Yards Moving Forward - GL Group

what a classification society actually does. Such contacts will
be intensified in future. In addition, GL staff will be invited to
give lectures at the WMU. To some extent, this had already
occurred in the past; it will now become firmly anchored as a
result of the new agreement.
The specific measures within the scope of the cooperation
agreement will be defined by the WMU and GL for a year in
advance, and then put into practice. “After the twelve months
have passed, we will get together and assess what has gone
well and which projects we wish to tackle in addition,” says
Schreeck.
Besides the support in terms of expert advice, financial
assistance is also envisaged. In the past, Germanischer Lloyd
had already granted scholarships to WMU students – in the
years 2001/2002 to a student from Ethiopia and, in the academic
year after that, to a female student from the Philippines.
Both are full-cost bursaries, meaning that board and lodging,
pocket money as well as the cost of excursions are financed. At
present, GL is supporting a student from Bangladesh jointly
with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Affairs (BMVBS). “For people from developing countries, such
a scholarship is a fundamental prerequisite for being able to
study here in the first place,” Schröder points out.
When the students of the WMU have completed the period
of study and obtained their “Master”, they return to their
home countries. There they generally take up positions in the
administrations for shipping affairs, work at governmental
authorities and agencies of the flag states, or join the universi-
ADVANCED MARITIME TRAINING
ABOUT THE STUDENTS
At present, more than 300 students are registered at the WMU, 200 of whom are on the campus in Malmö, with
the remaining 100 in Dalian and Shanghai. In addition, there is also the possibility of studying at the WMU by correspondence
course or by attending individual seminars. The average age is still 32, but is falling. All students are
post graduates, i.e. they have already completed basic academic training (Bachelor for the MSc programme and
MSc for the PhD studies). The students hail from more than 100 countries, with an appreciable number coming
from developing states.
ties and colleges to teach young people “For our company, it is
naturally of great interest to initiate these contacts early on
during their study phase,” says Susanne Schreeck. Building a
network – even in the booming shipping sector, this is the best
foundation for good business relations over the long term. ■ BS
ABOUT THE WMU
The WMU is the only university worldwide to have been founded by the
International Maritime Organization. The duration of study in Malmö is
17 months, ending with the degree of Master of Science in Maritime
Affairs. Moreover, there is the possibility of obtaining a doctorate at the
WMU. The institute has to be self-financing; a considerable proportion
of its funding is received from the Swedish government, with additional
assistance from other nations as well as companies. In collaboration
with Dalian Maritime University, the WMU offers a masters course in
“Maritime Safety and Environmental Management”. Similarly, the postgraduate
programme “International Transport and Logistics” is offered in
cooperation with Shanghai Maritime University. www.wmu.se
nonstop 3/2006 47