The new Gujarat Maritime University will primarily be focusing on the commercial maritime courses.
India will soon get its second maritime university, with the first course likely to be rolled out in 2018. Unlike the existing Indian Maritime University, the new Gujarat Maritime University will focus on commercial maritime courses instead of technical programmes that are being offered in over 130 Indian training institutes.
"At present, the Indian maritime institutes offer pre-sea and post-sea training programmes. Majority of courses cater to technical job roles, mainly those of seafarers or deck officers. But they largely ignore the commercial side of the shipping industry," said AK Rakesh, chairman and chief executive officer of the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB).
As per the data available with the Directorate General of Shipping, only 8 per cent of the available maritime courses in India catered to the commercial side of the industry, which is in sharp contrast to the demand. Globally, the ratio of commercial to technical programmes is 45:55.
Among the various commercial subjects that would be offered at the proposed university are maritime law, maritime policy, marine insurance, shipping trade and finance, maritime management, maritime human resource management, marine administration, maritime transportation and logistics, marine safety, commercial yachting, hospitality and eco-tourism, and so on.
"The government of Gujarat has already given an in-principle approval for the establishment of the university. Memorandums of Understandings with two international universities – Plymouth University, United Kingdom and Global MET Support Centre of Korea Maritime and Ocean University, South Korea – have been inked. Process is on for a third MoU with Southampton Solent University of the United Kingdom," added Rakesh.
At the moment, GMB, along with the Gujarat government, is yet to zero in on the final destination for the University. Nonetheless the campus, which may be spread over 100-150 acres, is most likely to be situated close to the metropolis of Ahmedabad. One of the prime reasons for having it near an urban set-up is the convenience of seamless faculty exchange.
The Gujarat Assembly is likely to clear a Bill regarding the matter In September. From 2017-18 onwards, work would commence to develop the university infrastructure at an approximate cost of Rs630 crore.
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