Master of the seas

The UAE's only maritime academy will offer its first master's degree at the beginning of next year in an attempt to nurture local capacity for a global industry in bloom.

The Emirates International Maritime Academy (EIMA), part of the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), will start by offering an MSc in Marine Technology delivered in partnership with Newcastle University.

Future plans consist of establishing a fully fledged maritime university, beginning with the delivery of its first undergraduate programme as soon as 2012, said Captain Jaafar Bin Sidin, Director of EIMA.

"The maritime industry in the UAE is quite a big industry in itself but there is a missing component which is the maritime education and training," said Captain Bin Sidin. "If the UAE wants to develop the maritime sector it needs to build its own capacity and the only way to do this is by building their own academic institution," he added.

EIMA was formed in 2007 to fill a void in one of the UAE's biggest industries, that directly supported nearly 45,000 UAE jobs in 2007 according to the DMCA.

However, it seems that in order for the maritime industry to successfully grow and gain long term sustainability, a nationally based work force needs to get on board.

Under-celebrated industry

"The UAE is a maritime country," said Nawfal Al Jourani, director of communications and social responsibility at DMCA.

"The marriage between trade and the sea is really the foundation upon which this nation was built but the sector is very much under-celebrated because no one knows how exciting it is."

EIMA was initially created to complement the vision of the DMCA to enhance the Emiratisation of the maritime sector that currently has less than three per cent of the UAE's nationals in it.

"This sector has not been marketed to the schools," said Captain Bin Sidin. "If you ask students about the maritime industry nine out of 10 don't know anything, so we are tasked with promoting the sector as a viable career option," he added.

With currently 45,000 secondary school graduates in the UAE, Captain Bin Sidin said EIMA hopes to initially target five per cent of them.

"We are talking about 250 students as an initial target market to enter the sector which we hope will develop," he said.

"Amidst the global financial crisis applications for marine education rose by 25 per cent at Newcastle University, whilst all our other engineering programmes dipped," said Professor Ehsan Mesbahi, Director of the School of Marine Science and Technology at Newcastle University.

"The maritime industry and education is booming around the world again because people are paying attention to it," he added.

Newcastle University produces nearly 200 undergraduates and postgraduates annually from its marine and naval architectural programmes. However every year it falls short in feeding the insatiable demand for qualified professionals in the marine sector.

"At the end of every year I'm short 30 per cent and get calls from the industry around the world, asking me to send them marine engineers, which I simply don't have," said Professor Mesbahi.

The maritime sector's unquenchable thirst for devouring marine graduates is hardly surprising when 90 per cent of world trade happens through the sea.

"Trade is what the whole transportation through the sea is about, so if you are not a part of that trade you are missing something," said Professor Mesbahi.

"Britain has a presence all around the world today because it was the first nation to introduce marine transport and they were a nation who built ships," he added.

Redirection of wealth

DP World, is a major operator of marine ports with almost 50 in operation. It employs 30,000 people and operates in just over 30 countries with an aim to double its capacity in the next 10 years. Yet, less than three per cent of the UAE's nation is active in such a critical sector.

"Look at DP World, it has branches in Europe, South America and Singapore but who is going to serve them by bringing capacity?" said Professor Mesbahi.

"DP World has all these dry docks around the world and if the UAE is able to technically support this industry, they bring the wealth back to the nation."

However, Captain Bin Sidin acknowledges that EIMA is a long term project established to produce a mere portion of the UAE's maritime sector professionals.

"I don't think EIMA will be able to cope with producing all the manpower for the maritime sector, but at least 20 per cent have to be nationals, this is our role as an academy and where successful emiratisation comes in," he said.

*Source: 2007 figures from Dubai Maritime City Authority

Maritime careers

"The maritime sector holds a wide scope for careers options and not only for men," said Captain Bin Sidin. He emphasised his point by saying that almost 70 per cent of applications for shore-based disciplines at Singapore's Maritime Academy consisted of women.

Here are some of the many career paths within the marine sector:

Offshore industry Shipping company management Marine leisure Maritime law Ship repair and marine engineering Education and training Shipping and crew management Port and terminal services

Master's in marine technology

For a cost of Dh75,000 maritime professionals can sign up for the Emirates International Maritime Academy's MSc in Marine Technology. Non-professional applicants must hold a relevant bachelor's degree in engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, mechatronics or the like.

The full time course will be delivered over 10 weeks in two years through 10 modules and payments are accepted in four instalments.

Scholarships of up to £1,360 are on offer from Newcastle University which are contributed towards the full fee.

For more information vist www.eima.ae