GMU Leaders Visit Angola

The purpose of the visit was to hold discussions with representatives of the government administration of the Republic of Angola, the authorities of Namibe Province, and the leadership of the University of Namibe on the continuation of Polish-Angolan scientific, educational, and maritime cooperation. Particular focus was placed on preparing Stage III of the project carried out in Namibe between 2008 and 2019, which at that time encompassed: establishing the foundations of institutional cooperation between the Polish and Angolan sides and formulating development principles for maritime education in Namibe (Stage I), as well as developing teaching facilities, fitting out educational infrastructure, and introducing modern tools to support the education and training of future maritime sector personnel (Stage II).

During their stay in Angola, the delegation held a series of meetings at central and regional levels in Luanda and Namibe, including talks with:

• the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Angola, Albano Vicente Lopes Ferreira,
• the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Angola, Carmen Fernandes Neto dos Santos,
• the Secretary of State for Civil Aviation, Maritime Transport and Ports at the Ministry of Transport, Adilson Gabriel Alves Catala,
• the Governor of Namibe Province, Archer Mangueira.

The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the results achieved to date through educational cooperation between Poland and Angola, carried out with the participation of Gdynia Maritime University and ENAMOR Sp. z o.o. Particular emphasis was placed on the strategic importance of developing maritime education for Angola’s economy and on the need to further strengthen the competencies of personnel across the maritime and port sectors. Representatives of the state administration of the Republic of Angola received the proposals put forward by the Gdynia Maritime University delegation with great appreciation. It was emphasised that the implementation of Stage III of the project by GMU would constitute an important element in aligning maritime education in Namibe with the international standards governing the maritime industry. In the view of the Angolan side, the implementation of the recommended solutions should lead to compliance with the requirements of the IMO and the STCW Convention, which would prospectively facilitate broader international recognition of diplomas and qualifications obtained by graduates of the university in Namibe.

A key element of the visit was a series of meetings with the leadership, academic staff, and administrative representatives of the University of Namibe. The delegation from GMU and ENAMOR Sp. z o.o. had the opportunity to inspect the university’s infrastructure, assess the results of cooperation to date, and provisionally define the scope of actions required to deliver Stage III of the project. Detailed consideration was given to issues including:

• preparing guidelines to ensure compliance with the requirements of the STCW Convention and other applicable regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO),
• developing laboratory infrastructure,
• utilising existing maritime simulators,
• updating and aligning curricula with the latest amendments to IMO regulations and conventions,
• supporting the establishment of a maritime education quality assurance system,
• developing and strengthening staff competencies,
• preparing the university to achieve international market recognition for graduate qualifications.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of the visit was the direct engagement and support provided by the diplomatic services of both states throughout proceedings. Distinct support was extended to the delegation by:

• the Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Warsaw, headed by His Excellency Manuel Pedro Chaves, Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to the Republic of Poland, who was also present in Angola during the visit of the GMU and ENAMOR Sp. z o.o. delegation,
• the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Luanda, headed by Marta Michalunio-Matys, First Secretary, Consul, and Head of the Political and Economic Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Luanda, who accompanied the delegation during meetings at ministries in Luanda.