Knowledge is the foundation of sustainable development

At the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden – the premier center of excellence for maritime postgraduate education – the future leaders of the maritime industry are being shaped. One of them is Ms. Hnin Oo Wai from Myanmar, whose education has been made possible by Wallenius Marine.

Ms. Hnin Oo Wai is an administrative officer at the Department of Marine Administration in Myanmar. In June 2020 Ms. Hnin started a 14 months long program in Maritime Affairs at the World Maritime University (WMU),made possible by a sponsorship from Wallenius Marine. Her goal is to help boost the quality of Myanmar’s Maritime Education and Training (MET) – a crucial part to be able to further develop the maritime standards in the region.

“There are a lot of skillful senior officers in our department, but most of them will be retired from service soon”, says Ms. Hnin. “To fulfill the needs of our country and also our department, we need more qualified instructors to upgrade our MET-system.”

In the Class of 2020, a class of 116 students from all over the world, teaching has been carried out online since March because of covid-19. But Ms. Hnin is looking forward to joining the Class of 2021, ideally in person in Malmö.

“Although I have never been there, I have heard from my seniors and colleagues that the town is both pleasant and peaceful. I’m very excited to go there. Besides that, I’m from a tropical region, so that cool weather in Malmö will be a new experience for me.”

For Wallenius Marine, the sponsorship role offers an opportunity to be a driving force in developing high standards of education, working environment and sustainability focus across the industry. Capt. San Win, HR Manager at Wallenius Marine in Singapore, was responsible for identifying to whom the sponsorship should be awarded.

Sponsoring Ms. Hnin is part of Wallenius Marine’s commitment to strengthening the long-term competence of the maritime industry. By investing in people and supporting initiatives that build skills and knowledge for the future, we contribute to a more sustainable and resilient shipping sector — today and for generations to come,” says Capt. San Win, Wallenius Marine

Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, the President of WMU:

“WMU is part of the UN family, and it is very important for the development of the whole maritime and oceans sector that we build strong partnerships with industry, as well as with Governmental agencies. Through Wallenius Marine’s sponsorship of Ms Hnin, we are able to contribute our expertise to assist the development of generations of students within Myanmar’s MET system, to the benefit of the country, the region and the international community.”