From 14-16 September 2023, the Maritime Department of the University of Dubrovnik organised the 3rd International Scientific Conference Our Sea with topics on safety, innovation and resilience in the maritime industry with 90 participants from 15 countries. The conference included keynote speeches and two panel discussions on education and the maritime industry, with the participation of renowned experts from the maritime sector. After the official closing of the conference, participants continued casual social gathering during the Karaka Sunset Cruise and a gala dinner on the terrace of the Museum of Modern art Dubrovnik, for which the conference chair expresses his gratitude to Captain Frano Radošević and the City of Dubrovnik.
The keynote lectures were given by distinguished experts: Yusuke Mori, Deputy Executive Director of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), Prof. Damir Zec, PhD from the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Rijeka and Dr Syed Asif Altaf Chowdhury, the ITF welbeing coordinator.
Mr Yusuke Mori spoke about the IAMU association, explained the importance of membership in this umbrella organisation and presented some of the more important IAMU projects.
Prof. Damir Zec analysed the results of the SkillSea project, in particular the identification of current and future skill needs and foreseeable skill gaps. In this context, the challenges posed by different levels of automation were analysed in detail.
Dr Syed Asif Altaf Chowdhury spoke about the mental health of seafarers, the impact of the pandemic COVID 19 and the early signs of mental health changes and the importance of seeking help in time.
The conference included two panel discussions, on 14 September on seafarers’ education and on 15 September on current challenges in shipping, with representatives of the academic community, shipping companies, the Seafarers Union of Croatia and the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
The panel discussion on education included how to bridge the gap between theory and practise, how to integrate VR technology into the curriculum, what methods can be used to improve the mental health and well-being of seafarers, and what the biggest challenges are for maritime faculties. The panellists were Mr Yusuke Mori, Deputy Executive Director of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), Srđan Vujičić, Asst. Prof., Head of Maritime Department (University of Dubrovnik), Vlado Frančić, Full Prof., the Faculty of Maritime studies (University of Rijeka), Pero Vidan, Full Prof., Dean of the Faculty of Maritime Studies (University of Split), Špiro Ivošević, Full Prof., Dean of Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor (University of Montenegro), Mate Barić, Assoc. Prof., Deputy Head of Maritime Department (University of Zadar), captain Heikki Koivisto, Project Manager, Maritime Logistics Research Center at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Ana-Marija Batinović, Head of Department for Seafarers and Boatmasters, Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
The second panel discussed current issues in the maritime industry. Some of the main topics were the legal framework, safety and human resources, mental health of seafarers, improving living conditions on ships, how to encourage young people to choose this profession, enhancing the role of women in the maritime sector, dealing with the accelerated development of technology and the risks of working on autonomous ships. Panellists were Captain Heikki Koivisto, Project Manager, Maritime Logistics Research Centre at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Romano Perić, ITF Coordinator, John Reid, Training and Recruitment Manager at Seapeak, Vitomir Bjelovučić, Mooring Master, Srećko Ban, Master Mariner, and Marko Domijan, CEO Atlantska Plovidba Plc.
