Massachusetts Maritime Academy Will Host Maritime Education Summit

BUZZARDS BAY, MA – Massachusetts Maritime Academy is pleased to host a Maritime Education Summit this April 15 -17, 2009. Focused on Trends and Pedagogy for the Future, this innovative conference will attract participants from all segments of the maritime sector.

The Maritime Education Summit will promote discussion and extensive networking among maritime educators and administrators, industry leaders, and regulatory personnel. As maritime academies prepare the next generation of maritime professionals for careers at sea and ashore, there are many critical issues to consider in charting a course for the future. This conference will seek to address the most important of these issues.

The Summit will also convene a Maritime Workforce Panel led by representatives from major maritime corporations and from the national shipping unions. Breakout sessions will follow focused tracks on maritime training, strategy and administration, and general education. Specific topics scheduled for presentation include the critical, current-day issues of piracy, port security and emergency response. Participants in the conference will also be given the opportunity for a first-hand view of the Academy’s Advanced Shiphandling in Manned Models training program.

The Maritime Education Summit will run concurrently with the spring meeting of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC). Established by the Commandant of the Coast Guard in 1992, the 19-member group advises the Secretary of Homeland Security on issues affecting and regulating merchant mariners. Attendees of the Maritime Education Summit are welcome to attend the meeting.

Founded in 1891, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the oldest continuously operating maritime academy in the United States and supports 1200 students in several undergraduate majors and two graduate programs. Located an hour away from both Boston and Providence, it is one of seven maritime academies in the country and part of the Massachusetts State College system. The Academy’s curriculum is continually evolving in response to trends and innovations in the maritime industry. MMA’s philosophy of “Learn, Do, Learn” encapsulates the combination of hands-on and classroom learning.

For more information on the Maritime Education Summit: Trending and Pedagogy for the Future, visit www.maritime.edu/educationsummit or email [email protected]. MMA Contact: Kristine Esdale / Director of Annual Giving / telephone: (508) 830-5269. On the WEB: www.maritime.edu