Gdynia Maritime University GMU

“Risk Management in the Offshore Extraction and Offshore Wind Industries” is a new postgraduate programme created by Gdynia Maritime University under the patronage of offshore wind company PGE Baltica. The company is currently developing the “Baltica” Offshore Wind Farm - the largest in the Baltic Sea. The first semester of the new course will begin in March 2022.

The signing of an agreement on collaboration between the two parties took place on 28th February at Gdynia Maritime University’s Faculty of Navigation and was attended by GMU Rector Professor Adam Weintrit, the CEO of PGE Baltica, Dariusz Lociński Dr Tomasz Neumann, Dean of the Faculty of Navigation, and Dr  Agnieszka Blokus-Dziula, the head of the new study programme. 

During the meeting, Mr Lociński highlighted the role of highly qualified personnel in the technological development of the PGE group throughout Poland.  - Just as Gdynia Maritime University aspires to leadership in terms of competence, knowledge and training of personnel for the offshore industry, PGE Baltica also has aspirations to become a leader in this area - said the company's CEO. 

This specialised risk management diploma is aimed at managers and technicians working within the offshore industry and its constituent sectors. The programme is open to candidates from both the Offshore Oil&Gas and Offshore Wind Energy sectors. Participants in the programme will gain a wide range of knowledge and skills, in particular in relation to risk management in offshore projects. The PgDip will be led by a group of specialists qualified in maritime shipping, health and safety, law, and expert practitioners from the offshore wind energy sector. 

Admissions to the last remaining places on the course are open until 3rd March. Applications should be sent to podyplomowe [at] wn.umg.edu.pl

- In order to establish and develop the offshore market we need qualified personnel For this reason, I’m proud to collaborate with Gdynia Maritime University as it means in the near future the industry will be able to call on qualified, Polish educated experts for the offshore wind energy sector - commented Wojciech Dąbrowski, CEO of PGE Polish Energy Group. 

- The programmes teaching staff includes PGE Baltica employee Rafał Żendarski, a graduate of the Faculty of Navigation at GMU, who is responsible for directing preparations for the construction of O&M infrastructure at PGE, or more precisely everything that concerns the maintenance and servicing of offshore wind farms.

- Thanks to the unique structure of the programme, the “Risk Management in the Offshore Extraction and Offshore Wind Industries” postgraduate diploma combines theoretical and expert knowledge with real-life case studies that highlight the practical aspects of risk management. The creation of this study programme contributes to the development of personnel able to provide essential services to the offshore energy industry: personnel that are aware of the implicated risks and their consequences and are able to perform risk analysis as well as effectively plan and carry out the necessary steps to eliminate and reduce such risk - said the Rector of Gdynia Maritime University, Professor Adam Weintrit. 

- The opening of this study programme fulfils one of GMU’s strategic goals, namely to produce highly qualified personnel for the widely understood maritime industry, which is great news as it fits in perfectly with the development programme we have set for the University.

The programme will last two semesters and be taught over 190 contact hours, including lectures, exercises, laboratory sessions and practical lessons. 

- The new postgraduate course Faculty of Navigation is a response to new trends in science set by a dynamically developing industry and economy. It also prepares qualified personnel to meet the contemporary needs of the maritime industry. I’m glad to see us going with the spirit of the times and looking to satisfy the needs of the maritime sector’s employment needs.  I hope the Faculty of Navigation’s new postgraduate programme is here to stay and will attract numerous new students to the widely-understood maritime industry - added Dr   Tomasz Neumann, Dean of the Faculty of Navigation.

The creation of the new study programme at Gdynia Maritime University came about following a letter of intent regarding cooperation in research and education, signed in May 2021 by PGE, Gdansk University of Technology,  Fluid-flow Machine Institute of the Polish Academy of Science in Gdansk, and the Technological University of Denmark. One of the aims of cooperation was the establishment of specialist study programmes at GMU.