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CORE COURSES

Port Economics and Policy

Background
Trade liberalisation and intensified global competition pose new challenges on the port industry. Ports around the world are losing their traditional character as mere interface points between land and sea and assume a more decisive role, as vital nodes in complex global maritime supply chains. Sophisticated shipping networks and easily accessed hinterlands intensify competition among container terminals, requiring efficient management and strategic vision. Governments are becoming aware of the importance of ports in their export-led growth strategies and are increasingly introducing private sector characteristics in port administration.

Objectives
The objective of the course is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and analytical skills required for the efficient management and development of a port, and to enable them develop and evaluate port policies under a holistic understanding of a port's significance to the national economy and international maritime supply chains.

Recommended reading:

  • Haezendonck, E. (2001) "Essays on Strategy Analysis of Seaports", Garant, Leuven.

  • World Bank, World Bank Port Reform Toolkit, Module 3, "Alternative port management structures and ownership models", Downloadable at http://rru.worldbank.org/Documents/Toolkits/ports_fulltoolkit.pdf, Includes glossary.

  • Notteboom, T. & Rodrigue, J.-P. (2005) "Port regionalization: towards a new phase in port development", Maritime Policy and Management, 32:3, 297-313.

  • Dooms, M. and Verbeke, A. (2006) "An integrative framework for long-term strategic seaport planning: an application to the port of Antwerp". In: Notteboom, T. (ed.): Ports are more than piers. Liber Amicorum presented to Prof. Dr. Willy Winkelmans. pp. 173-192.

  • De Langen, P. (2004) "Governance in Seaport Clusters", Maritime Economics and Logistics, 6 (2): 141-156.

  • Moglia, F. and Sanguineri, M., (2003) "Port planning: the need for a new approach?", Maritime Economics and Logistics, 5 (4), pp. 413-425.

  • Haralambides, H.E., Verbeke, A., Musso, E. and Benacchio M. (2001) "Port Financing and Pricing in the European Union: Theory, Politics and Reality", International Journal of Maritime Economics (IJME), Vol. III, No 4 (2001).

  • Haralambides, H.E. (2002)"Competition, Excess Capacity and the Pricing of Port Infrastructure", International Journal of Maritime Economics, 4:323-347.

(References hereunder available on demand Michael.Dooms@vub.ac.be):

  • Dooms, M. and Verbeke, A. (2007) "Stakeholder management in ports: a conceptual framework integrating insights from research in strategy, corporate social responsibility and port management", Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), Athens, Greece, 2007.

  • Dooms, M. and Verbeke, A. (2006) "The financing structures of large-scale, seaport development projects: a comparative analysis of recent and planned projects in the European Union", Proceedings of the annual conference of the International Association of Maritime Economics (IAME), Melbourne, 12-14 July 2006.

  • Dooms, M., Macharis, C., Verbeke, A. (2004) "Proactive master planning in ports: empirical evidence from the port of Brussels", Proceedings of the annual conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), Izmir, 30 June - 02 July 2004. pp. 1145-1164.

  • Dooms, M., Macharis, C., Verbeke, A. (2003) "A framework for sustainable port planning in inland ports: a multistakeholder approach", The International Association of Maritime Economists Annual Conference 2003 (Busan, 3-5 september 2003) Conference Proceedings. Korea Maritime University. pp.296-313.