Research Studies and Conferences on Maritime Training

In 2010, on the initiative of the Eugenides Foundation, the University of Athens for Economics and Business – Statistics Department carried out in-depth research into the identification of factors that influence the appeal of students to maritime education.

This first-ever nationwide survey, sampling 7.000 students attending the 3rd year of lyceum, found a significant deficit in student knowledge and information about the relation between maritime education and the job market, despite the fact that Greece holds a dominant position in world shipping and possesses a steady comparative advantage in this industry.

The Eugenides Foundation’s position on the matter is that it is necessary to inform young people about the great contribution of the shipping industry to the country and the prospects of maritime professions. The Foundation’s aim with this research was to assist in developing the scientific tools that will help all involved parties, to the extent that they wish to make use of these tools, in making the right policy decisions.

The survey results are published in Greek here.

In 2012 the Eugenides Foundation, again in collaboration with the University of Athens for Economics and Business – Statistics Department, conducted a survey to investigate students’ views on the state of Greek Merchant Marine Academies, the results of which were published (in Greek) in a book.

This is the first survey to have recorded the students’ ‘voice’. Students expressed their views on the curriculum, teaching staff, educational manuals, technological infrastructure, building facilities and training voyages. The aim of this research was to highlight problems that exist in maritime education, to find ways to resolve them and to provide the people involved in maritime education with as complete a picture of the situation as possible as seen through the eyes of students, who, after all, are the main objective.

In 2014 the Eugenides Foundation held a two-day Maritime Education Conference entitled ‘Education in Merchant Marine Schools and On-board’, aiming at interceding in maritime education activities in order to improve and modernize them.

The conference was attended by all bodies involved in maritime education with the goal of fostering a creative exchange of views and ideas on the problems facing maritime education in Greece today.

The proceedings of this conference were published in a book in Greek, while abstracts of the papers presented are also available in English.