(NEWS) WMU Expands Connection with Italian Stakeholders through IMSSEA Workshop

March

2019

WMU Expands Connection with Italian Stakeholders through IMSSEA Workshop

On 7 March, the International Maritime Safety Security Academy (IMSSEA) hosted a clustering workshop entitled “Maritime training and research activities” in Genova, Italy. The event was aimed at strengthening the collaboration between the World Maritime University (WMU) and Italian stakeholders, particularly in the maritime industry, to identify research and skill development needs.

In her welcoming remarks, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of WMU, highlighted the fruitful collaboration to date with the Italian stakeholders. This includes Memoranda of Understanding with the University of Genova, as well as IMSSEA that have strengthened WMU’s research and academic activities with the Italian maritime and ocean industries.The the Italian partners have also hosted WMU Maritime Energy Management students on field study visits as well as provided visiting professors to lecture at the University in Malmö. Furthermore, the University of Genoa co-organized the WMU Migration by Sea Symposium in 2015 and the WMU International Conference on Maritime Energy Management in 2016 included prominent speakers from the Italian stakeholders.

IMSSEA is an international maritime education and training center specialized in the training of senior specialist maritime personnel in various aspects of shipping and related fields. The workshop brought together over 50 maritime and ocean stakeholders from industry to academia, and from both the public and private sectors. Discussions focused on developing collaboration opportunities in terms of research and education and centered around three topics: Energy and Environmental Industry and Technologies, Critical Infrastructures, and Research and Education. Adv. Carlo Golda, University of Genoa and Mr. Cristiano Cafferata, technical cyber security expert (Securenclave) served as moderators. The event was sponsored by Swascan, Tech2, ICT companies and Italbrokers.

The visit to Italy provided additional, key opportunities to make and strengthen connections for WMU. President Doumbia-Henry was welcomed by the Pro-Rector for Research and Technology Transfer, Marco Invernizzi of the University of Genova and Mr. Sandro Scarrone, President of CETENA S.p.A., a study centre in the maritime field. There was also an opportunity to visit Fincantieri, an Italian shipbuilding company with its headquarters in Genova. The visits strengthened potential research and academic collaboration between WMU and the Italian private sector, contributing to the strategic objectives of the University which include working with industry to inform research and teaching. A meeting with Rina - the Italian Classification Society - was also held, taking into account the important role that classification societies play in ensuring effective implementation of Conventions adopted by the IMO.

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