How I Got Into The Maritime World
My desire to get into the maritime world peaked when I interned with the Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority (GPHA) in 2002. I had rejected an offer from the University of Cape Coast to undertook a degree in Natural Sciences after an initial mix up that changed the course of my life. I had settled for a diploma course in Shipping Management after the said mix up, and the internship was part of the requirement for the diploma.
In 2003, I got accepted into the Regional Maritime Academy (now University). I was part of the first batch of students admitted to study a Bachelor of Science in Ports & Shipping Administration. It was the first in Africa to provide training for shore-based maritime professionals in the West African Sub-region and beyond. I found myself in the same class with Nautical Science Students. Their course was called Marine Operations at the time. It was also the first time the Academy offered a Nautical Science degree programme. My classmates hailed from Cameroun, The Gambia, Ethiopia and many from the Host nation, Ghana. The newness of the degree programmes in Ports & Shipping Administration and Nautical Science meant that my year group was an experimental group, but I dare say we gained the most. Here is why.
How I got my 360 knowledge of the Maritime Industry
Being in the same class with Nautical Science students meant that I had introductory studies in Astronomy, Seamanship, Meteorology, Marine Engineering, Celestial Navigation, Naval Architecture, Cargo Operations and General Oceanography. My Nautical Science colleagues also ‘endured’ Economics and Basic Accounting in addition to other core subjects that the two-year Pre-Sea Deck Officer Course did not have.
At first, we complained to the department about the number of courses and their relevance to our programme. Also, some subjects required a science background, making it difficult for some students with an art background. I remember one of the answers we got was something to do with how shore-based personnel in, say, a shipping company needed to understand their colleagues onboard ships. One lecturer alleged that while they worked onboard ships, shore-based personnel in the offices cut their budget and certain essential items out of their requests made to the offices because they had not understood their job. That was enough to convince us, but we soon realised the benefits in small but humorous ways. After the first semester break, we returned to school with stories of how our knowledge had astonished our parents and friends. During that first semester break, an eclipse of the moon presented many of us the opportunity to explain to friends and acquaintances how this phenomenon occurs, thanks to Prof Michael Manuel‘s Astronomy class. That was the beginning of a journey of discovery into marine, maritime, shipping and allied sectors.
Some Reflections
Its been thirteen years after the bachelor’s degree programme, and I have a network of friends in every conceivable maritime industry sector. Some work in insurance, maritime administration, marketing, terminal operations, port management, pilots, shipboard officers, surveyors, and other fields. Moreover, they are in several countries worldwide, making it easy to access relevant information for my work. Most importantly, I understand their language and can relate to their work.
A couple of months ago, the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) and the Nautical Institute held a seminar on the Global Maritime Professional (GMP). I believe what my Astronomy lecturer, now Professor at the World Maritime University, sought to explain what GMP was is precisely the purpose of the structure of the Nautical Science Programme at the Regional Maritime University. The ability of a seafarer to continually find meaningful employment ashore after a seagoing career is getting shorter by the day and threatened by future autonomous ships. Read about the Global Maritime Professional here.
To be continued…