On 11 January, Mr. Tomas Eneroth, Minister for Infrastructure, Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation for Sweden, was welcomed to World Maritime University (WMU) by Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, WMU President. WMU says the purpose of the visit was to discuss the opportunities for further collaboration on a range of issues of common interest, in particular, with regard to UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 concerning the Ocean.
President Doumbia-Henry thanked the Minister for visiting WMU and noted that 2018 is the 35th anniversary year of the University since its founding by the International Maritime Organization in 1983. She highlighted that to date 4,654 graduates from 167 countries have earned their degrees from the University and have become ambassadors for Sweden as well as WMU. “We are grateful to Sweden and the City of Malmö for generously hosting the WMU and providing it with the excellent facilities it enjoys. Through the University, Sweden effectively and directly contributes to sustainable development of countries by facilitating the education and capacity building of countries and in particular developing countries. Our graduates on their return home are able to support their countries to improve and enhance their maritime regulatory frameworks, policies and infrastructure as well as promote sustainable use of our oceans. We are grateful to Sweden for their invaluable contribution over the years that not only help facilitate global trade but also promotes sustainable use of our shared resources,” she stated.
The visit concluded with a tour of the University including the new facilities for the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (Ocean Institute) that will be inaugurated in May. The Ocean Institute is a concrete response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and in particular Goal 14. The Ocean Institute will be the independent focal point for the ocean science-policy-law-industry interface acting as a convener and convergence point where policy makers, the scientific community, regulators, industry actors and academics, and representatives of civil society meet to discuss how best to manage and use ocean spaces and their resources for the sustainable development of present and future generations based on evidence-based research, education and capacity-building. Research outputs of the Institute will enhance capacity of all stakeholders to implement legal requirements and policies relating to the ocean agenda. A special emphasis will be placed on working closely with the IMO, UN Oceans and other relevant UN organizations, including UNESCO-IOC.