The 23rd Conference of the International Maritime Lecturers Association (IMLA) was held in Durban, South Africa, from June 30 to July 3. Prof. Jin Yongxing, Chairman of SMU University Council and Chairman of IMLA attended the conference. The conference was hosted by Durban University of Technology, attracting over 80 experts, scholars and lecturers in the related fields to exchange their academic achievements.
Mr. Andrew Winbow, Assistant Secretary-General and Director, Maritime Safety Division, International Maritime Organization, sent a congratulatory letter to the conference, in which Mr. Winbow praised highly the efforts made by IMLA to promote communication among international maritime lectures and to develop professional consultation concerning international maritime fields.
Prof. Jin Yongxing pointed out in his opening speech that, maritime education is being confronted with grim challenges and he hoped that attendees could make full use of this opportunity to exchange academic ideas and fruits. And he further put forward that IMLA should play a more positive role in dealing with international maritime affairs and in the international maritime circle.
At the welcome dinner, hosted by the municipality of Durban, Prof. Jin Yongxing, on behalf of IMLA, gave his speech. In his speech, Prof. Jin Yongxing first extended his gratitude to the city of Durban for its support of the conference and then showed his desire that maritime colleges and universities of Durban and other cities of South Africa could carry out exchanges with countries and regions in the rest of the world by means of IMLA.
The 23rd conference was themed on “ Challenges facing emerging MET Institutions – the need for collaboration”. There were 3 symposiums arranged and 34 professional papers presented at 7 parallel sections.
During the conference, Ms. Yu Hongrong, Director of SMU International Office and Prof. Xiao Yingjie, Dean of SMU Merchant Marine College conducted a fruitful discussion with Prof. Suren Singh, Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences of Durban University of Technology, in terms of joint training programs in maritime talent, academic exchanges and other relevant fields.
IMLA is an official consultancy agent of IMO and has devoted itself to maritime education and training for a long time. It aims at deploring topics concerning shipping and navigation. Prof. Jin Yongxing, Chairman of SMU University Council, was selected as the Chairman of IMLA in the September of 2011 and got his reappointment in 2013.
