Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor (University of Montenegro) - the member of IAMU

After the demanding application process and audits, Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor (University of Montenegro) this year was elected a member of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU). IAMU is a non-profit organization established in 1999 and today gathers 73 maritime universities, faculties and academies from all over the world, supported by the Nippon Foundation from Japan. The Facuty was voted a member in April this year at the IAMU Executive Board session. The first benefits came with the attendance of our student to the IAMU Student Forum held at the International Maritime Information headquarters in London in July this year.

Becoming a full IAMU member, the Faculty representatives were entitled to attend this years Annual General Assembly (AGA) and IAMU Conference (IAMUC) held back-to-back from 17 to 20th October 2023. On behalf of the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor, AGA and IAMUC 2023 were attended by: prof. Tatijana Dlabač, the Dean, the Vice-Deans, Asst. Professor Zorica Đurović and prof. Senka Šekularac Ivošević, and prof. Špiro Ivošević during whose tenure the Faculty was admitted to the membership.

The membership certificate and bronze plaque for several new members, including the Faculty of Maritime Studies, were awarded during the  AGA Plenary Session held in Helsinki on 18. october. New members were announced by the Executive Director of the IAMU Secretaritat, Prof. Takeshi Nakazawa, and the certificates were awarded by the General Chair of IAMU, Prof. Adam Weintrit.

Followint AGA, the IAMU Conference (IAMUC 2023) was held onboard the Silja Line ferry ship cruising on the line Helsinki – Stockholm – Helsinki from 18th to 20th October.

The representatives of the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor used this opportunity to respond to the first IAMU call and run for the host of AGA/IAMUC 2025, together with Canada, Split, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and India, whom all presented their institutions and applications before the IAMU Executive Board. Considering that these are the representatives of numerous world countries and all the world regions, it was a unique opportunity to present Motnenegro and our Boka Bay, our history and tradition, and especially to pronounce a firm dedication to further development of maritime education and training in our country, in line with the global standards and in cooperation with the most prominent world stakeholders therof.

The next Annual General Assembly and Conference will be held in the US state of Massachusetts, and Chennai (India) was selected for the host in 2025.

Membership in this Association is a huge recognition for our Faculty and University of Montenegro, as well as an extraordinary opportunity for our promotion, but also our further and more intensive development of international cooperation and maritime education and cooperation.