Bahrain’s General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) announced recently that two of its senior Bahraini maritime executives will attend a one-year Masters course to specialise in Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden. The WMU operates under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
As part of GOP’s initiative to support and up-skill the Kingdom’s maritime workforce, Captain Abdulhussain Mansoor Abdulla, Head of Marine Safety and Environmental Protection and Mayas Al Agha, Head of Registry of Shipping and Seaman, will soon leave the Kingdom to attend the one-year professional course scheduled to begin this month.
Commenting on the announcement, GOP Director General Mr. Hassan Al Majed said: “ We are proud to have enrolled Captain Abdulhussain Mansoor Abdulla and Mayas Al Agha, two of our senior executives at World Maritime University to pursue their post graduation in maritime safety and environmental administration. In keeping with Bahrain’s Vision 2030, at GOP our strategic aim is to encourage our employees to pursue their educational and training progression to enhance their knowledge and keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry. Attending courses such as this will provide both our executives to acquire international qualification and exposure that will assist in building their professional capabilities in the maritime industry .”
GOP maintains high levels of efficiency within the Kingdom’s ports, employing the latest technologies, developing innovative strategies and striving to preserve the surrounding marine environment.
Therefore supporting such initiatives enhances Bahrain’s maritime expertise and produces a cadre of internationally trained and skilled professionals. GOP continuously strives to develop a skilled maritime workforce of qualified and practically trained professionals which reflects the organisation’s vision and values, and a long-term commitment to its staff.
The Master of Science (MSc.) in Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration is a specialised curriculum aimed at senior maritime executives whose responsibilities consist of maritime safety, environment protection, maritime law and policy, marine environmental and ocean management issues. During the course, the executives will be exposed to contemporary maritime studies, providing an expert balance of academic study and practical experience. They will also experience first-hand the application of the latest technologies in real-life situations and acquire advanced knowledge and understanding of the international dimension of maritime law.
The GOP takes its role as the regulator of Bahrain’s maritime sector very seriously, and has signed a number of additional agreements on safety and environment (SOLAS – International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, STCW- International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) to adopt international regulatory standards for safety, marine environment and others.
The GOP was recently awarded the ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS) certification for conformity to international standards across all departments within the organisation.
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Dredging Today Staff, February 9, 2012; Image: gop