The President of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University (AMEZU), Dr. Benjamin Lartey, has disclosed that the university has added the Department of Maritime Studies to its curriculum, noting that the course cannot continued to be isolated if Liberians are to meet up with the enormous challenges of the shipping industry.
President Lartey made the disclosure on Friday, September 16, 2022, when the university launched the department to the general public.
According to him, the country has the second largest maritime registry, emphasizing that such must come with viable education.
The keynote speaker at the launch of the maritime department, Mohamed Calico Lavalie, said the importance of maritime education cannot be overemphasized, especially with the need for sustainable national development. He said maritime education and training is an important aspect to the maritime industry.
Lavalie noted that vessels are operated by at least 1.9 million seafarers, carrying about 10.7 billion tons of cargo annually. He, too, confirmed that Liberia is the second largest registry, accounting for 14 percent of the world’s ocean vessels.