WMU Graduation
Graduation for 2014 Fellows
On Sunday, 2 November, WMU’s Chancellor and Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Koji Sekimizu, conferred postgraduate degrees on the World Maritime University’s Class of 2014. In total, 124 students graduated from the Malmo-based M.Sc. program in Maritime Affairs, 47 from the M.Sc. program in Dalian, China, 36 from the M.Sc. program in Shanghai, China, and 19 from the distance-learning Postgraduate Diploma in Marine Insurance. Overall, the graduates in the Class of 2014 represented 49 countries, and this graduation ceremony brought the total number of WMU graduates to 3,889 from 165 countries.
Guest of Honour, Dr. Anne Christine Brusendorff, General Secretary for the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, emphasized the collective nature of teamwork and the global nature of shipping stating, “individually you are one drop, but together, you are an ocean.”
Guest of Honour, Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training for the Republic of South Africa was unfortunately unable to deliver his address due to illness, therefore Ms. Sindisiwe Chikunga, Deputy Minister of Transport for the Republic of South Africa, spoke in his place. She noted the milestone that the graduation ceremony represented in capacity building for South Africa with 23 students from the Republic of South Africa graduating, all of whom were sponsored by the South African Government.
Before the conferring of degrees on the graduates, Mr. Sekimizu conferred the degree of Doctor of Science in Maritime Affairs, honoris causa on Dr. Charles Cushing, President, C.R. Cushing & Co, for his exceptional service to the University since 1986 as a Visiting and Adjunct Professor, teaching both in Malmo and Dalian. Three Honorary Fellow Awards were made during the ceremony for distinguished and outstanding service to WMU. The first award was made to Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Office, who has a long-standing relationship with WMU. The second Honorary Fellow was Dr. Bernard Francou who served from June 1998 to May 2004 as WMU Associate Professor of Port Management. For many years, Dr. Francou served as a UN expert/consultant in shipping and port related projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The final Honorary Fellow was Mr. Jorgen Rasmussen, the former Chief Ship Surveyor and Chief Advisor to the Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority, former member of the Danish delegation to IMO and former Head of the Navigation Section of IMO’s Maritime Safety Division.
Three Outstanding Alumnus awards were also presented during the ceremony. The first award was made to Professor Gao Deyi (MET 1995), Vice-Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Education Committee. Professor Gao’s MSc studies were funded by a fellowship provided by Oshima Shipbuilding of Japan. The second award was presented to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Dwight C. Gardiner (MSA 1990), Director and Registrar General of the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping. The final Outstanding Alumnus Award was presented to V ice-Admiral Rodolfo D. Isorena, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (MSEP 2002). Admiral Isorena is the third consecutive Commandant of the PCG who is a WMU graduate.
The annual student awards were also announced at the ceremony:
Also at graduation, it was announced that an Agreement had been signed with Dr. Vishwapati Trivedi, Secretary for the Ministry of Shipping for the Government of India, to establish an Indian Professorial Chair in Port Management, which will benefit maritime capacity building worldwide through supporting the education of students at WMU.
Susan Jackson
Registrar
World Maritime University
Guest of Honour, Dr. Anne Christine Brusendorff, General Secretary for the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, emphasized the collective nature of teamwork and the global nature of shipping stating, “individually you are one drop, but together, you are an ocean.”
Guest of Honour, Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training for the Republic of South Africa was unfortunately unable to deliver his address due to illness, therefore Ms. Sindisiwe Chikunga, Deputy Minister of Transport for the Republic of South Africa, spoke in his place. She noted the milestone that the graduation ceremony represented in capacity building for South Africa with 23 students from the Republic of South Africa graduating, all of whom were sponsored by the South African Government.
Before the conferring of degrees on the graduates, Mr. Sekimizu conferred the degree of Doctor of Science in Maritime Affairs, honoris causa on Dr. Charles Cushing, President, C.R. Cushing & Co, for his exceptional service to the University since 1986 as a Visiting and Adjunct Professor, teaching both in Malmo and Dalian. Three Honorary Fellow Awards were made during the ceremony for distinguished and outstanding service to WMU. The first award was made to Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Office, who has a long-standing relationship with WMU. The second Honorary Fellow was Dr. Bernard Francou who served from June 1998 to May 2004 as WMU Associate Professor of Port Management. For many years, Dr. Francou served as a UN expert/consultant in shipping and port related projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The final Honorary Fellow was Mr. Jorgen Rasmussen, the former Chief Ship Surveyor and Chief Advisor to the Director-General of the Danish Maritime Authority, former member of the Danish delegation to IMO and former Head of the Navigation Section of IMO’s Maritime Safety Division.
Three Outstanding Alumnus awards were also presented during the ceremony. The first award was made to Professor Gao Deyi (MET 1995), Vice-Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Education Committee. Professor Gao’s MSc studies were funded by a fellowship provided by Oshima Shipbuilding of Japan. The second award was presented to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Dwight C. Gardiner (MSA 1990), Director and Registrar General of the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping. The final Outstanding Alumnus Award was presented to V ice-Admiral Rodolfo D. Isorena, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (MSEP 2002). Admiral Isorena is the third consecutive Commandant of the PCG who is a WMU graduate.
The annual student awards were also announced at the ceremony:
- Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence (Malmo): Gareth John Courtois, South Africa
- Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence (Dalian): Shen Jiaqiang, China
- Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence (Shanghai): Hermann Christoph Schulte, Germany
- Pierre Leonard Prize for the Best Female Student: Deniece Aiken,Jamaica
- C. P. Srivastava Award for International Fellowship: Yusuke Mori, Japan (Sasakawa Fellow)
- Lloyd's Maritime Academy Dissertation Prize: Aleik Nurwahyudy, Indonesia (Sasakawa Fellow)
- Informa Law Prize: Ronald Alfred, Trinidad and Tobago
Also at graduation, it was announced that an Agreement had been signed with Dr. Vishwapati Trivedi, Secretary for the Ministry of Shipping for the Government of India, to establish an Indian Professorial Chair in Port Management, which will benefit maritime capacity building worldwide through supporting the education of students at WMU.
Susan Jackson
Registrar
World Maritime University
