Singapore's first local maritime degree programmes - Bachelor and Master of Science in Maritime Studies (Shipping) - offered by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and supported by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), are officially launched today by the Minister of State for Health and Transport, Dr Balaji Sadasivan.

As Singapore moves up the value chain as an International Maritime Centre (IMC), it is important to develop a pool of high calibre workforce trained at all levels to take on a diverse spectrum of jobs in the maritime field. The establishment of the two degree programmes is dedicated to developing Singapore's maritime education capabilities at the graduate level.

The degree programmes will progressively develop and inject more local talents into Singapore's maritime industry, which has been projected to grow at average rates of between 6 per cent and 8 per cent up to 2018.

RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Chief Executive, MPA says: "With the positive growth projections for the maritime industry, career opportunities in the industry are expected to be considerable. This will lead to a high demand for trained manpower. The development of these new maritime degree programmes, which resulted from our close co-operation with NTU and the maritime industry players, will help prepare our young talents for the challenges presented by the industry."

The new Bachelor and Master of Science programmes will be conducted jointly by NTU and the BI Norwegian School of Management, and will lead to the award of the BSc and MSc Maritime Studies (Shipping) degrees by NTU, respectively. The BSc course will cover a wide range of maritime-related subjects, such as Shipping Management, Ship Finance, Chartering and Brokering, Maritime Law and Arbitration, and Maritime Research and Development. The MSc course will cater to individuals interested in gaining a deeper understanding of key topics related to the maritime business such as financial management of international shipping, shipping economics and shipping and transport logistics.

The pioneer batch comprises of 53 students in the BSc course and 34 students in the MSc course. The BSc course had received overwhelming response and was more than six times oversubscribed while the MSc course was oversubscribed by more than 40 per cent.

Says NTU President Dr Su Guaning, "These new programmes illustrate the role that NTU continues to play in the Singapore economy by developing the talent needed for industry. Our exceptional strength in maritime studies and the strong links we enjoy with industry will continue to provide our students with an education that meets real world needs."

The support from the maritime industry was pivotal in the development of the programmes. In addition to MPA, other key industry partners such as Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), Pacific Carriers Limited (PCL), Regional Container Lines (RCL) and Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), have also supported the programmes and have awarded scholarships to a total of seven outstanding students enrolled in the programmes. To develop and sustain the quality of the programmes, the MPA has contributed $3.54 million to NTU to enhance the learning experience for the benefit of the students.

An additional initiative to develop manpower at the graduate level is the Maritime Industry Attachment Programme (MIAP) introduced by the MPA at NTU and the National University of Singapore (NUS). It aims to attract students from non-maritime related disciplines into the maritime industry by providing them with the opportunity to obtain on-the-job working experience, and work on maritime-related projects during their attachment.

To draw high calibre students to participate in MIAP, the MPA will be providing financial incentives, which will be supplemented by an allowance from the attachment companies. The MPA has set aside half-a-million-dollars (S$520,000) from the Maritime Cluster Fund to support the MIAP for three years.

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About The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996. It is the driving force behind Singapore's continued push as a global hub port and an International Maritime Centre, IMC. As the 'Champion Agency', the MPA is expanding the Singapore maritime sector by developing a strong and attractive cluster of ancillary services. These range from, among others, ship broking/management, marine insurance/finance, maritime legal/arbitration services, R&D initiatives, and manpower expertise. It will also promote Singapore's strengths as a hub port and a quality ship registry.

About Nanyang Technological University

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a top-tier university, ranked among the best science and technological universities in Asia. It has a business school that is consistently ranked among the top ten in Asia.

Established in 1991, the university has since been positioning itself to be a global university of excellence and is committed to its mission in Educating Leaders and Advancing Knowledge for Singapore and Beyond. NTU has an undergraduate and graduate enrolment of about 25,000 and an international faculty of over 1,500. It offers a broad-based curriculum, which focuses on the development of global views, entrepreneurship and adaptability, through the following schools:

1.College of Engineering, which consists of five schools:

- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical and Production Engineering
2.Nanyang Business School
3.School of Biological Sciences
4.School of Communication and Information
5.School of Humanities and Social Sciences
6.School of Art, Design and Media (to be established by 2005)
7.School of Physical Sciences (to be established by 2005)

For more information, please visit www.ntu.edu.sg

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KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY DR BALAJI SADASIVAN, MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND TRANSPORT