Following the inauguration of the new World Maritime University (WMU) campus on Tuesday, 19 May in Malmö, Henley Business School and WMU signed a Memorandum of Understanding on academic collaboration.

WMU is a leading postgraduate maritime university founded by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. The memorandum aims to establish a long-term relationship between the two institutions which aspire to combine their complementary strengths and specialisations in shipping and business education to develop innovative taught post-experience postgraduate programmes. The memorandum also highlights the wider scope to promote academic and scientific collaboration between the two Universities.

Dr George Alexandridis, Director of Shipping Programmes at Henley Business School said: “We are delighted and look forward to working with WMU towards the development of joint programmes as well as fostering opportunities for broader academic and scientific collaboration. With international trade growing at a fast pace and more than 90% of that trade being carried by sea, the maritime industry has emerged as a major contributor to the society and global economy. Given the intensifying complexity, significant volatility and novel requirements for international regulation associated with the wider maritime sector, there is a growing demand for specialist maritime oriented business education and interdisciplinary research. Combining our respective strengths, we will be able to develop innovative specialist post-experience programmes as well as deliver cutting edge research, catering for the ever growing needs of the international shipping industry. Following ICMA Centre’s very successful partnership with ALBA Graduate Business School in the delivery of the MSc in International Shipping and Finance, the new collaboration with the WMU clearly demonstrates our commitment to maritime education as well as to building outstanding international partnerships.”

The MoU was signed by Dr. Richard McBain, Head of the Post Experience PostGraduate Programme Area, Henley Business School, and Professor Neil Bellefontaine, WMU Acting President. Present at the signing were Mr. Koji Sekimizu, WMU Chancellor and IMO Secretary-General, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, WMU President Designate, Dr. George Alexandridis, Associate Professor and Director of Shipping Programmes, Henley Business School, and Dr. Ilias Visvikis, Professor and Director of Executive and Professional Development, WMU.