Updated on: Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Kandla campus of Indian Maritime University (IMU) will start functioning from January 2011 onwards, said Vice-Chancellor P. Vijayan on Sunday.
Delivering the special address at the second University Day Celebrations of IMU at Uthandi, near Chennai, he said that around 6,000 seafarers were trained every year through five IMU campuses located in different parts of the country. These seafarers occupied high positions in well-known firms and accounted for nearly 6 per cent of global Seafarers community. By February 2015, this percentage would increase to 10 to 11 per cent.
Mr. Vijayan said that they have already spent Rs.55 crore out of the Rs.282 crore earmarked for the construction of IMU headquarters and various blocks at Semmanjeri.
Several marine universities from different parts of the world had evinced interest to join hands with IMU and they were seriously evaluating them.
Mentioning that they had dreamt of creating eight departments in five years, Mr. Vijayan said that in the last two years they had created six departments and two more will be created next year.
Shipping Secretary K. Mohandas said, “In the coming years, the pattern of trade will change, but the trade volume will increase. Maritime sector will not lose its significance as the movement of goods and people will be through sea. This will provide more employment opportunity for seafarers.”
C. Venkatachalam, IMU adviser, said that around 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh officers and seafarers each will be trained on these campuses over the next five years.
Mr. Mohandas released the IMU SMM - MBA's first placement brochure.