By Francis Ofori
Accra, Feb. 2, GNA – Dr Wilfred Johnson Kileo, a Senior Lecturer at the Dar Es Salaam Maritime Institute (DMI), Tanzania, has called for collaborations between African educational institutions to enhance growth.
Forming partnerships between universities, especially in maritime education and training, would ensure they unlocked the potential within the continent’s blue economy, he said.
Dr Kileo said this in a presentation at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra as part of a three-day working visit to Ghana by some faculty members of the DMI.
The DMI delegation was led by Dr Tumaini S. Gurumo, the Rector of the Institute, with members including Veronica Ndahani Sudayi, Head of Legal Unit, Mr Deism Danford Mlay, Senior Instructor, and Capt. Hamis Omari Kikupuzo, Crew Agency Officer.
Dr Kileo said the DMI was committed to collaborating with the RMU to improve standards in maritime education to effectively utilise opportunities within the blue economy.
“In order to have a successful maritime education and training that unlock the blue economy opportunities, DMI determines to collaborate with RMU for mutual benefits of the institutions and Africa at large,” he stated.
Following a tour of the RMU facilities on Wednesday, they realized they could benefit from some of the state-of-the-art infrastructure available and tap into their expertise.
They could also have exchange programmes where lecturers and students would visit each other’s country to benefit from their training, Dr Kileo said.
“With the training facilities available in RMU and an effective collaboration, we look forward to a new DMI that would lead the charge as far as the growth of the blue economy in Africa is concerned,” he said.
He spoke about the mandate of the Institute, which was to ensure that young people received the appropriate training to impact on the maritime sector on the continent and the world at large.
Founded in 1978, the DMI is focused on unlocking potentials of the blue economy through maritime education, training, research and consultancy in marine transport and nautical science, international trade and marine law, engineering, shipping and logistics, procurement as well as shipping economics.
Dr Jethro W. Brooks Jr, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the RMU, with other management members, welcomed the delegation and expressed their commitment to working together to achieve a common goal.
“We look forward to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which would see the two institutions working together to impact on the maritime sector in Africa,” Dr Brooks Jr said.
GNA