MSc IN MARITIME ECONOMICS & LOGISTICS (MEL)

WELCOME

No industry has ever been so global as shipping. In an integrated Europe, no sector can successfully challenge the conventional wisdom of national policies as ports. In an era of global production and sourcing, few would question the importance of transport logistics; an area where, by general recognition, the Netherlands is a pioneer in innovative solutions.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) has a strong international profile and internationalisation of studies is one of our University's strongest strategies. This strategy is firmly rooted in two beliefs.

First, internationalisation helps us bridge cultural differences and dovetails our vested interests in each other. This can only lead to a more peaceful and harmonious coexistence.

Second, the sheer complexity of globalisation and the increasing interconnectedness among nations pose new challenges to decision-making at all levels. More often than not, narrowly focused decisions in business or government result in sub-optimal, if not completely erroneous or irrelevant, decisions. Only too often have we seen governments being punished for their policies by capital markets and prestigious companies brought to the brink of collapse by failing to comprehend the complexities and implications of the environment in which they operate.

This is the underlying theme of the MSc in Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL). Undoubtedly, the goal of the programme is to produce experts, but experts who can identify with our philosophy of "think globally, act locally". To adhere to this principle myself, the only thing that remains after having expressed my global convictions is to act locally and welcome you to Erasmus University Rotterdam and to our thriving city, Rotterdam, the gateway to Europe.

Prof. dr. Steven W.J. Lamberts
Rector Magnificus