Maine Maritime Academy to Host International Symposium

Maine Maritime Academy will host the 3rd General Assembly of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) in late September at the Samoset Resort on the Ocean in Rockport, Maine, United States of America. This year's conference will serve as an academic forum for "Enhancing Global Maritime Excellence", offering extensive exchange of theory and practice pertaining to professional maritime training and education. A concurrent student program will be hosted at the Castine college. A founding member of IAMU, Maine Maritime Academy will welcome academic, administrative, and student delegates from the 34 member institutions located throughout the world to the Sept. 23-26, 2002, events on the coast of Maine. Sponsored by The Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, IAMU was established as a non-profit organization in 1999 by seven maritime universities representing the various regions of the world. IAMU seeks to establish a worldwide network among maritime universities of excellence and to enhance the safety of international ocean traffic through the establishment of an international maritime society to promote the scientific and academic approach to maritime education and training. Founding universities of IAMU include: Maritime Faculty, Istanbul Technical University of Turkey for Central/Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean; Kobe University of Mercantile Marine of Japan for Asia; Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport of Egypt for Africa; Australian Maritime College of Australia for Oceania; Southampton Institute, Maritime Faculty of the United Kingdom for Western Europe; Maine Maritime Academy of the United States of America for the Americas including the Caribbean; and World Maritime University of Sweden for general representation. According to Maine Maritime Academy President Leonard Tyler, Executive Vice Chairman and Chairman-Elect of IAMU, more than 40 academic papers will be presented at the conference. Topics will focus on the 3 major working groups established by IAMU: maritime education and training, maritime safety management, and promotion of global maritime excellence. Tyler added that this year's Assembly will be complemented by a concurrent student program at the host institution. Two or more students from member institutions will converge at Maine Maritime for a week of immersion in social and academic activities with their American counterparts. Students will be housed aboard the college's 500-ft. training ship, State of Maine, will attend classes, and will formulate presentations on the comparison of methods and styles of maritime training and education. The conference will begin with a general business meeting of IAMU officers throughout the day on Monday, Sept. 23. William E. Haggett, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Maine Maritime Academy, will welcome delegates to Maine and the conference at an opening dinner set for later that evening. The opening session of the IAMU 3rd General Assembly, scheduled for Tuesday, September 24 at 8:30 a.m., will be highlighted by remarks from keynote speaker Captain William G. Schubert, United States Maritime Administrator. Also, Professor Dr. Kiyoshi Hara, Chairman of IAMU and President of Kobe University of Mercantile Marine, Kobe, Japan, and Nagamitsu, representative of The Nippon Foundation, will address the delegates. Delegates will tour the Maine Maritime Academy campus, meet faculty and students, and enjoy a traditional Maine lobster bake on Wednesday, September 25. The Assembly will conclude at the Samoset Resort on Thursday afternoon, September 26, with the annual meeting of the IAMU membership set for 3:30 p.m.