Hellespont Chief Challenges MEL Graduates to Make a Difference

Erasmus University Rotterdam - 22 November, 2006

A truly multinational group of post-graduates from the latest Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL) programme at Erasmus University Rotterdam received their degrees at a graduation ceremony late last month. 

Guest of honour Dr. Basil Papachristidis, chairman of tanker and dry bulk company The Hellespont Group, strongly urged the group of young shipping professionals to take a responsible lead in guiding the maritime industry of the future, during his keynote address entitled, ‘Shipping - Lifeline to the World Economy: An Industry in Transition’.  

He emphasised that the world economy faces a number of critical challenges in the near future, including major shifts in energy sourcing and development patterns, as well as sources of manufactured goods.  In addition, he saw increasing threats to world order, a demand for closer dialogue between societies in the northern and southern hemispheres, and a resolution to the past mis-management of energy supplies as further difficulties to be surmounted.  As the essential link to world trade, the maritime industry would be at the forefront of meeting, and solving these problems. 

Dr Papachristidis inspired the group to make a difference in their careers. In presenting their degrees, he sent them forth with the words: “you are the authors of the next chapter in the history of civilisation”, ringing in their ears. 

The 38 graduating members of the Class of 2006 - 28 male and 10 female with an average age of 28 years - came from 21 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.  

This year’s NOL/APL Award for Student Excellence, which was presented at the ceremony by Peter Jongepier, managing director of APL Benelux, went to Lambros Klaoudatos.  Lambros scored the highest marks in course work and also produced an excellent thesis on ‘Station Keeping for deep-water mobile off-shore drilling units: Economic and operational developments’. NOL has a longstanding co-operation with MEL and has given the award since the Master’s programme started. 

The Maersk Group is also a strong supporter of the MEL programme and John Verschelden, vice president and head of government and regulatory affairs for APM Terminals International in The Hague addressed graduates and guests at the ceremony on the subject ‘The Container Industry as an Economic Facilitator’. 

In addition, the Maersk Line Award this year for Best MEL Thesis was a two-way tie.  The recipients were Jeremy Kee of Singapore for his work on ‘Optimum container ship size for the South-east Asia trade in 2015’ and Norwegian Morten Anderson for his thesis, ‘Fleet capacity for the NATO strategic sealift.’ 

This award was presented by Maarten Tromp, director, intermodal and equipment - Central Europe, Maersk Line and is designed to reward outstanding young talent and attract such talent to the maritime industry. It is also seeks to increase awareness of the importance of maritime transport for the global economy and international trade. 

The Master’s in Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL) programme has now been running for seven years. The course is jointly offered by the Erasmus School of Economics and the Rotterdam School of Management, two world-class schools, and administered by full-time MEL staff. A careful balance between theory and practise is achieved through close co-operation with commercial enterprises including, the Port of Rotterdam, DVB Bank, Fortis Bank, Europe Container Terminals (ECT), Maersk Line, APM Terminals, and BIMCO.

Editor’s Notes:

The Erasmus Center for Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL) is an inter-faculty scheme of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Center's objectives are to offer postgraduate and executive, in-company, educational programmes in Maritime Economics and Logistics and to constitute a focal research point in that field at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The Center is part of both the Erasmus School of Economics and the Rotterdam School of Management. In this way, on the one hand the Center builds upon the tradition on maritime research that was initiated at Erasmus in the 1930s, and on the other hand on the prestige and the academic excellence guaranteed by the Rotterdam School of Management, recognized as one of the top Business Schools in the world.

The Center maintains strong links with the industry worldwide thus providing its graduates with ample job opportunities and the benefit of being taught by professionals who have excelled in their field of expertise. This is further fostered by the partnerships the Center has developed with leading institutions worldwide.

Further information on MEL can be found at

www.maritimeeconomics.com

 
Press Contacts:
Professor Hercules Haralambides

Center for Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL)

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Tel: +31 (0) 10 408 1490
Fax: +31 (0) 10 408 9093
Email: haralambides@few.eur.nl