International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim has welcomed Sweden’s ongoing support to the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö following a meeting with Ms. Anna Johansson, Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure, during a visit to the renowned postgraduate maritime institute.
Mr. Lim, a former WMU graduate himself who is now also WMU Chancellor, said Sweden had been a strong and loyal supporter of the World Maritime University since it was founded in 1983.
“I look forward to ongoing cooperation with Sweden as we continue to further strengthen WMU’s academic offerings and research capabilities,” Mr. Lim said.
Ms. Johansson was at WMU to renew the procedural agreement between the host country and WMU, which was established to provide high-quality training for the global maritime community, with a focus on capacity-building for developing countries.
Following the meeting with Mr. Lim and WMU President Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Ms. Johansson addressed the students, faculty and staff of WMU. She said that in attending the IMO Assembly at the end of 2015, she had met many IMO delegates who were alumni of WMU with incredible knowledge and positive memories of their time in Sweden.
“Sweden has had the privilege of hosting WMU for over 30 years and the reasons Sweden hosts the University are very easy to understand. As an export-oriented country, shipping is vital to our industries and requires good relations with all countries. Sweden is proud to have hosted graduates from so many countries who are now holding important positions in maritime and other sectors,” she said.
In addition, with reference to the 2030 Agenda for Development, she highlighted the importance and role WMU could play in the achievement of a number of the Sustainable Development Goals and in preserving and improving the health and use of the oceans.
Mr. Lim also took the opportunity to meet senior staff members and address the WMU faculty and staff. He highlighted his years as a student at WMU from 1989-1991 and emphasized how invaluable he has found the WMU global network of alumni throughout his career.
He stated his intention to support the important capacity-building mission of the University and to promote the financial sustainability of WMU.
Mr. Lim also addressed the M.Sc. students in the class of 2016 as well as many of the full-time Ph.D. students, highlighting the value of his WMU education to his ultimate career path and noting a sense of responsibility as the first WMU graduate to hold the office of IMO Secretary-General, stating that he was the first of many to come.
Mr. Lim encouraged the students to have a dream for their future, and to take a step-by-step approach to make that dream come true. He highlighted the World Maritime Day theme for 2016, “Shipping: Indispensable to the World” and encouraged students to remain humble as they assume the top management roles in the vitally important maritime industry.
“We are living in a competitive society and being humble is a high-level strategy for success,” he said.
Mr. Lim also met Mrs. Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, and Mr. Kent Anderson, Chairman of Malmö City Council and ex-officio representative of the Municipality to the WMU Board of Governors.
Source & Image Credit: IMO
