56629344 2366261086725791 7450965318718980096 NOn April 11, 2019 the delegation of National University «Odessa Maritime Academy» took part in the conference «The human factor in marine automation» held in Southampton (the United Kingdom). The conference was organized by the the International Maritime Employers‘ Council (IMEC). 

The delegation of Ukraine was represented by prof. M.V. Miyusov, the Rector of NU«ОМА» and M.V. Chesnokova, Head of International Department, O.I. Grygoriuk, Deputy Chairman of the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine (MTWTU) and the cadets of Ukrainian marine higher educational institutions in the name of Anastasia Kalinchak, a 4th year cadet of Maritime Law and Managemen Faculty of NU «ОМА», Alexander Todorov, a 5th year cadet of Maritime Transportation and Technologies Faculty of NU «ОМА», Yevhen Omelyanenko, a 4th year cadet of Marine Engineering Faculty of Kherson State Maritime Academy. The cadets’ participation in the conference was sponsored by the TK Foundation, whose mission is to provide young people with the opportunity to succeed and promote maritime education and safety.

             The conference participants had the opportunity to visit and get acquainted with Solent University prior to the event. It’s worth mentioning that Solent University is a relatively young university, which received the university’s status in 2005. The predecessor and founder of major university traditions had been the Southampton Institute created in 1989. The Institute includes the College of Arts as well as the Technical and Maritime College of Warsash Maritime Academy. However, the history of educational establishment dates back to a private art school founded in 1856. The main campus of the university is located in the center of Southampton and is considered as the cradle of modern diverse research in the field of design and applied arts, cinema, cultural studies, law, business and maritime affairs. Each of the faculties offers both popular and little-known, particular specialities. For instance, Southampton Solent University enables you to study the design of yachts, port management technologies, media production, criminal psychology and fashion history. Warsash Maritime Academy is the university’s subdivision with a modern facilities, that provides the opportunity to study according to 14 different maritime programmes.

The Conference «The human factor in marine automation» was opened by Konstantinos Poulis, Chairman of conference and Bella Ahmed, Chairman of IMEC. The agenda consisted of four blocks of the following issues:

  • The first block examined technological factors including: the issues of automation, ship’s evolution processes over the past 70 years, and its potential changes until 2050, as well as the need to develop a system of recommendations and rules for the use of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships – MASS;

  • The second block dealt with human factor and contradictions existing in the industry of autonomous shipping. In particular, the issues of automation impact on modern seafarers, their training and education, and the threat of ships’ transition to remote control;

  • The third block focused on the prospects and possible consequences of automation both for shipping in general, and for individual business segments.

A panel discussion was completed with the participation of NU «ОМА» cadets, Kherson State Maritime Academy and Warsash Maritime Academy moderated by Oleg Grigoriuk (MTWTU) and Adam Lewis (IMEC).

On April 12, 2019, the delegation of Ukraine visited the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), a global organization that brings together about 670 trade unions from 140 countries, representing 19.7 million workers in the transport sector. ITF represents transport workers at the global level and fights for their interests through the organization of global campaigns and solidarity actions. In Ukraine, the International Transport Federation is represented by the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine (MTWTU), which today is the largest national trade union uniting more than 78,000 members: seamen operating on ships of Ukrainian and foreign shipowners, employees of sea trading ports, branches SE “Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine”, transshipment complexes and terminals, factories, shipping companies, enterprises, organizations and institutions of maritime transport, teachers and co-workers, cadets, students of marine educational institutions.