R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, SEP 15
City-based Indian Maritime University (IMU) inked pact with four eminent maritime institutions around the globe to create skilled manpower to meet the requirements of the industry, said Vice Chanceller Dr Malini V Shankar, here on Wednesday.
IMU has signed pact with Batangas University, Philippines; Admiral Ushakov State Maritime University, Russia; Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mauritius and Erasmus University of Netherlands.
Besides this, the IMU also signed MoUs with 10 top Shipping institutes, including National Institute of Ocean Technology, Thoothukudi, VOC Port and Inland Waterways Authority of India and training is being given to students.
The MoUs were signed to facilitate
- To exchange of information on research and educational programmes – teaching, learning material etc;
- To Jointly organize short term training programmes on topics of mutual interest;
- To jointly organize seminars, webinars, conferences, workshops on topics of mutual interest and
- To exchange of faculty and students for the limited purpose of education and research
“With the influence of the central government’s New Education Policy (NEP), the IMU introduced various micro credit courses along with the regular UG and PG courses to make the students employable in varied sectors related to marine engineering,’’ said Dr Malini.
Addressing the reporters, Dr Malini said that though the entire world faced Covid-19 pandemic for the last one and half years, the IMU successfully got placement about 70 percent of its students with various inland and foreign shipping companies during the last five years. An average initial pay out of the UG/PG graduates recruited by the shipping companies was around Rs. 3 lakh per month.
In spite of good employment opportunities, there is no much response from the students from Tamil Nadu to pursue UG/PG courses in Marine Engineering. The IMU had received over 13,000 applications for various course from across the country, out of these, Kerala has the lion’s share of around 40 percent. Dr Malini stressed the need to create awareness among the Tamil Nadu students on Marine Engineering courses.
Due to pandemic, the institute admitted students on the basis of Plus Two marks for the last two years instead of through conducting entrance test to assess the student’s knowledge on Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry (MPC).
When asked why the job of conducting entrance test to National Testing Agency (NTA), Dr Malini said the NTA undertakes only large scale examinations process, hence the institute conducting entrance test individually.
Under Sagarmala Scheme, training is being given in association with VOC Port in logistics management, sailing and inspection. Andaman and Nicobar Port has been signed as the special training institute, she said.
The Vice Chancellor said there is less awareness on jobs available in marine/shipping sector, though it is responsible for 95 percent global logistics and 70 percent cargo in terms of value is being transported to ships.
University Registrar (In-Charge) Saravanan and Dean Sivakozhundhu and other officials were also present.
