WMU and MPA Singapore sign enhanced MoU to cooperate on global maritime leadership training
On 5 April, World Maritime University (WMU) signed an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), to cooperate on global maritime leadership training and capacity building for the international maritime community.
The enhanced MoU was signed by Ms. Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, MPA, and Dr. Doumbia-Henry, President of WMU. The signing ceremony, held in conjunction with the Third International Women’s Conference on the theme “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community”, was witnessed by Professor Shuo Ma, WMU Vice President (International) and Professor Jens-Uwe Schröder-Hinrichs, WMU Vice President (Academic).
The agreement provides for cooperation between the two partners on the education of maritime leaders, leadership development programmes, as well as exchange of faculty members. Under the agreement, MPA Academy will continue to host week-long field studies in Singapore, as MPA has been doing since 2004, for WMU students in the Port Management (PM) specialisation. Beginning with 2019, MPA Academy will also host the aforementioned field studies for WMU students from the Shipping Management and Logistics (SML) specialisation.
Ms. Quah Ley Hoon said, “MPA Academy and the WMU are close partners in the area of advancing training in the maritime industry. We collaborate in many areas, including the hosting of field studies for the students since 2004. This enhanced Memorandum of Understanding with WMU reaffirms Singapore's relentless commitment and support to global maritime leadership training and IMO’s agenda of training. We certainly look forward to both organisations further strengthening the many areas of collaboration in training and capacity building.”
Dr. Doumbia-Henry welcomed the continuing cooperation and stated, “WMU is committed to post-graduate education, research and capacity building in the maritime and ocean fields that support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our students’ opportunity to visit one of the busiest ports in the world deepens their knowledge of port operations and administration, and supports the maritime-capacity building mission of WMU. Through this agreement WMU students from both the PM and the SML specializations will be able to learn from MPA Academy. I am also very proud to see our new WMU-Koji Sekimizu PhD fellowship on “Maritime Governance” come to life with the generous support of MPA. The first-class research undertaken at WMU will inform decision-making in the maritime field and will benefit the shipping industry and all its stakeholders.”
The MPA Academy is the training arm of MPA which was repositioned in 2014 to be a full-fledged academy with a dedicated premise and focus on global maritime leadership training. This year marks the 16th year of the collaboration between MPA and WMU. To date, the MPA has hosted more than 240 students from WMU.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.
