Myanmar needs to build overseas-going merchant vessels and other vessels to extract the natural resources from the seas while conserving the sea resources, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in inspecting the Myanmar Maritime University under the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Thilawa of Thanlyin Township in Yangon Region yesterday morning.
At the meeting hall, the Admiral and the rector reported to the Senior General on the background history of the university, implementation of the assigned missions, organizational setup of the university, academic measures, training of the university meeting international standards, practical training, cooperation with international universities, and participation of the university in the State projects.
After hearing the reports, the Senior General said that this university is a valuable university for the State. Myanmar possesses more than 140,000 square miles of territorial waters and more than 1,260 miles long of coastal areas. The Ayeyawady, the Chindwin and the Thanlwin rivers are facilitated with ports. The university turns out the maritime professionals who are of importance in local and international maritime transport. It is necessary to appoint those who graduated from the university. It is employment for Myanmar to show their skills for the development of the nation and the creation of job opportunities. The graduates from the university must be deployed for management of small and large ports so as to contribute much to the development of the nation.
Likewise, the Senior General stressed the waterway transport is the cheapest in transporting a large number of cargos. Myanmar must utilize Ayeyawady, Thanlwin, Chindwin and Sittoung rivers the best. The professionals turned out by the university must serve the State. Port management is of importance in the maritime sector. Hence, it is necessary to study the management subject through modern technologies in line with international norms. Likewise, maritime professionals and those from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy are to join hands in generating hydropower through the ordinary current as renewable energy.
With regard to shipbuilding, Hsinmalaik shipyard built river vessels and coastal vessels in the past. Myanmar needs to build overseas-going merchant vessels and other vessels to extract the natural resources from the seas while conserving the sea resources. The shipbuilding engineers who graduated from the university need to serve at the shipbuilding works of the nation. As part of emerging the outstanding shipbuilders, the Senior General stressed the need to give practical exercises to the students. The ship building professionals from the MMU need to lead the shipbuilding process at the shipyards of the nation. Necessary faculty members will be added to the university for giving effective training to the students.
Effective maintenance must be undertaken for cleaning rivers, creeks and seas as natural ones. Maritime tourism is one of the various kinds of the tourism industry. The university needs to strive for maintaining the existing success and secure more successes. The university will be facilitated with buildings and teaching aid to keep abreast of the international community. It is necessary to create good environs for the students and the development of social lives. Moreover, it is necessary to encourage the students to use and read the books supporting the teaching and others for the current era through digital technology.
The graduates from the university need to have skills of spoken English and reading for having the proficiency English to associate with those from the international community and skills of computer science as well. The Senior General stressed the need to fulfil the needs of accommodation, security and food for the students as it is not ordinary university education to become the symbol in the universities of the international community.
The Senior General and party inspected functions of the departments of the university. The Senior General discussed the need for giving training to the students from the small vessels to the ocean liners with the use of basic knowledge.
The MMU was opened for its first batch at the compound of Myanmar Mercantile Marine College in Hsinmalaik of Kamayut Township in 2002. Then, the university was moved to the Thilawa area in Thanlyin Township in 2003. The university was established with the aim of contributing to the modernity and development of the nation, turning out qualified maritime professionals, giving the science and technology, managing for constant development of maritime science, enabling the maritime professionals to understand the provisions adopted by the International Maritime Organization and conducting the researches for improvement of maritime science. It conducts undergraduate courses, postgraduate diploma courses and master’s engineering courses. The university has turned out 4,137 graduates, 1,052 diploma holders and 17 ME graduates from 2007 to 2020. — MNA
