The Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) now ranks among the top 15 per cent of maritime universities, colleges and academies worldwide.

This was disclosed by the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) in its recent announcement that the CMU has been accepted into the prestigious association.

In an interview with JIS News, CMU President, Professor Andrew Spencer, said that acceptance in the IAMU was predicated on the university being placed in the top 15 per cent, which was a rigorous process. 

He explained that there are more than 500 maritime universities across the world and that 75 of those (which represent approximately 15 per cent) are members of IAMU.           

The assessment process included areas such as research output; research capabilities; facilities for learning (including in-house technologies); student satisfaction; types of programmes offered; fulfilment of requirement for at least one master’s programme in a maritime discipline, and conformity to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).                

The STCW Convention is a global agreement implemented and enforced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that sets minimum standards for seafarers, ensuring a consistent level of competency across the maritime industry.                           

Professor Spencer highlighted that being a part of the network will open doors for the institution and its students.                                                                                                  

“The IAMU is an elite group of universities, colleges and academies in the maritime space that form a network for excellence,” the president said, adding that the new designation will open a raft of opportunities for CMU students to access. Professor Spencer highlighted some of the positives to be experienced through membership in the association.

“Ultimately, being a part of the IAMU says a number of things, and the first is that we are among the best,” he argued. “Secondly, it gives us access to a network that is very engaged with grant funding, so we will be able to undertake extensive research in areas such as the marine environment, decarbonisation, green energy and blue energy.”                                

Professor Spencer pointed out that institutions such as the World Maritime University, Shanghai Maritime University and other leading maritime universities of the world “are fundamentally involved in this type of research and that the CMU now ranks right up there with all of them”.                   

The President further noted that IAMU membership adds a layer to the CMU’s IMO whitelist status, “which we’ve enjoyed for some time now and were recently approved for another five years”.              

He also pointed out that IAMU membership will afford the CMU access to resources outside of the research domain.                                                                   

“Many of these institutions, for example, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, are fully government-funded in the United States of America. They have vessels that we can benefit from, given our proximity to them,” the President said. Professor Spencer noted that there would also be opportunities to access laboratory facilities through student exchanges, particularly with North American and European partners, which could translate to “endless opportunities” for CMU students.