The latest batch of future maritime leaders have graduated from the World Maritime University (WMU). The 2022 graduation (31 October) saw 276 graduates from 70 countries receive their Masters and Doctorate awards.
The 2022 graduating class includes a record of 94 women graduates. This was the first in-person graduation since the pandemic, where guests were able to attend.
WMU President, Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, highlighted the importance of the WMU alumni network that will be particularly crucial in the years to come, with only eight years left to achieve the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
“You will have battles to fight, you will need to be careful and strategic in accomplishing your goals. But, together you will be able to make change happen, and the world will be a better place, thanks to your efforts,” she said.
In his graduation address, Mr Kitack Lim, the first International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor to hold a MSc degree from WMU, thanked the City of Malmö and the Government of Sweden for their continued generosity and support in hosting the University, including all of the citizens of Malmö for their kindness and openness, as well as the many donors for their ongoing commitment to the WMU mission and its sustainability.
He highlighted the strength of WMU’s interdisciplinary studies that result in well-rounded, informed, intelligent individuals, with a holistic approach to maritime and ocean subjects.
Secretary-General Lim spoke of the deeply interconnected maritime world in which the graduates’ paths would cross again with their classmates, predecessors, and successors.
“Together, you join the mighty international network of WMU graduates, who are a great force for good in the world.
You have been equipped to work as experts for the benefit of the international maritime community, and its future rests on your shoulders,” he said, stressing their important mission of supporting their Governmentsto achieve decarbonization targets.
The Guest of Honour was Mr Emanuele Grimaldi, President and Managing Director of Grimaldi Euromed and Chairperson of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
For full details of awards granted, and to access photos, please see wmu-graduation-ceremony-2022 .
WMU is based in Malmö, Sweden. It is one of two renowned international academic institutes established by IMO, the other being the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) in Malta.
