AMET granted university status

Chennai, Sep 4: The Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET), a state-of-the-art Institution, dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge to the shipping industry, has been granted Deemed University Status.

This makes AMET the first Maritime University in the country. The Union HRD Ministry, upon recommendations made by the UGC had issued a gazette notification on August 21 granting Deemed University status to AMET under Sec 3 of UGC Act.

Situated on the outskirts of city, the University offers diploma, graduate and post-graduate courses in Nautical Science, Marine Engineering, Marine Technology, Naval Architecture and Off-shore engineering as well as management programmes in Shipping and Logistics.

It also offers high-end marine competency-related short-term courses.

The University would be formally dedicated to the nation by Union Shipping and Road Transport Minister T R Baalu at a function to be held soon, AMET CEO and Director Capt Bharadwaj and Chairman J Ramachandran told reporters here today.

Giving an overall view of the AMET and the various courses offered by it and the placement records, Mr Bharadwaj said ''as a University, we would look outward, serving the global shipping and have a global vision''.

The varsity would adopt a ''What can I do for you attitude'' rather than having a siege mentality of command and control.

Observing that world was looking at India, Mr Bharadwaj said statistics revealed that more than 34 per cent of Indian population was less than 15 years old. India, which contributes to over 16 per cent of the world's population had the potential to create the world's largest and youngest talent pool, when the population of the most developed nations would be on the wrong side of 60 years.

''There is no reason why this Maritime University cannot make resounding impact in global shipping'', he said.

He also announced that the University would start UG, PG and Research programmes in international maritime law, freight forwarding, chartering and shipbreaking, economics of sea transport, naval architecture and ship design, marine ecology and environment, marine biotechnology and microbiology, port management and port operations, containerised shipping management, marine insurance.

''Shipbuilding is the next big industry in India. Offshore industry growth is phenomenal. We will launch courses for this sector also'', he added.

He said the University would be a major resource provider for developing countries like Africa, Vietnam, Myanmar, Yemen and Sudan.

UNI