By Stanley Senya
Accra, June 28, GNA – Alhaji Fanday Turay, Chancellor & Board Chairman of Regional Maritime University (RMU), has called on governing Member States of the University to interact and cooperate with each other to develop the maritime industry.
He said the advancement in technology had called for significant investment and changes in the maritime industry, making it important for efforts to be made to meet international demands, saying “vessels are now being remotely manned goading.”
The Chancellor was speaking at the 31st Board of Governors Meeting of the RMU in Accra.
The primary focus of this year’s Meeting is to develop strategies for enhancing educational standards.
It is also to facilitate discussions on challenges, knowledge sharing, and the resolution of concerns that will ultimately impact the university’s progress.
He said RMU must rethink and realign some of its programmes to fit international standards, indicating it equally called for the acquisition of the needed equipment to replace the outdated ones in order to match the current trends.
He pledged to enhance academic excellence by ensuring that all curriculums were both rigorous and relevant to changing maritime trends.
“By fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking, we will equip our students with the skills they need to succeed in a dynamic marine industry”, he said.
Speaking of partnerships, he said the University would deepen collaborations with maritime companies, government agencies, and international organisations to provide students with practical experience and to ensure that programs align with industry labour market.
He said his tenure would promote an inclusive environment where everyone would feel valued and supported, and diverse perspectives to enrich academic and social life on Campus.
He assured Member States of investing in learning equipment and infrastructure to improve education for students.
Mr Fredrick Obeng Adom, Deputy Minister of Transport, said Ghana remained committed and would continue to channel resources towards the positioning of RMU as a world-class maritime training institution.
He said the maritime industry contributed to more than 80 per cent of customs revenue in Ghana and the largest contributor to the revenue base through taxes and levies on imported and exported goods.
“Therefore, our commitment to the training of the manpower for this very important industry has been unwavering,” he said.
“Efforts must be made to ensure the RMU maintained its international standards and reputation,” he added.
Mr Adom urged member countries to lend support to the University to navigate through its challenges and achieve its strategic objective.
The meeting was climaxed with commissioning of a new administration block annex and seven vehicles procured by the Board of Governors to ensure smooth operations of the University.
Col. Turay (Rtd) is Sierra Leone’s Minister for Transport and Aviation and succeeded Mr. Ebrima Sillah from The Gambia as Chancellor during the Board of Governors meeting.
The chairmanship of the Board is rotated among the five Member States every two years.
GNA