Alba Graduate Business School: Collaborations for Enhancing Education in Shipping

In a constantly changing legislative and technological framework, the education and training of seafarers, as well as of the executives of the maritime industry, acquire particular importance.

In this context, and given the strong ties between the Alba Graduate Business School of The American College of Greece and educational institutions based in Norway - Alba hosted at its premises the meeting of the European research program "i-MASTER EU Horizon Europe" on Friday, November 3, 2023.

i-MASTER is a research project aiming to integrate adaptive learning into maritime simulator-based education and training with Intelligent learning systems. The project is led by the Arctic University of Norway (UiT), which provides significant Norwegian representation. Additionally, the project involves the participation of seven partners based in Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Finland.

In the presence of Her Excellency, the Ambassador of Norway in Greece and Cyprus, Lajla Brandt Jakhelln, academics, and researchers representing the above-mentioned countries, along with distinguished executives of the shipping industry, the research findings were presented. This included new trends and developments concerning the management of the human factor, new methods of education and training for the new generation, as well as tools to reduce errors and accidents, which are of particular concern to the industry.

In her opening address, Her Excellency, the Ambassador of Norway to Greece and Cyprus focused on the historical relations between Greece and Norway, emphasizing the shipping industry. She also discussed the challenges facing the industry due to new environmental regulations and highlighted the importance of shipping for global trade and societal well-being. The ambassador stressed the need to attract more young people to the industry as well as the new skills required today.

Mr. Spyros Vougious, Director of the Shipping Programs at Alba Graduate Business School, welcomed the attendees, making special mention that this meeting was held in the context of Alba's long-standing collaboration with Norwegian Universities, especially with the University of South Eastern Norway (USN). This collaboration explains the ever-increasing number of Norwegian students choosing Alba for their postgraduate studies.

In the framework of the meeting, at-length discussions included the challenges for the sector’s decarbonization, the tools available to achieve the goals set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as well as the role of the human factor in reducing the environmental impact of shipping.

Special mention was made of the prospects of new technologies, such as ship automation technologies, and the best methods and tools for training seafarers and executives to operate new technological solutions efficiently and safely.

About Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece

The Alba Graduate Business School of The American College of Greece was founded in 1992 with the aim of educating the visionary leaders of tomorrow and actively promoting scientific research and the creation of new knowledge. As a non-profit organization, Alba operates under the auspices of the business community, pursuing excellence, quality and continuous innovation in research and teaching. More information about Alba can be found here.