WMU 40th Anniversary
WMU 40th Anniversary
WMU @ 40: CONFERENCE ON MARITIME & OCEAN SUSTAINABILITY
20 June opening session – Anniversary celebration
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is an immense pleasure to be here once again and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the World Maritime University.
I see many graduands of WMU here – and I include myself in those numbers. I am sure I can speak for all of us WMU alumni when I say that time spent studying at WMU has a profound impact on our lives – not just in terms of the studies completed but also the connections made.
Our life experiences in the city of Malmö and WMU are ingrained in our hearts and minds – something we take with us wherever we go in the world and in our careers.
I graduated from WMU in 1991, just as the world wide web was being introduced at the University, along with the first personal computer laboratories.
Certainly, the university has moved with the times since then, as we see in its state-of-the-art facilities on the waterfront, centred on the refurbished historic Malmö Harbour Master's Building.
To go back to the beginning, in the early 1980s – under the leadership of the late Dr. C.P. Srivastava – IMO identified a shortage of well-qualified, highly educated maritime experts, particularly in developing nations.
Dr Srivastava was a driving force behind the idea of establishing an international training institute to support Member States with high-level education and to train experts to implement international Conventions, in particular the IMO instruments.
Sweden offered to host the new university – and with the financial support of the Swedish government, the City of Malmö, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other important donors, the World Maritime University (WMU) was inaugurated on 4 July 1983.
Fast forward four decades to today and the World Maritime University is internationally renowned.
The academic offerings of the University have expanded beyond the original Master of Science degree in Maritime Affairs.
WMU now offers seven maritime-related specializations available within the Malmö Master of Science programme, a PhD programme, and a Master of Philosophy in cooperation with the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI).
And on top of that, WMU offers two Master of Science in Maritime Affairs specializations in Shanghai and Dalian, China. Distance Learning programmes have also been added to the academic portfolio, as well as Postgraduate Diploma programmes in Maritime Energy, Marine Insurance Law & Practice, Executive Maritime Management, and International Maritime Law.
WMU utilizes its extensive network of international maritime experts to complement its academic programme, professional development courses and support WMU's international conferences on key topics of importance to the maritime and ocean community.
During its existence, WMU has benefitted from new infrastructure. Not just the new Henrik Smith Hostel building providing more student accommodation and the amazing new building housing the University – inaugurated in 2015 – but also the Øresund bridge between Malmö and Copenhagen.
Malmö has seen a transition from an industrial city to a mixed economy, including high tech and startups – definitely an exciting and thriving city for current students.
Since those early days, the number of WMU graduates has reached more than 5,800 from 170 countries. This is truly remarkable.
Graduates have set sail into their future careers. Many WMU alumni are to be found amongst the delegations to IMO, representing their countries; amongst the IMO Secretariat staff; and in the wider maritime sector and beyond.
The mighty international network of WMU graduates is a great force for good in the world. Those who continue to work as experts for the benefit of the international maritime community will help ensure that our beautiful ocean is passed on to future generations.
The success of the World Maritime University would not be possible without the support of the host City of Malmö and the Government of Sweden – IMO and the wider maritime community thank you with deepest gratitude.
And I wish to express my appreciation to all the citizens of Malmö who have been generous and polite, always showing their kindness and support to WMU and its students.
My sincerest thanks also go to all the generous donors, private and public.
Their financial, fellowships and in-kind support ensure that the University continues to be one of the cornerstones of IMO's capacity-building mission.
I would just like to mention, in particular, the Nippon Foundation and the International Transport Workers Federation Seafarers' Trust. They have supported many hundreds of students to attend WMU over the past four decades.
The WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute – established with funding from the Nippon Foundation, supported by the Governments of Canada and Sweden and the city of Malmö – is another example of solid partnerships, based on a desire to centre the WMU at the heart of efforts for global conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
To the former Rectors and Presidents, and to the lecturers and staff past and present – I would like to thank you for being part of the devoted faculty of WMU, who have led and supported students throughout their studies.
To close, I would like to express my outmost appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the President of WMU, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, whose unwavering steadfastness and devotion to the University has guided WMU to great achievements and continuous successes for the past eight years.
The mantle will pass to Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. Professor, I wish you every success.
Finally, I look forward to the discussions ahead and the outcomes of the international conference on Maritime and Ocean Sustainability which will follow these anniversary celebrations.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen –
I wish WMU and all who have been associated with the University a very happy birthday!
Thank you.
__________