President of WMU, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Mr. Mohammad Saeednejad, Vice-Minister of Transport and Managing Director of the Ports and Maritime Organization of the Government of Iran and Mr. Mahmud Fotuhi Firoozabad, President of the Sharif University of Technology, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 28 November. The signing was witnessed by distinguished members of the delegation from Iran including Professor Ali Movaghar, Dean of International Affairs, Professor Mohammead Taghi Isaai, Dean of the Graduate School of Management and Economics, Mr. Mohammad Ali Hasanzadeh Mohammadi, Director General of Strategic Studies and Research Centre (WMU MSc 2004), and Ms. Mandana Mansourian, Deputy Permanent Representative to IMO (WMU MSc 2010).
The MoU sets out the basis for cooperation between WMU, the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of the Government of Iran, and Sharif University of Technology (SUT). The initial focus will be on delivering a Professional Development Programme in Iran to support the needs and priorities of PMO and other maritime stakeholders. Cooperation within the framework of WMU’s M.Sc. programme in Maritime Affairs will also be pursued with priority given to the following areas: Port Management, Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration and Shipping Management and Logistics.
This MoU is part of the implementation of the WMU Strategic Plan 2016-2019, particularly Strategic Direction 1 focused on education and fostering of growth of maritime leaders in both developing and developed countries, which is a core mission of WMU. It also supports WMU’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Goal 4 focused on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.