(NEWS) Inaugural Srivastava Memorial Lecture

September

2021

Inaugural Srivastava Memorial Lecture

On 6 September, the Inaugural Srivastava Memorial Lecture took place online. The memorial lecture has been established by the Centre for Maritime Law & Research, Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai and the Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India in honour of the late Dr. C.P. Srivastava, KCMG, who is the founding Chancellor of the World Maritime University (WMU) and Secretary-General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

As a Guest of Honour, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of WMU, noted the significant contribution that Dr. Srivastava made to WMU. She expressed WMU's indebtedness for his visionary and pioneering role saying, “Dr. Srivastava made extraordinary efforts, as the longest-ever serving Secretary-General of the IMO, to secure the generous cooperation of the Swedish Government, so that his dream of a postgraduate university focused on educating the maritime leaders of the future could become a reality. I am inspired by the vision of Dr. Srivastava in establishing this truly remarkable academic institution in the UN and IMO system – a university for the world, dedicated to inspiring leadership and innovation for a sustainable maritime and oceans future.” Looking ahead, she stressed: “Today, WMU is focussing more than ever before on building and strengthening partnerships with governments, industry, international organizations and civil society, while deepening its relationship with our growing number of WMU Alumni.”

Additional distinguished Guests of Honour included Shri Amitabh Kumar, IRS, Hon'ble Director General of Shipping & Additional Secretary, Government of India, and Professor (Dr.) Dilip Ukey, Honourable Vice Chancellor, Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai. The lecture, on the topic of “Maritime Law and its Prospects for India”, was delivered by Professor Proshanto K. Mukherjee, Professor Emeritus of WMU, Professor Law and Foreign Expert for Dalian Maritime University, and Chancellor of the CINEC Campus Colombo.

To view the recorded webinar, click here.

About Dr. C.P. Srivastava, KCMG

C.P. Srivastava was born on 8 July 1920 and was educated in Lucknow, India obtaining BA, MA and LLB degrees. He started his career as a civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service and went on to posts in the Indian Prime Minister’s Office and the Directorate General of Shipping. He was appointed as the Founder Chief Executive of the Shipping Corporation of India, a Government of India enterprise, which he built up to the largest shipping company of India and one of the biggest and most successful shipping companies of the world, with a diversified fleet of cargo liners, tankers, bulk carriers and passenger ships.

In 1974 he was elected to serve as the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and was re-elected unanimously for three successive four-year terms, serving until his retirement in 1989. In the early 1980s, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) identified a shortage of well-qualified, highly educated maritime experts, particularly in developing countries. To address this gap, Dr Srivastava, the then Secretary-General of the IMO, proposed to establish a postgraduate university focused on educating the maritime leaders of the future. Following the IMO Assembly Resolution A.501(XII) on 20 November 1981, the IMO established WMU to support member States with high calibre education in the maritime field. With the financial support of the Swedish government, the City of Malmö, and private donations, WMU was officially established on 1 May and inaugurated on 4 July 1983. Dr Srivastava became the first Chancellor of the University.

Just before his retirement from his post as IMO Secretary-General in 1989, the IMO Assembly, meeting for its 16th session, unanimously adopted a resolution (A.679(16)), noting his retirement with regret and recording his services to IMO Member States. The resolution noted that, throughout his tenure, which comprised four successive terms and lasted 16 years, Dr. Srivastava rendered exceptionally meritorious services to the Organization with total commitment to its ideals and objectives. In 1991, he received the International Maritime prize from IMO for his contribution to the Organization's work and objectives.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of WMU on 4 July 2013, Dr. Srivastava provided a message for the anniversary celebrations being held at the IMO: “The excellence that the World Maritime University has achieved in providing a variety of education, research opportunities, outreach programs, and specialized courses to the world maritime community is a matter of great pride….The principal goal of creating a parity between the expertise and knowledge of developed and developing nations has been and will continue to be served. The mission of uniting the world maritime community so that they are able to follow and interpret the global regime of maritime protocols and conventions is realized. At my age of 93 years, I feel fortunate to have lived to see the high water mark of achievements of the World Maritime University.”

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