(NEWS) President Doumbia-Henry Meets with Maritime Stakeholders in Berlin

March

2016

President Doumbia-Henry Meets with Maritime Stakeholders in Berlin

On 17 March, President Doumbia-Henry used the occasion of this year’s annual MSEA student field study to Germany for her first visit as WMU President to meet with officials in the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and the Federal Parliament in Berlin.

In the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Mr. Reinhard Klingen, Director-General for Waterways and Shipping, welcomed her. Mr. Klingen highlighted the longstanding close relationship between Germany and WMU. As one of the leading maritime nations in the world, Germany has much to offer to WMU and is actively engaged in supporting the continued growth of the University – either through financial support in terms of fellowships and as a host of field study visits for almost all WMU specializations. WMU also benefits from a large number of Visiting Professors and Lecturers from Germany who support the University in the delivery of its Masters programmes. Mr. Klingen and President Doumbia-Henry agreed that the cooperation should be further strengthened and both parties will explore opportunities to work actively together.

After the visit to the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, President Doumbia-Henry met with Eckhardt Rehberg, Member of the Federal Parliament in the offices of the Federal Parliament in Berlin. Mr. Rehberg has supported the University in the past when he was still Speaker of the Parliamentary Group of the Conservative Party on Maritime Affairs. He met with MSEA students who were on field study in Germany for the third time. Mr. Rehberg valued the contribution of WMU for capacity building and fostering stability in developing countries. He recognized that WMU is an important player in the maritime field and its contribution in education and capacity-building of these countries can contribute to addressing the reasons for migration at the source. President Doumbia-Henry also highlighted the need for leading maritime countries to also engage with the University in terms of sustainable financial support. Mr. Rehberg expressed his willingness to work with the University on this matter.

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