World Maritime University - headquarters

12/10/2026

WMU and the Government of India have signed an agreement establishing the C.P. Srivastava Professorial Chair in Shipping and Port Management, strengthening cooperation in maritime education, research and capacity development.

Named in honour of WMU’s Founding Chancellor Emeritus, Dr. C.P. Srivastava, the Chair will support postgraduate education, research and professional development to advance India’s maritime sector and the wider global maritime community.

As WMU President Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. noted at the signing, “I believe there could be no more fitting way to honour the memory of C.P. Srivastava than to continue, in our own time, the work that he began.”

https://www.wmu.se/news/c-p-srivastava-professorial-chair

09/10/2026

The WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) met with a high-level delegation at the Chinese Consul General in Gothenburg in to exchange perspectives on ocean governance, the BBNJ Agreement and sustainable ocean development.

Professor Ronán Long, WMU-GOI Director, highlighted WMU’s contributions to ocean education, research and capacity development, including the Ireland WMU-GOI BBNJ Clinic Programme, which supports Small Island Developing States and Coastal Least Developed Countries in ratifying and implementing the BBNJ Agreement.

Read more: www.wmu.se/news/wmu-engages-chinese-delegation-ocean-governance-bbnj

09/10/2026

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Mikaela Gomez as Post-Graduate Diploma Programmes Assistant. In this new role, she will support the WMU Outreach team in delivering the University’s online programmes and professional development courses.

Ms Gomez joined WMU in 2023 and served as research fellow and team project manager for the EU Horizon projects: Mission Atlantic and OceanICU. She has a background in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, with experience at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute.

We look forward to the contributions Ms Gomez will make in her new role!

08/10/2026

The SEA-CARE project is advancing its pilot training programme for Maritime Crisis Responders. The steering group recently met at WMU in Malmö to further develop the programme, which aims to strengthen support for seafarers following serious incidents at sea.

🔗 Read more: https://www.wmu.se/news/sea-care-pilot-training-programme-maritime-crisis-responders

Research - The steering group of the EU-supported SEA-CARE project met at WMU to further develop the programme for its upcoming pilot training for Maritime Crisis Responders.

07/10/2026

Seafarer abandonment remains one of the most serious unresolved challenges facing the maritime industry. Reported cases are reaching record levels worldwide. International rules exist to protect seafarers. Still, a critical question remains:

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN A SEAFARER NEEDS HELP?

To understand the gap between regulation and reality, the World Maritime University (WMU) Seafarers' Abandonment Policy Lab is launching its Global Seafarers' Survey:

📋 "Seafarers' Abandonment: Reporting Behaviour and Institutional Response"
The survey looks beyond the existence of legal protections to examine how abandonment cases are actually reported, managed and responded to.

WHAT THE SURVEY EXPLORES
🔹 Reporting decisions: When and why do seafarers seek outside help, and what prevents or delays them from doing so?
🔹 Institutional responsiveness: Which organizations do seafarers trust, and which actors are most effective when help is needed?
🔹 Geopolitical risks and conflict zones: How do war zones, blockaded ports and other high-risk environments affect the risk of abandonment?

WHO CAN TAKE PART?
All seafarers who currently work, or have previously worked, on commercial seagoing ships. Every rank, vessel type and employment status is welcome.

SURVEY DETAILS
⏱️ Duration: 15–20 minutes
🔒 Confidentiality: Fully anonymous and confidential
🌍 Languages: English
Deadline: 31 December 2026

YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS.

Your input will help build the evidence needed to show where current mechanisms work and where they fall short, and will support stronger protection and more effective responses for seafarers worldwide.

👉 TAKE THE SURVEY AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: https://wmuhq.questionpro.eu/a/TakeSurvey?tt=y5O57A5w2QwZYxRhUGbOOg%3D%3D

Please share this with your colleagues, crew members and professional networks.

International Maritime Organization - IMO

06/10/2026

📣LAST CALL! 📣
Join us for a special webinar with Dr. Harry T. Conway, Chair of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), offering an inside perspective on how the Committee works in practice.

The session will explore the role of the Chair in facilitating discussions, managing different positions and guiding Member States towards consensus. It will also examine the important role of informal dialogue and bilateral exchanges in building trust, finding common ground and advancing negotiations.

📅 8 October | 13:30–14:30 CEST
🌐 Online | Free and open to the public
Learn more and register: https://www.wmu.se/events/webinar-inside-the-mepc

06/10/2026

WMU supported a joint regional event with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon, focusing on evolving seafarer competence and training needs as shipping transitions to alternative fuels and emerging decarbonization technologies.

The event brought together maritime administrations, industry, maritime education and training institutions, international organizations and academia to explore training requirements for ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, batteries and onboard carbon capture systems, as well as developments in the IMO’s review of the STCW Convention and Code.

WMU faculty contributed expertise to discussions on how training and competence frameworks must adapt to rapid technological change, while participants gained practical insights through visits to advanced training facilities and a battery-powered vessel.

The event forms part of WMU’s ongoing capacity development work with IMO and regional maritime partners to support a safe, sustainable and skilled maritime workforce.

Read more: https://www.wmu.se/news/wmu-emsa-imo-seafarer-training-alternative-fuels

06/10/2026

WMU contributed to a new open-access, peer-reviewed article published in Global Change Biology, examining the role of wild animals in the global carbon cycle and natural climate solutions across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

The article brings together scientific evidence on how wildlife-driven ecosystem processes influence carbon storage and greenhouse gas fluxes, and calls for greater consideration of wildlife and their ecological roles in climate policy. In the ocean, this includes the role of marine wildlife in processes such as nutrient cycling and the movement of carbon through marine food webs.

The article is co-authored by WMU Senior Researcher, Dr Fabio Berzaghi, and is an output of WMU’s science-to-policy work in the OceanICU project.

Read the open-access article:

Click on the article title to read more.

05/10/2026

The annual Sasakawa Fellowship Orientation brought together 30 new Fellows from the Class of 2027 with 31 Fellows from the Class of 2026, who will soon graduate.

The orientation, organized by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, gave the new students an opportunity to exchange experiences, share advice and build connections as they begin their studies at WMU.

With the Class of 2027, 873 students from 89 countries have now received Sasakawa Fellowships to study at WMU, contributing to the development of maritime professionals and leaders around the world.

Read more at: https://www.wmu.se/news/sasakawa-fellowship-students-orientation-2026

02/10/2026

WMU hosted the Swedish Maritime Forum’s (Maritimt Forum) World Maritime Day 2026 event, bringing together representatives from industry, government, academia and maritime organizations.

Held under the 2026-2027 World Maritime Day theme From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence, the event explored how international policy and regulation can be translated into practical action across the maritime sector, with discussions on safety, decarbonization, technological development and future skills.

Read more:
https://www.wmu.se/news/maritimt-forum-world-maritime-day