Two maritime professionals from Uganda and Zambia have begun their Master's courses at the World Maritime University (WMU), with full scholarships from the IMO - Republic of Korea GHG-SMART project.
Ms. Dorica Nayame, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Officer at the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways of Zambia, and Mr. Abel Bwikizo Bakahuuna, Marine Licencing Officer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, Maritime Administration Department of Uganda, have begun their 2024-2025 programme for an MSc in Maritime Affairs - Maritime Energy Management at the WMU in Malmö, Sweden.
They are the first two recipients of the scholarships under the Recognition Scheme of the GHG-SMART project. The project, funded by the Republic of Korea and implemented by IMO, supports least developed counties (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) in maritime decarbonization through targeted capacity building.
The two full scholarships for the WMU are provided to the top performing trainees from each annual cycle to enable post-training continued learning and development opportunities.
Uganda and Zambia are both land-locked LDCs and their participation in the GHG-SMART project highlights the importance of the integration of landlocked LDCs in the global maritime framework for a just transition. Landlocked LDCs have no direct access to sea and often depend on ports of neighbouring coastal countries for trade. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), every State, whether coastal or land-locked, has the right of access and navigation in the high-seas. Many land-locked countries have large navigable lakes and rivers for cargo and passenger vessels that can play critical roles in supply chains.
As the maritime sector prepares itself for a just and equitable transition, the GHG-SMART project continues to support LDCs and SIDS: 20 SIDS and 18 LDCs, including four land-locked LDCs, have participated in the GHG-SMART project to date.
Meet the students
Ms. Dorica Nayame: "As a Health, Safety, Security and Environment Officer (HSSEO) at Mpulungu Harbour Corporation Limited (MHCL), under the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways, Zambia, I superintend on MHCL's Occupational Health Safety, Security and Environment matters. It was a rare privilege for me and Zambia as a country to be part of the GHG-SMART Project training 2023 cohort. The GHG-SMART training programme was and continues being beneficial with exposure to vast and diverse knowledge and expertise on climate change and climate actions, particularly decarbonization of the maritime industry. Especially for land-locked LDCs like Zambia where the maritime industry is still in its infant stage, the training was very useful in learning about the maritime sector's emerging standards and industry best-practices related to GHG emissions and enables an in-depth understanding of the present and future bottlenecks, solutions including opportunities. On a personal level, I humbly and deeply appreciate the rare opportunity to be awarded a scholarship to study Master in Maritime Affairs - Energy Management at the World Maritime University, through the GHG-SMART Project's Recognition Scheme."
Mr. Abel Bwikizo Bakahuuna: "As a marine licensing officer in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Maritime Administration Department,Uganda, I am responsible for registration, inspection and licensing of ships as well as policy formulation. The GHG-SMART project helped me understand relevant maritime policy frameworks which enabled me to further engage with various stakeholders from our ministry and IMO MEPC meetings to deliberate on issues related to GHG emissions reduction in shipping. It is a great opportunity for me to receive the scholarship to pursue Master in Maritime Affairs - Energy Management at the World Maritime University through the GHG-SMART Project's Recognition Scheme. This opportunity for me to access maritime training is particularly beneficial as someone who comes from a land-locked LDC with one of the largest navigable waterbodies in East Africa such as the Lake Victoria. I hope to share the knowledge gained from the GHG-SMART project and support the development and decarbonization efforts in the maritime sector nationally, regionally and globally."
More about IMO-RoK GHG-SMART project
