IAMU Special Monograph

Special Issue: Maritime Education and Training - STCW 78 as amended in 1995 -
An IAMU Vision

Call for Papers

The International Convention STCW 78 (as amended in 1995) is the primary mandatory international instrument determining the MET and Certification Standards for Seafarers in the World. During the next two years IMO will carry out a holistic review of STCW 78 and all amendments. While the Convention is directed first of all to review the mandated training of seafarers, it is becoming clear that the Convention will also need to address the training needed for competent shore based personnel who are involved in maritime safety management, environmental protection and security. The dynamic development of the shipping industry will challenge the IMO to align the STCW regulations to these emerging industry needs and public interests. As a result MET institutions are no longer in a position to keep utilizing any MET techniques and pedagogy that do not address the demands for competency and knowledge assessments in the newer definitions of a competent and knowledgeable mariner, afloat or ashore.

Accordingly, within this two-year "window of opportunity" MET institutions which have experience in this training and education have a unique and challenging opportunity to present their past experience and professional opinion about how the Convention may want to address these emerging issues as well as suggesting ways to modify the current amendments. Therefore, the IAMU will be producing a special monograph containing the practices and opinions of members regarding the experiences of conforming to the 1995 amendments to STCW78 over these last ten years. It is the intent of the IAMU to publicize "best practices" and "lessons learned" accompanied with learned opinions for the future modifications to STCW78 as contemplated by the IMO. In addition, MET institutions which are feeling the need to update their curriculum and pedagogical approaches to training and education can use the publicized "best practices" and "learned opinions" of other IAMU institutions to do so.

Therefore, all IAMU member institutions are invited to submit relevant articles about their vision of how STCW 78 should be amended in the future. Submissions should be received by May 15, 2007. The articles can be devoted, but not limited, to the following subjects:

• History and original motivation for STCW78 fundamentals, experience of its application and implementation, and their influence on competency of seafarers.
• General and holistic review of the Convention and Code, or its chapters, articles, regulations and STCW Conference resolutions; improvements to the Code provisions...
• Assessment and evaluation, certification procedures
• Links of STCW 78 with other IMO instruments as SOLAS 74 (ISM and ISPS Codes), MARPOL 73/78 and possible gaps between these instruments.
• Setting and Meeting Quality Standards in MET and related certification systems
• Accidents and incidents at sea as a function of human factor and competency (fatigue, manning, education, mixed crews, workload, rest hours, crew performance... ...) which should be addressed in STCW78
• Responsibilities of shipping companies for having competent mariners afloat and ashore
• Proposals for specific improvements of Convention and Code

Articles should be e-mailed along with any inserts such as digital photographs to vl.loginovsky@rambler.ru, with a copy to Dr. William Eisenhardt, Head of Editorial Board, IAMU (President, California Maritime Academy, beisenhardt@csum.edu). In lieu of this important topic, the length restrictions on normal Journal articles is waived if warranted. Please be informed that digital photographs are more than 300 dpi in JPEG file.

Paper should be written based on the "Manuscript Submission Requirements" except for the length restriction.

Thank you

Vladimir Loginovsky, DSc, Professor
IAMU Special Editor for STCW Monograph
Head of Navigation Chair, Navigation Faculty of Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy
5, Zanevsky pr., St. Petersburg, 195112, RUSSIA
+7 812 444 76 09 (Telephone)
+7 812 444 24 70 (Fax)
vl.loginovsky@rambler.ru