IAMU CHAIR'S NEWSLETTER NO. 3

Greetings from the Chair

Welcome to the third IAMU Chair's Newsletter. I'm sorry that there has been a bit of a delay since the last one but when times are busy it is hard to find enough hours in the day to do everything we would like.

In this newsletter, there are updates on the Liquefied Natural Gas Initiative, the Project System and the Steering Board meeting held recently in Malmö plus a brief information item on the IAMU Membership criteria.

I am always looking for additional information to put in the Newsletter, so please feel free to send me any important information about your institution, which you feel other members would find interesting.

Also, please forward this newsletter to anyone who you feel may find it of some value.

Best wishes
Dr Neil Otway
Chair

Update on the IAMU LNG Initiative

A successful Round Table was held in Busan, Korea on 28th February - 1st March. About 100 delegates representing the LNG industry, maritime administrations and IAMU members participated in this valuable discussion on challenges facing the booming LNG sector and how IAMU can contribute to the solutions. A Joint Statement was prepared and signed by the General Manager of the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) and myself (on behalf of IAMU). The Statement was endorsed by delegates and distributed to the Media. It effectively provides a structure for IAMU and SIGTTO to work together to develop competency standards applicable to LNG carriers and to then develop education and training packages to deliver these competencies. The standards and packages will also be submitted to IMO to enable a global standard for the LNG sector to be acknowledged and enforced. This will be a great achievement for IAMU.

Since the Round Table, some of our members have been working together to fulfil what has been declared in the aforementioned Joint Statement (the full text of which can be uploaded from our website) by the end of this year through close collaboration with the IAMU Integrated Working Group. This should also lead to the establishment of the Asian LNG Training Centre (ALTC) based in Korea. This development is being led by the Korean Maritime University with the full support of the Korean administration, both shipbuilding and shipping industries, and class societies.

The Project System

Disappointingly, only 11 applications were received this year for the Project System. This may be because the timelines were reasonably tight. The applications have been reviewed by the International Executive Committee and their assessment was considered by the Steering Board at its meeting in Malmö, Sweden on 21-22 March 2005. Four successful projects were identified at this meeting and further clarification from proposers is being sought before the final announcement of the successful projects can be made.

Steering Board Meeting

The Steering Board of IAMU met at the World Maritime University in Malmö on 21-22 March. Matters discussed included the Project System, future directions for IAMU including a possible new governance structure, arrangements for the Annual General Assembly Number 6 to be held in Malmö, the associated IAMU Student conference, membership fees and matters raised by the Editorial Board. The discussions were very broad and extremely worthwhile.

Recommendations from the Steering Board will be considered by the International Executive Committee of IAMU at a meeting scheduled for 20-21 June in London.

IAMU Membership Criteria

At its establishment in 1999, IAMU established the criteria for membership. Essentially, there are three (3) classes of members, as identified below:

A. Maritime universities/faculties offering four (4) year undergraduate courses, and post-graduate Masters and/or Ph.D. courses in the fields of Maritime Education and Training (MET), and maritime transport.

B. On a case-by-case basis, the International Executive Committee can admit to membership a maritime related sector teaching institution without post-graduate courses which can reasonably be judged as academically competent and suitable to participate in IAMU activities based on Articles I, II, and III of the Basic Agreement.

C. Special membership: A party who is not a maritime institution qualified for membership to IAMU as per the preceding items A and B, and yet whose contribution to IAMU has been considered as extremely valuable, may be admitted by the International Executive Committee as a Special Member. The Nippon Foundation is recognized as having been extremely valuable to IAMU, and is thereby appointed as a special member. A special member cannot be Chair.

Remember to check out the Website. It includes all the details on the Basic Agreement which is the fundamental document that prescribes the rationale for IAMU and its activities. The Website address is: http://www.iamu-edu.org