Renewed e-learning oriented IHO Cat. B Hydrography Program (2020-) in Belgium

A study onhydrographic education in Belgium carried out a few years ago,pointed out a shortage in hydrographic training. Before the introduction of the new "Postgraduate in Hydrography", most hydrographic surveyors in Belgium work in one of the main Europeandredging companies where they received additional specific hydrographic surveying training.Therefore, in 2013, a 1-year English spoken curriculum degree of "Postgraduate in Hydrography" in Belgium was accredited by the IHO (International Hydrographic Organization). Then, in 2019, a renewed curriculum, including extensive e-learning facilities, was established.The program (Cat-B) is a cooperation between the Geography Department of Ghent University and the Institute for Hydrography of the Antwerp Maritime Academy, which is the hosting institute.The aim is to combine the compulsory theoretical courses with on-the-job training provided by partners in the industry to ensure maximum competences. All courses are lectured in English, and can be taken up over several years to facilitate part-time work. These procedures allow for a qualitative and professional, yet accessible program.The theoretical courses are taught on two different campuses, the campus of the Antwerp Maritime Academy (HZS) and a campus of Ghent University (UGent) based on the available expertise and infrastructure, thus ensuring the quality. As travel time between both cities is relatively fast (ca. 45 min. travel time by public or private transport) together with the boundary condition that both locations are never used on the same day, this presents no problems to the students. The navigation related topics are taught at the Maritime Academy while the geodesy/data management/geology and ICT related topics are provided by the Geography, Geology and Informatics Departments at Ghent University

The automatic identification system of maritime accident risk using rule-based reasoning

International audienceCurrent maritime traffic monitoring systems are not sufficiently adapted to the identification of maritime accident risk. It is very difficult for operators responsible for monitoring traffic to identify which vessels are at risk among all the shipping traffic displayed on their screen. They are overwhelmed by huge amount of kinematic ship data to be decoded. To improve this situation, this paper proposes a system for the automatic identification of maritime accident risk. The system consists of two modules. The first automates expert knowledge acquisition through the computerized exploration of historical maritime data, and the second provides a rule-based reasoning mechanism

A vision of Chinese MET in the 21st Century : the impact of new technology in the Chinese MET [maritime education and training]

This dissertation is a study of the new developments in maritime technology, new educational methodology and technology, and the new standards of STCW 95. The impact upon Chinese MET is analysed in relation to these three aspects. A general study is made of the latest developments in maritime technology and MET educational methodology. The outcome indicates that the influence of the integrated bridge systems (IBS) and the one man bridge operation (OMBO) have an effect on the shipping industry; the new MET educational methodology and technology also have a deep impact on the traditional way of education in Chinese MET institutions. The present status of the Chinese MET has been briefly described in order to delineate or outline the advantages and limitations of the MET. The focus is placed on instructors’ qualifications, revision of curricula and programmes, replacement of old and out of date equipment for training by new and up to date marine equipment, use of the simulator for training and assessment, and the inadequate knowledge of students in the English language communication. The results were collected and evaluated in the conclusions which highlight the necessity of adapting to technology developments. A number of recommendations are also made in view of the deep impact upon Chinese MET in the 21st century

The Trade-Climate Nexus: Assessing the European Union’s Institutionalist Approach. College of Europe EU Diplomacy Paper 04/2019

The European Union (EU) is considered a global leader both in trade and climate policies. Nonetheless, trade liberalisation has been widely criticised for its negative effects on the environment and for directly contributing to the rising levels of annual greenhouse gas emissions. This paper addresses the trade-climate nexus by assessing to what extent the EU is effectively integrating its environmental objectives within its trade policies. First, the legal spaces for the EU’s action in this policy nexus are identified. Second, the analysis looks into how effectively the EU is achieving its own set of objectives for trade and climate. The assessment draws on an innovative analytical matrix examining four Trade-Climate Agenda items: (i) international competitiveness, (ii) climate-friendly goods and services, (iii) international aviation and maritime shipping, and (iv) product labelling and standards. The paper then evaluates to what extent the externalisation mechanisms of Manners’ ‘Normative Power Europe’ and Damro’s ‘Market Power Europe’ are deployed in order to achieve the above objectives. The findings show that the EU’s performance in the effective management of the nexus is overall moderate to weak

Regional networking as success factor in the transformation processes of maritime industry: Experiences and perspectives from Baltic Sea countries

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Development of a maritime education and training institute in Ethiopia : considering the priorities

The purpose of this paper is to show the significance of establishing a maritime training institution in Ethiopia, to foster the development of the shipping industry in particular, and of the nation as a whole. The main argument for the establishment of, the maritime training institution is the need to pave the way towards the country\u27s, integration into the maritime world economy, which demands well qualified seafarers and maritime experts to run the different aspects of the maritime industry. To clarify the present situation of the country, brief information on geo-political and socio-economic conditions has been included. Acquaintance is’ olso made to the ancient maritime history, to show the extent of the nation\u27s maritime achievements, and its contributions to the making of maritime history. Furthermore, to provide a clear basis for comparison, and to further highlight the significance of the training center, the activities and operation of the merchant fleet, together with the existing shortages of trained manpower are illustrated. In addition to that, proposals are presented regarding: -organization and administration of the institution\u27 -staff requirements and criteria -construction sites and buildings -requirements of training facilities and equipment -curricula and syllabi for cadet and rating training, and -examination and certification procedures