits,weexperienced
theheart-warming
hospitalityof
staff
members, as no effort was spared to makeour visit as interesting as possible. In light2

1. Maritime Transport and ISO
ISO (International Organization forStandardization) has 214 Technical Committees(TC), and TC8 (Ships and Marine Technology)
develops various standards relating to maritime
transport safety & environmental issues. In thisarticle, I would like to introduce current topics
concerning ISO/TC8 activities in which you may
be interested.
TC8 has several Sub Committees which coverimportant issues in maritime transport anddevelop various standards related to maritime
transport technology. In many cases, regulations
and technical requirements developed by IMO arecomplemented by related ISO standards.
2. ISO/TC8 Plenary Meeting
The annual ISO/TC8 Plenary Meeting was heldin Helsinki, Finland, from October 24-28.
At this plenary meeting, it was agreed that TC8
will concentrate on developing standards on“special offshore structures and support vessels”,
bearing in mind that the offshore wind energy
sector is the most urgent in this industry.
Along with that, the latest activities of each Sub
Committee are reported as follows. In this article,
several topics that readers may be interested in aretaken up.
SC1 (Lifesaving and Fire Protection)
It was reported that new ISO standards tocomplement the IMO FSS Code (“International

We also must mention the unlimited
enthusiasm and dedication of the entire
organizing team, which guided us all week.
Just some examples:
The Sasakawa Fellowship program has now
provided 476 Fellowships for students from 54
countries to study the M.Sc. program at
WMU in Malmö, Sweden. Japan has been
the biggest supporter of WMU for years. Not
only in the number of fellowships, but also by:- funding professional chairs to enable
WMU to provide the teaching and researchcapabilities required by the maritime industry;- funding upgrades in IT facilities;- offering sponsorship and opportunities forour relocation to the Old Port Building in
Malmö.

On behalf of the Fellows of the Class of
2011, I would like to thank Dr. Sasakawa,
The Nippon Foundation, OPRF and the(host) institutes from the Japanese maritime
industry for their continuous support for
more than 22 years, and hopefully, for many
more years to come.
Ton Smaal
Registrar, WMU

Code for Fire safety Systems) were underdevelopment. In addition, ISO/TC8 agreed to
examine existing standards and requirements forthe design, operation and maintenance of lifting
appliances.
SC2 (Marine Environment Protection)
IMO AFS Convention (“International
Convention on the Control of Harmful
Anti-fouling Systems on Ships”) encourages, in its
resolution, to continue to work towards the
harmonization of test methods and assessment
methodologies, and performance standards foranti-fouling systems containing biocides. In
relation to this, the ISO 13073 series for risk
assessment on anti-fouling systems on ships isbeing developed. At this plenary meeting, thecurrent level of development of these standards
was reported.
SC3 (Piping and Machinery)
It was reported that ISO standards on ballast
water management and cold ironing are being
developed. For future ISO standards, LNG
marine engines, dual fuel marine engines andreduction of noise from machinery werementioned.
SC4 (Outfitting and Deck Machinery)
It was decided that the current ISO standards forrubber fenders (ISO 17357) are to be reviewed toreflect the latest technology. In addition, new ISO
standards on mooring equipment are being
developed.

SC6 (Navigation and Ship Operations)This SC has been developing numerous standards
on navigation equipment which are required by
SOLAS Chapter V. In this plenary, it was statedthat SC6 plans to develop new standards forinclinometers.
SC8 (Ship Design)
It was reported that draft ISO 16145 series
guidelines for IMO PSPC (PerformanceStandards for Protective Coating) were being
developed, divided into five parts. For future
projects, the standardization of WIG (wing inground effect craft) was raised.
3. Conclusion
As shown above, ISO/TC8 discusses anddevelops various international standards which are
deeply related to IMO regulations such as
SOLAS and MARPOL. Therefore, it is useful for
us to carefully follow the activities of ISO,
especially for TC8, as well as IMO.

Reminiscing about My First Visit to Myanmar
Takanori Shigenaga
ZENI LITE BUOY CO., LTD.

I

landed at Yangon International Airport in
Myanmar at night on October 1, 2010. It has
been one year since my first trip to Myanmar
and my two-week rehabilitation of navigational
aids in Yangon Port.
It is still vivid to me how surprised I was thatmany people inside and outside the airport
seemed to fill the air with a lot of energy. I walked
up to Immigration and at first, with the security
cameras, I felt nervous. At an empty counter twolady officers were posing and checking how theylooked in a security camera, laughing at eachother. They noticed me watching and smiled. I
smiled back. That made me relax, and I felt thatwith these friendly people here my work would gosmoothly.

Cyclone Nargis had hit Myanmar in 2008.
There were a lot of casualties and many facilities
were damaged, including the navigational aids toYangon Port. The number of vessels entering thePort at night was restricted, especially because of
the narrow and shallow Monkey Channel, with
its complicated flows caused by 2 rivers and 1
creek. Zeni Lite Buoy Co., Ltd., as a navigational
aids manufacturer, and I participated in thedesigning, manufacturing, installing and training
to rehabilitate the leading lights for night
operation. This was successfully completed. With
some help from Sasakawa Fellows.
To bring our products into Myanmar for the
rehabilitation was difficult. A Bill of Lading was
required first by Myanmar to issue an importpermit. On the other side, the forwarder insisted3

on having the import permit first before shippingand issuing a Bill of Lading. Time passed and I
was quite behind schedule. I contacted two
Sasakawa Fellows, Mr. Kyaw Myo Win and Mr.
Aung Thein Win. Later on, the goods were safely
sent, and arrived without any trouble after theirhelp.
My most memorable time during my stay was
the reunion with the Fellows and our surprise tourof the beautiful and peaceful Shwedagon Pagoda.
Three Fellows from the Class of 2008, Mr. Aung
Thein Win, Mr. Kyaw Myo Win and Ms. Thet
Thet, who visited our Okayama factory during
their stay in Japan, Mr. Myat Moe (Class of1997) and Mr. Htay Aung (Class of 2007) got
together. Of course we all happily sang, “World
Maritime University, far away from home.”Sasakawa Fellows Playing
Active Roles Internationally
Working with Asian Maritime Stakeholders for Safe andEnvironmentally Sound Recycling of Ships
Fajar Nugraha(Indonesia, 2009)It has been three years since I visited Japan on
my Sasakawa Field Study Trip in September
2008. Returning here has brought backunforgettable memories of Mr. Sasakawa, theOPRF Staff and Sasakawa Fellows in the Class
of 2009. We learned about Japanese culture byvisiting museums and the royal palace, and also
about Japan’s achievements in maritime
technology through sophisticated marine
equipment and modern shipbuilding.
I visited Japan from August 3-5, 2011 on abusiness trip to attend the Asian Classification
Society (ACS) Working Group on Ship Group picture of ACS delegation after signing of ACS Charter.
Recycling as a delegate from Biro Klasifikasi, (Sitting from left to right) Top Leaders of VR, KR, Class NK, CCS, IRS and BKI. Author (standing first fromIndonesia (BKI). The night before the meeting, I left) and Ms. Liang Jing (standing fourth from right).
was invited for dinner by Mr. Kudo, Mr.
Ichikawa and Ms. Emi Shimada at a restaurant cooperation to better pursue the objectives of above 500 GT shall carry IHM Part I and IHM
near the OPRF office. We talked about many ACS, which is to provide technical service of the Certificate to ensure hazardous materials havethings concerning our jobs and Sasakawa Fellows’ highest standards to the maritime industries and been identified in the ship structure, machinery,
activities. I received many suggestions and to enhance technical assistance and advise the electrical system and equipment. If a ship is to besupport from them about how to promote regulatory bodies for the promotion of maritime recycled, IHM Part I shall be updated to
Fellows’ contribution to maritime safety and safety and the protection of the environment incorporate IHM Part II (operational general
globally, in particular in the Asian region.” To waste) and IHM Part III (stores).
environmental protection.
In the case of new ships, IHM Part I shall be
ACS was established on February 1, 2010 in actualize these objectives, ACS has formalized
Bali, Indonesia during an Extraordinary ACS eight Working Groups (WGs), namely WG prepared by shipbuilders and information about
Meeting. ACS consists of 6 Classification Port State Control, WG Quality, WG Ballast hazardous materials in the ship is collected from
Societies in Asia, namely BKI, China Water Management, WG Green House Gas, suppliers through documents, such as theClassification Society (CCS), Class NK, Indian WG Risk Based Ship Design, WG Goal Based Material Declaration (MD) and Supplier’s
Register of Shipping (IRS), Korean Register of Standard, WG Machinery Seaworthiness and Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). SAJ’s
experience during trials of IHM shows that there
Shipping (KR) and Vietnam Register (VR). WG Ship Recycling.
The ACS WG on Ship Recycling was held at were still some inadequacies in filling out MDs
During the meeting, I met Ms. Liang Jing
(China, 2000) from CCS. We worked together the Class NK Head Office in Tokyo on August and SDoCs, and that acquiring an MD number
during the meeting as well as at another ACS 4. The meeting was attended by WG members was around 80% to 99% of the total number of
meeting in CCS Beijing, in November 2010. I from 6 classification societies and 2 observers MDs. Lessons learned from these trials are that areally enjoy working with Sasakawa Fellows from from the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan common MD format and an unified(SAJ). SAJ delegates delivered a presentation interpretation of guidelines to develop MDs,
different parts of the world.
According to an ACS Press Release in regarding Inventory Hazardous Material (IHM) SDoCs and IHMs are required to support all
February 2010, “ACS members were of the preparation for new shipbuilding in Japan. parties involved in the Ship Recycle Convention.
Although the Ship Recycle Convention may
unanimous view that there is a need to strengthen According to the Ship Recycle Convention, ships
not enter into force in the near future, ACS WG
on Ship Recycling has decided to work closelywith the Asian Shipbuilding Experts Forum(ASEF) to develop a common MD format andguidelines. A common MD format is expected toreduce additional work for suppliers andshipbuilders, and the guidelines can avoid
potential misinterpretations among those in the
shipbuilding industry. Certainly, they will
improve accuracy and save time preparing MDs,
SDoCs and IHMs. Ship recycling activities for asafe and environmentally friendly Asian region
can be achieved through cooperation among
ACS WG on Ship Recycling meeting participants. Author (fifth from left)
Asian Maritime Stakeholders.

4

Summer Academy at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Anete Logina(Latvia, 2009)

Jean Edmond Randrianantenaina(Madagascar, 2010)E

very summer the International Foundation
for the Law of the Sea (IFLOS) organizes a
Summer Academy at the International Tribunal
for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg,
Germany. This year the IFLOS Summer research in the field of international law of the sea
Academy was held from July 24 to August 20 at a global level. The IFLOS Summer Academy
under the theme “Uses and Protection of the Sea is organized to fulfill this aim.
- Legal, Economic and Natural Science
The Summer Academy offers very high quality
Perspectives”. Among 29 participants from 24 lectures and workshops on both Law of the Sea
different countries, there were also two WMU (Development of the UNCLOS Regime, Dispute
Sasakawa Fellows: Anete Logina from the Settlement, Maritime Zones, Freedom of
Maritime Administration of Latvia and Jean Navigation, Offshore Resources, Maritime Limits
Edmond Randrianantenaina from the Maritime and Boundaries, Fisheries, Environmental
Administration of Madagascar.
Protection, etc.) and Maritime Law (Carriage of
ITLOS is an independent judicial body Goods by Sea, Arrest of Ships, Marine Insurance,
established by the United Nations Convention Limitation of Liability, Ship Building, Vesselon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to adjudicate Financing, etc.). Legal issues are also viewed
disputes arising out of the interpretation and under economic and natural science aspects.
application of this convention. One of the Lecturers of the Academy are high profile experts
activities of IFLOS is to promote the from ITLOS, international organizations,
opportunities provided by ITLOS for the universities, scientific institutions, associations,peaceful settlement of disputes. However, the law firms, etc.. Also, participants of the academy
foundation's main aim is to promote learning and have different backgrounds, which makes

EdmondAneteinteraction very interesting. This year there wereparticipants from diplomatic services, judicial
bodies, maritime administrations, coast guards
and law firms. Some of the participants were
PhD students from different universities andpractitioners who carry out their research within
the
ITLOS-Nippon
Training
andCapacity-building Programme on Dispute
Settlement under UNCLOS.
The IFLOS Summer Academy programmealso includes social events, excursions and visits
to maritime related venues. For example, thisyear participants visited the Port of Hamburg,
the Leonhardt & Blumberg shipping company,
the Blohm & Voss shipyard, as well as the cities
of Berlin and Lubeck. The programme
culminates at its official closing event which isalways held at the beautiful city hall of Hamburg(Hamburg Rathaus).

Indonesia-Japan Bilateral Cooperation in Transportation Sector

Dyah Umiyarti Purnamaningrum(Indonesia, 2004)J

ust after I had arrived at the Prince Park
Tower Hotel, Tokyo, a colleague from theIndonesian Embassy approached me and said,“When you have time, please call Mr. Kudo fromthe OPRF. He is waiting for you to contact him.”
It was quite a surprising message, since to befrank, I hadn’t informed Mr. Kudo of my visit toJapan. How could he have detected my presence?
The reason why I hadn’t contacted him was
because I was afraid that my tight schedule
attending “The 2nd Vice Ministerial Level
Meeting in Transportation Sector between
Indonesia and Japan,” on July 28-29, 2011, did
not give me any opportunity to do anything but
work. The success of this annual meeting between
the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic ofIndonesia and the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT),
Japan, is one of my duties as Chief of Bilateral
Cooperation in the Ministry of Transportation ofIndonesia. But luckily, as it turned out, I had a

Dyah

Tomoyachance to meet with Mr. Kudo and Mr.
Tomoya Shimizu (Japan 2004) after the
Meeting’s farewell dinner. We had a nice chatwhile enjoying the view of Tokyo Tower andTokyo at night, from the 33rd level of the
Prince Park Tower Hotel. This visit was a real
meaningful one for me, as it was my first timeback in Tokyo since my Japan Field Study Trip
in 2003 during my studies at WMU.
As I was saying goodbye to Mr. Kudo and
Mr. Shimizu, I had a chance meeting again
with high government officials from theMaritime Bureau of the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism withwhom I had been holding discussions until latein the afternoon. They were also introduced tome as Japanese members of the Friends of
WMU, Japan.
The 2nd Vice Ministerial Level Meeting is an
initiative to strengthen the existing bilateral
cooperation in the transportation sector
between the two countries. The Indonesian5

delegation was led by H.E. Bambang
Susantono, Vice Minister for Transportation,and the Japanese delegation by Mr. Seiichi
Ohkuchi, Vice Minister for International
Affairs. During the meeting, ways to enhancecooperation in the aviation, port and railway
sectors were seriously discussed. The Japanesedelegation also presented “Recoveries ofTransport Infrastructure from the Great East
Japan Earthquake”. As we all know, Japan andIndonesia are countries that lie on the ring offire, thus earthquakes are natural disasters that
we often experience. The Indonesian side needs
to learn from Japan how transport
infrastructure can quickly recover to support the
movement of people and aid, as well as to help
economic recovery in the disaster area.
This annual meeting will take place inIndonesia or Japan subsequently every year.
That means that I have the opportunity to visit
here at least once every two years. And thatmakes me happy.

Sasakawa Fellows Playing
Active Roles Internationally
Working with Asian Maritime Stakeholders for Safe andEnvironmentally Sound Recycling of Ships
Fajar Nugraha(Indonesia, 2009)It has been three years since I visited Japan on
my Sasakawa Field Study Trip in September
2008. Returning here has brought backunforgettable memories of Mr. Sasakawa, theOPRF Staff and Sasakawa Fellows in the Class
of 2009. We learned about Japanese culture byvisiting museums and the royal palace, and also
about Japan’s achievements in maritime
technology through sophisticated marine
equipment and modern shipbuilding.
I visited Japan from August 3-5, 2011 on abusiness trip to attend the Asian Classification
Society (ACS) Working Group on Ship Group picture of ACS delegation after signing of ACS Charter.
Recycling as a delegate from Biro Klasifikasi, (Sitting from left to right) Top Leaders of VR, KR, Class NK, CCS, IRS and BKI. Author (standing first fromIndonesia (BKI). The night before the meeting, I left) and Ms. Liang Jing (standing fourth from right).
was invited for dinner by Mr. Kudo, Mr.
Ichikawa and Ms. Emi Shimada at a restaurant cooperation to better pursue the objectives of above 500 GT shall carry IHM Part I and IHM
near the OPRF office. We talked about many ACS, which is to provide technical service of the Certificate to ensure hazardous materials havethings concerning our jobs and Sasakawa Fellows’ highest standards to the maritime industries and been identified in the ship structure, machinery,
activities. I received many suggestions and to enhance technical assistance and advise the electrical system and equipment. If a ship is to besupport from them about how to promote regulatory bodies for the promotion of maritime recycled, IHM Part I shall be updated to
Fellows’ contribution to maritime safety and safety and the protection of the environment incorporate IHM Part II (operational general
globally, in particular in the Asian region.” To waste) and IHM Part III (stores).
environmental protection.
In the case of new ships, IHM Part I shall be
ACS was established on February 1, 2010 in actualize these objectives, ACS has formalized
Bali, Indonesia during an Extraordinary ACS eight Working Groups (WGs), namely WG prepared by shipbuilders and information about
Meeting. ACS consists of 6 Classification Port State Control, WG Quality, WG Ballast hazardous materials in the ship is collected from
Societies in Asia, namely BKI, China Water Management, WG Green House Gas, suppliers through documents, such as theClassification Society (CCS), Class NK, Indian WG Risk Based Ship Design, WG Goal Based Material Declaration (MD) and Supplier’s
Register of Shipping (IRS), Korean Register of Standard, WG Machinery Seaworthiness and Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). SAJ’s
experience during trials of IHM shows that there
Shipping (KR) and Vietnam Register (VR). WG Ship Recycling.
The ACS WG on Ship Recycling was held at were still some inadequacies in filling out MDs
During the meeting, I met Ms. Liang Jing
(China, 2000) from CCS. We worked together the Class NK Head Office in Tokyo on August and SDoCs, and that acquiring an MD number
during the meeting as well as at another ACS 4. The meeting was attended by WG members was around 80% to 99% of the total number of
meeting in CCS Beijing, in November 2010. I from 6 classification societies and 2 observers MDs. Lessons learned from these trials are that areally enjoy working with Sasakawa Fellows from from the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan common MD format and an unified(SAJ). SAJ delegates delivered a presentation interpretation of guidelines to develop MDs,
different parts of the world.
According to an ACS Press Release in regarding Inventory Hazardous Material (IHM) SDoCs and IHMs are required to support all
February 2010, “ACS members were of the preparation for new shipbuilding in Japan. parties involved in the Ship Recycle Convention.
Although the Ship Recycle Convention may
unanimous view that there is a need to strengthen According to the Ship Recycle Convention, ships
not enter into force in the near future, ACS WG
on Ship Recycling has decided to work closelywith the Asian Shipbuilding Experts Forum(ASEF) to develop a common MD format andguidelines. A common MD format is expected toreduce additional work for suppliers andshipbuilders, and the guidelines can avoid
potential misinterpretations among those in the
shipbuilding industry. Certainly, they will
improve accuracy and save time preparing MDs,
SDoCs and IHMs. Ship recycling activities for asafe and environmentally friendly Asian region
can be achieved through cooperation among
ACS WG on Ship Recycling meeting participants. Author (fifth from left)
Asian Maritime Stakeholders.

4

Summer Academy at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Anete Logina(Latvia, 2009)

Jean Edmond Randrianantenaina(Madagascar, 2010)E

very summer the International Foundation
for the Law of the Sea (IFLOS) organizes a
Summer Academy at the International Tribunal
for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg,
Germany. This year the IFLOS Summer research in the field of international law of the sea
Academy was held from July 24 to August 20 at a global level. The IFLOS Summer Academy
under the theme “Uses and Protection of the Sea is organized to fulfill this aim.
- Legal, Economic and Natural Science
The Summer Academy offers very high quality
Perspectives”. Among 29 participants from 24 lectures and workshops on both Law of the Sea
different countries, there were also two WMU (Development of the UNCLOS Regime, Dispute
Sasakawa Fellows: Anete Logina from the Settlement, Maritime Zones, Freedom of
Maritime Administration of Latvia and Jean Navigation, Offshore Resources, Maritime Limits
Edmond Randrianantenaina from the Maritime and Boundaries, Fisheries, Environmental
Administration of Madagascar.
Protection, etc.) and Maritime Law (Carriage of
ITLOS is an independent judicial body Goods by Sea, Arrest of Ships, Marine Insurance,
established by the United Nations Convention Limitation of Liability, Ship Building, Vesselon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to adjudicate Financing, etc.). Legal issues are also viewed
disputes arising out of the interpretation and under economic and natural science aspects.
application of this convention. One of the Lecturers of the Academy are high profile experts
activities of IFLOS is to promote the from ITLOS, international organizations,
opportunities provided by ITLOS for the universities, scientific institutions, associations,peaceful settlement of disputes. However, the law firms, etc.. Also, participants of the academy
foundation's main aim is to promote learning and have different backgrounds, which makes

EdmondAneteinteraction very interesting. This year there wereparticipants from diplomatic services, judicial
bodies, maritime administrations, coast guards
and law firms. Some of the participants were
PhD students from different universities andpractitioners who carry out their research within
the
ITLOS-Nippon
Training
andCapacity-building Programme on Dispute
Settlement under UNCLOS.
The IFLOS Summer Academy programmealso includes social events, excursions and visits
to maritime related venues. For example, thisyear participants visited the Port of Hamburg,
the Leonhardt & Blumberg shipping company,
the Blohm & Voss shipyard, as well as the cities
of Berlin and Lubeck. The programme
culminates at its official closing event which isalways held at the beautiful city hall of Hamburg(Hamburg Rathaus).

Indonesia-Japan Bilateral Cooperation in Transportation Sector

Dyah Umiyarti Purnamaningrum(Indonesia, 2004)J

ust after I had arrived at the Prince Park
Tower Hotel, Tokyo, a colleague from theIndonesian Embassy approached me and said,“When you have time, please call Mr. Kudo fromthe OPRF. He is waiting for you to contact him.”
It was quite a surprising message, since to befrank, I hadn’t informed Mr. Kudo of my visit toJapan. How could he have detected my presence?
The reason why I hadn’t contacted him was
because I was afraid that my tight schedule
attending “The 2nd Vice Ministerial Level
Meeting in Transportation Sector between
Indonesia and Japan,” on July 28-29, 2011, did
not give me any opportunity to do anything but
work. The success of this annual meeting between
the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic ofIndonesia and the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT),
Japan, is one of my duties as Chief of Bilateral
Cooperation in the Ministry of Transportation ofIndonesia. But luckily, as it turned out, I had a

Dyah

Tomoyachance to meet with Mr. Kudo and Mr.
Tomoya Shimizu (Japan 2004) after the
Meeting’s farewell dinner. We had a nice chatwhile enjoying the view of Tokyo Tower andTokyo at night, from the 33rd level of the
Prince Park Tower Hotel. This visit was a real
meaningful one for me, as it was my first timeback in Tokyo since my Japan Field Study Trip
in 2003 during my studies at WMU.
As I was saying goodbye to Mr. Kudo and
Mr. Shimizu, I had a chance meeting again
with high government officials from theMaritime Bureau of the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism withwhom I had been holding discussions until latein the afternoon. They were also introduced tome as Japanese members of the Friends of
WMU, Japan.
The 2nd Vice Ministerial Level Meeting is an
initiative to strengthen the existing bilateral
cooperation in the transportation sector
between the two countries. The Indonesian5

delegation was led by H.E. Bambang
Susantono, Vice Minister for Transportation,and the Japanese delegation by Mr. Seiichi
Ohkuchi, Vice Minister for International
Affairs. During the meeting, ways to enhancecooperation in the aviation, port and railway
sectors were seriously discussed. The Japanesedelegation also presented “Recoveries ofTransport Infrastructure from the Great East
Japan Earthquake”. As we all know, Japan andIndonesia are countries that lie on the ring offire, thus earthquakes are natural disasters that
we often experience. The Indonesian side needs
to learn from Japan how transport
infrastructure can quickly recover to support the
movement of people and aid, as well as to help
economic recovery in the disaster area.
This annual meeting will take place inIndonesia or Japan subsequently every year.
That means that I have the opportunity to visit
here at least once every two years. And thatmakes me happy.

New Members of WMU Sasakawa Fellowship, Class of 2012

Bangladesh
S12018 (MSEA)

Mohammad MOSHARRAF

S. M. Shahed REZA

Farooq ALI

Weniel Abarquez AZCUNA

Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Department,
Chittagong Port Authority

Deputy Secretary, Secretariat
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, BIWTA

Staff Officer NUST Affairs at PNEC, Pakistan Navy Engineering
College, National University of Sciences & Technology

Lieutenant Commander, Department of Transportation
and Communication, Philippine Coast Guard

I hope studying at WMU will strengthen my knowledge andexpertise in the field of maritime safety, security and environment.
I believe that it will help me to apply my services at the port of
Bangladesh. Moreover, WMU is a great place to enhanceinternational friendships and social networking in the maritime
field, and sets a unique standard for the global community.

Bangladesh tries sincerely to ensure sustainable development in
the maritime sector. However, there is a lack of proper knowledge
and ideas in making and implementing policy. In this context, it
is a great opportunity to be admitted to WMU with a Sasakawa
Fellowship, as studying at the university will make me moreresourceful in delivering services relevant to my country.

My aim is to transfer my knowledge to the students of the National
University of Sciences & Technology, and this course willdefinitely augment my 8-9 years’ experience on board ship and my
23 years of naval service. I'll not only have an opportunity to gain
knowledge from the qualified faculty members of WMU but
would also like to interact with students coming from all over theworld to share and benefit from each other's experiences.

WMU’s postgraduate program has been carefully crafted toprovide a perfect fit for my needs in order to contribute to myinstitution’s role in Maritime Safety and Environmental
Protection. The pool of internationally-renowned experts andfaculty members and a mechanism for international exchange ofknowledge on maritime issues and its applications will give me
the opportunity to maximize my learning.

Bangladesh
S12083 (MSEA)

Alim Fazley
Mohammad
Akung
Emmanuel
AGBOR

GHANA
S12035 (MLP)

India
S12082 (MSEA)Japan

The knowledge I will acquire upon graduating from WMU will
help me train my colleagues. As a policy maker, I will help myorganization formulate policies that are in conformity withinternational conventions, especially I.M.O. I hope for a safe
maritime environment for all, and I will take advantage of the
network offered to me.

Myanmar
S12020 (MET)

Cameroon
India
S12046
S11066(MSEA)(MLP)

Philippines
S12042 (MSEA)

Marc Anthony Panelo PASCUA

Hettiarachchige Don Prasad Manjula HETTIARACHCHIE

Senior Administrative
Staff,
Commandant( JG), Indian
Coast Guard,
Departmentof Maritime
Affairs andInland Waterways,
Ministryof Defence,
Governmentof India
Ministry of Transport

Shipping Operations Specialist II, Department of Transportation andCommunication (DOTC), Maritime Industry Authority, Regional
Office 1 and 2

Head of Safety, Safety Department, Colombo Dockyard

I'll strive hard to gain the highest professional expertise from
WMU, and on my return home, I'll help build capacity in myorganization so that together we can fight for maritime safety,
security and the environment, notably the fight against piracy in
the Gulf of Guinea, the implementation of the Ballast Water
Convention, as well as other IMO regulations related to theabove issues.

As a WMU student specializing in Maritime Law and Policy(MLP), I want to learn the significant international maritime
legislations that affect and safeguard measures on maritime
safety, environmental protection and security policies. After
graduation, I want to make good use of the knowledge acquired
to contribute to the enhancement and further development ofmaritime regulation in my country.

Philippines
S12078 (MLP)

Sri Lanka
S12056 (MSEA)

My utmost wish is to gain as much knowledge and exposure as I
can, in view of establishing a safe and environmentally friendly
ship repair and shipbuilding industry in Sri Lanka. As Sri Lanka
has just started deep sea oil drilling, I also intend to do my best to
establish a safer oil and gas industry in my country.

Alexander ADU-ANTWI

Chandra Shekhar JOSHI

Mohamed Fahim MOHAMED HASHIM

Wijenayake Kankanamge Gamini WIJENAYAKE

Fisheries Officer, Administration and Operations,Fisheries Commission, MOFA

Commandant( JG), ICGS Delhi,
Indian Coast Guard

Superintendent (Operations), Sri Lanka Port Authority

Superintendent Civil Engineer,
Civil Engineering Division, Sri Lnaka Port Authority

I envisage acquiring a lot of knowledge from WMU (being apractical-knowledge based institution) to contribute to policies,
legislation and management, and to train other officers tostrategically manage marine resources sustainably for future
generations. I will also actively contribute and participate in theactivities of Sasakawa Fellows.

I wish to acquire as much knowledge from the best scholars in theworld at WMU, make lifelong contacts with fellow mariners
from different nationalities for mutual benefit, pass on thisknowledge to my fellow countrymen, and FINALLY, be an
active member of the network of Sasakawa Fellows, share myexperiences and learn from the expertise of other Fellows whocome from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

Ever since joining the Sri Lanka Port Authority, I have dreamedof attending the World Maritime University. Now I am surethat I can acquire new skills and the necessary knowledge
about Ports and Shipping. This will be advantageous to myorganization as well as to my country.

As a civil engineer mainly involved in maritime construction, I
am determined to broaden my knowledge related to industries
with a greater exposure to the global maritime world. After mytime at WMU this diversity of knowledge gained throughvarious academic strategies will help me in the future
development of the maritime sector, not only nationally but alsointernationally.

India
S12060(MLP)

Sri Lanka
S12028 (SPM)

Sri Lanka
S12017 (SPM)

Anupam RAI

Yasuhiro URANO

Komain INTARAKAMHAENG

Sopun MANEECHOTDy Director (SAR) / Commandant, Department of Operations /Coast Guard HQs, New Delhi, India, Indian Coast Guard

Technical Official, Tokyo Transport Branch Office, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Judge, Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court
Courts of Justice, Thailand

Secretary of Deputy Managing Director of Laem Chabang Port,
Laem Chabang Port, Port Authority of Thailand (PAT)

Indian national maritime laws, acts and legislations necessitate
amendments as per ratified conventions and protocols.
Post-graduation, my first priority would be to work on a comprehensive act on the Maritime Zones of India, piracy and acts of armed
robbery. I will also assist in the formulation of government policies
on the latest maritime issues, such as maritime terrorism, coastal
security, HNS cargo handling, pollution response contingency
planning, etc., and will help in effective law enforcement duties.

This excellent opportunity to study at WMU will definitely
enhance my knowledge and skills, especially about maritime safety
and environmental issues, essential for my future career as amaritime administrator. Furthermore, I sincerely hope precious
friendships created at WMU will lead to the promotion ofinternational cooperation to save our seas and further
development of maritime industries in the world.

I want to learn all aspects of the maritime field, especially
Maritime Law, which is related to my work, and WMU is thebest place to give me this knowledge. Currently, Thailand stilllacks maritime specialists, therefore, when I go back I’ll help mycountry to improve the standards of investigation in maritime
cases and support international trade.

Pursuing a degree at WMU is underscored by my desire to be partof an institution of excellence in maritime education and research.
WMU offers an abundant source of knowledge with hands-on
facilities needed for such a rapidly changing field. The knowledge
that I obtain will allow me to return to the Port Authority ofThailand to succeed with an international focus on networking
and collaboration on critical issues and developments in maritime
transportation.

Japan
S12027 (MSEA)

Thailand
S12013(MLP)

Thailand
S12069(SPM)

Akihiro NAKATSUYAMA

Elsie Nyabonyi BIKONDO

Nadiya ISIKOVA

Anna RABOTNOVA

Education and Training Division , Administrative Department,
Japan Coast Guard

Field Training Officer (Operations), Human Resources,
Kenya Port Authority

Private Attorney, Odessa Regional Bar Association

Financier, Financial Department, BGSA "INFLOT"I have felt the need for further knowledge regarding the current
changing maritime situation and the international network ofcontacts through my experience on the job. Now, I am engaged
in obtaining them at WMU and hope to use them to contributeto improving the performance of the Japan Coast Guard in theincreasingly globalized sea.

I will use the knowledge and skills acquired on completion of mytraining to develop maritime training programmes, e.g diplomas,
that will enhance human resources capacity in my country.
Secondly, I will participate in the development of e-learning
systems that are affordable to Kenyan youths so as to ultimately
supply the Kenyan maritime sector with well trained manpower.

As a member of the Sasakawa Fellowship Program, I will
participate, to the best of my ability, in all kinds of activities topromote global exchanges and cooperation. Being a professional
attorney, I intend to enhance my knowledge in Maritime Law
and Law of the Seas as well as to gain basic understanding inshipping and port management, environmental issues and safety
at sea.

S12019 (MSEA)

Malawi
S12043 (SPM)

Pakistan
S12037 (MSEA)

MittalTifuh Rajesh
Mujingni Jenette CHO

Head of Shipping and Maritime Department,
Shipping and Maritime Department,
Cameroon Development Corporation

India
Cameroon
S11066
S12036 (MLP)The Following 27 new Sasakawa Fellowship Students in the class of 2012 joined the WMU
Academic Program in early October, 2011. These students are experts in their own right and are
expected to excel in their chosen maritime courses under the stringent supervision of the bestexperts in the world in the maritime field. Upon the completion of their courses, their new
knowledge and skills shall contribute further to enhance their countries’ maritime community.

KENYA
S12044 (MET)

Ukraine
S12058(MLP)

Ukraine
S12081 (SPM)

Education at WMU is a huge opportunity to obtain qualificationand experience at an international level, to develop personalqualities and professional skills. Besides, it is a great chance tobring my own contribution to the development of internationalties between professionals in maritime transport from all over theworld for possible further collaboration and implementation ofinternational projects.

Joseph Sheketeni BANDA

Baigalmaa DAMBA

Dang Thanh BINH

Nga Thu DOAN

Senior Port Engineer, Marine Department,
Ministry of Transport, Republic of Malawi

Senior Officer, Mongolia Maritime Administration, Ministry of Road
Transport Construction & Urban Development of Mongolia

Marketing, Container Vinalines Shipping Company (VCSC) Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines)

Shipping Executive, General Affairs Department,
Transport and Chartering Corporation (VIETFRACHT)

It is my desire that while at WMU I should broaden my knowledge
in shipping and port management, and make use of thisknowledge for the benefit of my country. This is important now as
Malawi has just embarked on a project to open up the country to
the Indian Ocean through the Shire/Zambezi waterway. I also
wish to actively pursue the very good network amongst Sasakawa
Fellows, so that we continue to share information and experiencesfrom our respective countries.

Developing the maritime field in a landlocked country is a difficult
task, which Mongolia faces. Higher transit costs make imports
expensive and exports uncompetitive, thereby limiting economic
growth and undermining the country’s welfare. (Government ofMongolia, UNCTAD, 2007). My goal at WMU is to absorb asmuch knowledge as possible from world-renowned professors andto assist my government in making policies relating to maritime
issues.

My specialization is Shipping and Port Management. After
graduation I will come back to VCSC and contribute to thedevelopment container fleet of Vinalines. My goal is to help turn
VCSC into a mainline organization within the next decade.
Moreover, I want to cooperate with Vietnam Maritime
University and others to disseminate my knowlegde andexperience to students who are studying in the maritime sector.

My specialization, Port & Shipping Management, matches myjob perfectly. These courses provide the latest theory and technologies. The field trips to shipping companies and ports in othercountries will bring practical understanding of the maritime
industry. After graduation, I will continue to work at my company
and adapt my knowledge to the management of our shipping fleet.
And I will definitely be an active participant in the Sasakawa
Fellows’ network.

Mongolia
S12009 (MLP)

Vietnam
S12010 (SPM)

NANG LON LON NYO

THA ZIN AYE LINN

Hieu Trong PHAM

Instructor, Marine Engineering Department,
Mynamar Mercantile Marine College

Instructor, Marine Engineering Department,
Myanmar Maritime University

Lecturer, Navigation,
Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport

Studying at WMU gives me both educational and practicalknowledge, which I intend to incorporate first. Then, my desire
is to effectively modify this knowledge base to suit the local
conditions of my college. I also want to share my knowledge not
only with my colleagues but also with future generations for the
benefit of all.

Being an academic staff member at Myanmar Maritime
University, I must not only have knowledge of sustainablegrowth in maritime operations but also the development of the
MMU educational environment. After graduation, I will arrange
workshops by applying my newly gained experiences and the
updated teaching techniques from WMU to my students inorder to keep abreast of international maritime fields.

The study of MET Specialization will help me solve educational
challenges in my country’s maritime field in many ways. I will
dedicate myself to "becoming a better professional teacher in myfield," and “creating a stronger MET organization with greater
efficiency and high principles, fully utilizing modern technological innovations in administration and management processes."

6

Myanmar
S12026 (MET)

Vietnam
S12079 (MET)

Vietnam
S12049 (SPM)

Major List
MET (Maritime Education and Training)

MLP (Maritime Law and Policy)
MSEA (Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration)
SPM (Shipping and Port Management)

7

New Members of WMU Sasakawa Fellowship, Class of 2012

Bangladesh
S12018 (MSEA)

Mohammad MOSHARRAF

S. M. Shahed REZA

Farooq ALI

Weniel Abarquez AZCUNA

Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Department,
Chittagong Port Authority

Deputy Secretary, Secretariat
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, BIWTA

Staff Officer NUST Affairs at PNEC, Pakistan Navy Engineering
College, National University of Sciences & Technology

Lieutenant Commander, Department of Transportation
and Communication, Philippine Coast Guard

I hope studying at WMU will strengthen my knowledge andexpertise in the field of maritime safety, security and environment.
I believe that it will help me to apply my services at the port of
Bangladesh. Moreover, WMU is a great place to enhanceinternational friendships and social networking in the maritime
field, and sets a unique standard for the global community.

Bangladesh tries sincerely to ensure sustainable development in
the maritime sector. However, there is a lack of proper knowledge
and ideas in making and implementing policy. In this context, it
is a great opportunity to be admitted to WMU with a Sasakawa
Fellowship, as studying at the university will make me moreresourceful in delivering services relevant to my country.

My aim is to transfer my knowledge to the students of the National
University of Sciences & Technology, and this course willdefinitely augment my 8-9 years’ experience on board ship and my
23 years of naval service. I'll not only have an opportunity to gain
knowledge from the qualified faculty members of WMU but
would also like to interact with students coming from all over theworld to share and benefit from each other's experiences.

WMU’s postgraduate program has been carefully crafted toprovide a perfect fit for my needs in order to contribute to myinstitution’s role in Maritime Safety and Environmental
Protection. The pool of internationally-renowned experts andfaculty members and a mechanism for international exchange ofknowledge on maritime issues and its applications will give me
the opportunity to maximize my learning.

Bangladesh
S12083 (MSEA)

Alim Fazley
Mohammad
Akung
Emmanuel
AGBOR

GHANA
S12035 (MLP)

India
S12082 (MSEA)Japan

The knowledge I will acquire upon graduating from WMU will
help me train my colleagues. As a policy maker, I will help myorganization formulate policies that are in conformity withinternational conventions, especially I.M.O. I hope for a safe
maritime environment for all, and I will take advantage of the
network offered to me.

Myanmar
S12020 (MET)

Cameroon
India
S12046
S11066(MSEA)(MLP)

Philippines
S12042 (MSEA)

Marc Anthony Panelo PASCUA

Hettiarachchige Don Prasad Manjula HETTIARACHCHIE

Senior Administrative
Staff,
Commandant( JG), Indian
Coast Guard,
Departmentof Maritime
Affairs andInland Waterways,
Ministryof Defence,
Governmentof India
Ministry of Transport

Shipping Operations Specialist II, Department of Transportation andCommunication (DOTC), Maritime Industry Authority, Regional
Office 1 and 2

Head of Safety, Safety Department, Colombo Dockyard

I'll strive hard to gain the highest professional expertise from
WMU, and on my return home, I'll help build capacity in myorganization so that together we can fight for maritime safety,
security and the environment, notably the fight against piracy in
the Gulf of Guinea, the implementation of the Ballast Water
Convention, as well as other IMO regulations related to theabove issues.

As a WMU student specializing in Maritime Law and Policy(MLP), I want to learn the significant international maritime
legislations that affect and safeguard measures on maritime
safety, environmental protection and security policies. After
graduation, I want to make good use of the knowledge acquired
to contribute to the enhancement and further development ofmaritime regulation in my country.

Philippines
S12078 (MLP)

Sri Lanka
S12056 (MSEA)

My utmost wish is to gain as much knowledge and exposure as I
can, in view of establishing a safe and environmentally friendly
ship repair and shipbuilding industry in Sri Lanka. As Sri Lanka
has just started deep sea oil drilling, I also intend to do my best to
establish a safer oil and gas industry in my country.

Alexander ADU-ANTWI

Chandra Shekhar JOSHI

Mohamed Fahim MOHAMED HASHIM

Wijenayake Kankanamge Gamini WIJENAYAKE

Fisheries Officer, Administration and Operations,Fisheries Commission, MOFA

Commandant( JG), ICGS Delhi,
Indian Coast Guard

Superintendent (Operations), Sri Lanka Port Authority

Superintendent Civil Engineer,
Civil Engineering Division, Sri Lnaka Port Authority

I envisage acquiring a lot of knowledge from WMU (being apractical-knowledge based institution) to contribute to policies,
legislation and management, and to train other officers tostrategically manage marine resources sustainably for future
generations. I will also actively contribute and participate in theactivities of Sasakawa Fellows.

I wish to acquire as much knowledge from the best scholars in theworld at WMU, make lifelong contacts with fellow mariners
from different nationalities for mutual benefit, pass on thisknowledge to my fellow countrymen, and FINALLY, be an
active member of the network of Sasakawa Fellows, share myexperiences and learn from the expertise of other Fellows whocome from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

Ever since joining the Sri Lanka Port Authority, I have dreamedof attending the World Maritime University. Now I am surethat I can acquire new skills and the necessary knowledge
about Ports and Shipping. This will be advantageous to myorganization as well as to my country.

As a civil engineer mainly involved in maritime construction, I
am determined to broaden my knowledge related to industries
with a greater exposure to the global maritime world. After mytime at WMU this diversity of knowledge gained throughvarious academic strategies will help me in the future
development of the maritime sector, not only nationally but alsointernationally.

India
S12060(MLP)

Sri Lanka
S12028 (SPM)

Sri Lanka
S12017 (SPM)

Anupam RAI

Yasuhiro URANO

Komain INTARAKAMHAENG

Sopun MANEECHOTDy Director (SAR) / Commandant, Department of Operations /Coast Guard HQs, New Delhi, India, Indian Coast Guard

Technical Official, Tokyo Transport Branch Office, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Judge, Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court
Courts of Justice, Thailand

Secretary of Deputy Managing Director of Laem Chabang Port,
Laem Chabang Port, Port Authority of Thailand (PAT)

Indian national maritime laws, acts and legislations necessitate
amendments as per ratified conventions and protocols.
Post-graduation, my first priority would be to work on a comprehensive act on the Maritime Zones of India, piracy and acts of armed
robbery. I will also assist in the formulation of government policies
on the latest maritime issues, such as maritime terrorism, coastal
security, HNS cargo handling, pollution response contingency
planning, etc., and will help in effective law enforcement duties.

This excellent opportunity to study at WMU will definitely
enhance my knowledge and skills, especially about maritime safety
and environmental issues, essential for my future career as amaritime administrator. Furthermore, I sincerely hope precious
friendships created at WMU will lead to the promotion ofinternational cooperation to save our seas and further
development of maritime industries in the world.

I want to learn all aspects of the maritime field, especially
Maritime Law, which is related to my work, and WMU is thebest place to give me this knowledge. Currently, Thailand stilllacks maritime specialists, therefore, when I go back I’ll help mycountry to improve the standards of investigation in maritime
cases and support international trade.

Pursuing a degree at WMU is underscored by my desire to be partof an institution of excellence in maritime education and research.
WMU offers an abundant source of knowledge with hands-on
facilities needed for such a rapidly changing field. The knowledge
that I obtain will allow me to return to the Port Authority ofThailand to succeed with an international focus on networking
and collaboration on critical issues and developments in maritime
transportation.

Japan
S12027 (MSEA)

Thailand
S12013(MLP)

Thailand
S12069(SPM)

Akihiro NAKATSUYAMA

Elsie Nyabonyi BIKONDO

Nadiya ISIKOVA

Anna RABOTNOVA

Education and Training Division , Administrative Department,
Japan Coast Guard

Field Training Officer (Operations), Human Resources,
Kenya Port Authority

Private Attorney, Odessa Regional Bar Association

Financier, Financial Department, BGSA "INFLOT"I have felt the need for further knowledge regarding the current
changing maritime situation and the international network ofcontacts through my experience on the job. Now, I am engaged
in obtaining them at WMU and hope to use them to contributeto improving the performance of the Japan Coast Guard in theincreasingly globalized sea.

I will use the knowledge and skills acquired on completion of mytraining to develop maritime training programmes, e.g diplomas,
that will enhance human resources capacity in my country.
Secondly, I will participate in the development of e-learning
systems that are affordable to Kenyan youths so as to ultimately
supply the Kenyan maritime sector with well trained manpower.

As a member of the Sasakawa Fellowship Program, I will
participate, to the best of my ability, in all kinds of activities topromote global exchanges and cooperation. Being a professional
attorney, I intend to enhance my knowledge in Maritime Law
and Law of the Seas as well as to gain basic understanding inshipping and port management, environmental issues and safety
at sea.

S12019 (MSEA)

Malawi
S12043 (SPM)

Pakistan
S12037 (MSEA)

MittalTifuh Rajesh
Mujingni Jenette CHO

Head of Shipping and Maritime Department,
Shipping and Maritime Department,
Cameroon Development Corporation

India
Cameroon
S11066
S12036 (MLP)The Following 27 new Sasakawa Fellowship Students in the class of 2012 joined the WMU
Academic Program in early October, 2011. These students are experts in their own right and are
expected to excel in their chosen maritime courses under the stringent supervision of the bestexperts in the world in the maritime field. Upon the completion of their courses, their new
knowledge and skills shall contribute further to enhance their countries’ maritime community.

KENYA
S12044 (MET)

Ukraine
S12058(MLP)

Ukraine
S12081 (SPM)

Education at WMU is a huge opportunity to obtain qualificationand experience at an international level, to develop personalqualities and professional skills. Besides, it is a great chance tobring my own contribution to the development of internationalties between professionals in maritime transport from all over theworld for possible further collaboration and implementation ofinternational projects.

Joseph Sheketeni BANDA

Baigalmaa DAMBA

Dang Thanh BINH

Nga Thu DOAN

Senior Port Engineer, Marine Department,
Ministry of Transport, Republic of Malawi

Senior Officer, Mongolia Maritime Administration, Ministry of Road
Transport Construction & Urban Development of Mongolia

Marketing, Container Vinalines Shipping Company (VCSC) Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines)

Shipping Executive, General Affairs Department,
Transport and Chartering Corporation (VIETFRACHT)

It is my desire that while at WMU I should broaden my knowledge
in shipping and port management, and make use of thisknowledge for the benefit of my country. This is important now as
Malawi has just embarked on a project to open up the country to
the Indian Ocean through the Shire/Zambezi waterway. I also
wish to actively pursue the very good network amongst Sasakawa
Fellows, so that we continue to share information and experiencesfrom our respective countries.

Developing the maritime field in a landlocked country is a difficult
task, which Mongolia faces. Higher transit costs make imports
expensive and exports uncompetitive, thereby limiting economic
growth and undermining the country’s welfare. (Government ofMongolia, UNCTAD, 2007). My goal at WMU is to absorb asmuch knowledge as possible from world-renowned professors andto assist my government in making policies relating to maritime
issues.

My specialization is Shipping and Port Management. After
graduation I will come back to VCSC and contribute to thedevelopment container fleet of Vinalines. My goal is to help turn
VCSC into a mainline organization within the next decade.
Moreover, I want to cooperate with Vietnam Maritime
University and others to disseminate my knowlegde andexperience to students who are studying in the maritime sector.

My specialization, Port & Shipping Management, matches myjob perfectly. These courses provide the latest theory and technologies. The field trips to shipping companies and ports in othercountries will bring practical understanding of the maritime
industry. After graduation, I will continue to work at my company
and adapt my knowledge to the management of our shipping fleet.
And I will definitely be an active participant in the Sasakawa
Fellows’ network.

Mongolia
S12009 (MLP)

Vietnam
S12010 (SPM)

NANG LON LON NYO

THA ZIN AYE LINN

Hieu Trong PHAM

Instructor, Marine Engineering Department,
Mynamar Mercantile Marine College

Instructor, Marine Engineering Department,
Myanmar Maritime University

Lecturer, Navigation,
Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport

Studying at WMU gives me both educational and practicalknowledge, which I intend to incorporate first. Then, my desire
is to effectively modify this knowledge base to suit the local
conditions of my college. I also want to share my knowledge not
only with my colleagues but also with future generations for the
benefit of all.

Being an academic staff member at Myanmar Maritime
University, I must not only have knowledge of sustainablegrowth in maritime operations but also the development of the
MMU educational environment. After graduation, I will arrange
workshops by applying my newly gained experiences and the
updated teaching techniques from WMU to my students inorder to keep abreast of international maritime fields.

The study of MET Specialization will help me solve educational
challenges in my country’s maritime field in many ways. I will
dedicate myself to "becoming a better professional teacher in myfield," and “creating a stronger MET organization with greater
efficiency and high principles, fully utilizing modern technological innovations in administration and management processes."

6

Myanmar
S12026 (MET)

Vietnam
S12079 (MET)

Vietnam
S12049 (SPM)

Major List
MET (Maritime Education and Training)

MLP (Maritime Law and Policy)
MSEA (Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration)
SPM (Shipping and Port Management)7

37

Commandant, Admiral Ramon Castaneda Liwag of
the Philippines Coast Guard and His Delegation Visit The Nippon Foundation

Commandant, Admiral Ramon Castaneda Liwag of the Philippines
Coast Guard paid a courtesy visit to The Nippon Foundation on
September 5 and met with Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon
Foundation. Admiral Liwag is a WMU Sasakawa Fellow who traveled
to Sweden with support from the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan andgraduated from the World Maritime University in 1996.
During this courtesy visit, Chairman Sasakawa spoke about the
introduction in April 2011 of the Coast Guard Capacity Improvement
Program to Secure Safety and Environmental Conservation in Asian
Oceans at the Japan Coast Guard Academy, the only coast guard
academy in the Asian region, in cooperation with the Japan Coast
Guard, the Japan Coast Guard Association, and The Nippon
Foundation. At that time Chairman Sasakawa expressed his hope that

the Japan Coast Guard Academy would take on the role as aninternational base responsible for training personnel for maritime safety
organizations in the future.
(On the following day, September 6, Commandant Liwag visited theJapan Coast Guard Academy where he met with Philippines Coast
Guard officers who were participating in this program.)
In the evening on September
5, Commandant and Mrs.
Liwag met with five Japanese
Sasakawa Fellows and had theopportunity to spend somepleasant time in a friendly
atmosphere and to deepen theirmutual friendship as WMU
Sasakawa Fellows.

December
2011

On October 18, with the President of the Philippines
in attendance, a ceremony was held to commemorate the110th anniversary of the establishment of the Philippines
Coast Guard. A plaque of appreciation that was to bepresented to Chairman Sasakawa at the ceremony waslater entrusted to Executive Director Umino of The
Nippon Foundation by Commandant Liwag who wasattending the 7th Heads of Asia Coast Guard Agencies
Meeting (HACGAM7) in Hanoi in late October.

Our Expanding Family
Ram & Sutopa Saha (Bangladesh, 2009)

Dear All,
Hope all of you are doing well and are having a wonderful day. I remember with very much love
my WMU life and OPRF support. Now I want to share the wonderful news that our first daughter‘Raakhi’, was born at the Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital, Dhaka, on October 12th at 10:50
pm. We were so blessed to bring her home when she was three days old! Raakhi means “piece ofcolored thread worn around the wrist as a symbol of protection.” This name was chosen by mymother. We are enjoying her sweet smile. She is such a good baby and hardly ever cries! Our lives are
so much happier and better (with a few challenges) because of our little one! She is full of joy andtruly the light of our lives. Life is good… God is great!

Kingdom of Thailand
Heavy rainfall in Thailand since October 10 has resulted in devastating floods, particularly in the northeast and central regions of the country,
including the area of the historical remains of Ayutthaya, the country’s ancient capital. According to government reports, 366 people had lost theirlives as of October 25, and it has been reported that a large number of people have fallen victim to the floods. We pray for the quick recovery andrebuilding of areas affected by the floods and hope that those who have suffered losses may soon find comfort in the days ahead.
Republic of Turkey
At 1:41 pm (7:41 pm Japan Time) on October 23, a major earthquake registering a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale hit the southeasternregion of Turkey. The Government of Turkey announced that as of October 27 over 500 people had lost their lives and more than 2,000 people
had suffered injuries. We pray that the people of Turkey will overcome this disaster as soon as possible and make every effort for their recovery.

Editor’s note

Important discussions on securing and training adequate crew
members to serve on Japanese vessels have begun in Japan. There arealso rumors afoot concerning Japan’s maritime institutes whose
jurisdiction is divided between the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. According to these rumors,these institutions are currently being reviewed with the intention ofreorganizing and integrating them to eliminate wasteful overlap. For
professors and instructors of these institutes, who see “wastefuloverlap” as an unavoidable part of education, the possibility of suchchanges is not by any means welcome. However, maritime transport isa vital mainstay in transportation, and securing and training superiorcrew are common challenges that countries the world over face. Withan awareness of the instrumental role they play in education andtraining in the maritime industry, instructors must be willing todemonstrate greater efforts for its future.
Prof. Toshio Hikima

Mr. Kunihiko Kitabayashi, Mr. Tomoya Shimizu

Marine Technical Education Agency

Field Study Trip Class 2011
On

Sunday, August 14, 2011, 24
Sasakawa Fellows representing 14
different nationalities, together with WMURegistrar Ton Smaal, arrived at Kansai
Airport in Osaka, Japan for the Class 2011
Study Trip upon invitation by The Nippon
Foundation and organized by the Ocean
Policy Research Foundation (OPRF).
Given the disastrous earthquake andtsunami of March 11 and the subsequentcancellation of the field study trip in May, it iseven more remarkable that only five months
later, the Fellows were given the opportunity
to visit and learn about the country, culture
and maritime industry of Japan. Many thanks
to Dr. Sasakawa’s strong will, the unlimited
efforts of The Nippon Foundation and OPRF
for making this study trip possible… For us!
During the bus trip to our hotel, we
immediately witnessed the impressive
infrastructure of the cities of Osaka and Kobe,
their major port areas, bridges and highways.

August 15: Marine TechnicalCollege, Kobe
Our first visit was to the Marine TechnicalCollege in Kobe. It is the only governmental

institute of vocational training for mariners
under the direct control of the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport andTourism (MLIT). We were welcomed by
Prof. Toshio Hikima, former professor at
WMU, who explained enthusiastically about
the Japanese maritime education andtraining system.

August 16: Nippon Survival Training
Center (NSTC)NSTC is the first private training facility inJapan which was established to:
1. decrease the loss of human life from
accidents at sea;
2. correspond to an international approach;
3. develop the knowledge, skills andcompetency of marine and maritime
human resources.
We were able to observe several spectacular
practical training exercises, such as the Freefall
Lifeboat Safety Operation Training, theHelicopter Underwater Escape Training(HUET), and more.

Kanmon Kaikyo Vessel Traffic
Service Center

The mission of the Kanmon Kaikyo Vessel
Traffic Service Center, Kanmon MARTIS, is
to maintain and improve the safety andefficiency of vessel traffic in the Kanmon
Strait. It was established and is operated by theJapan Coast Guard. The narrow strait, busy
traffic, and strong currents make it a real
challenge for navigators to safely pass throughthis area. After observing the VTS-center‘over the shoulders’ of the operators, we visited
Hinoyama Park, which is right along the
Kanmon Strait. The strength of the currents
was clearly visible, as we noted the differencein speed of ships going upstream anddownstream.