RMU signs MoU with DMI to improve maritime education, training in Africa

The Regional Maritime University (RMU) on Friday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dar Es Salaam Maritime Institute (DMI), Tanzania as part of measures to deepen collaborative efforts towards improving upon the standards of maritime education and training on the continent.

The MoU signing ceremony climaxed a three-day working visit by DMI delegation to the RMU in Accra.

The MoU according to the Ag. Vice Chancellor of the RMU, Dr Jethro W. Brooks Jr. would among other things, see the RMU offering tuition-free scholarships to two female students of the DMI to study both nautical and marine engineering courses.

He said, they would also collaborate in research activities adding that the RMU was committed to the spirit of the MoU for the mutual benefit of the two institutions.

“It has been a long period of interaction with the DMI. The RMU has embarked on strengthening its visibility in terms of collaboration, cooperation and teamwork with other institutions in the industry and the DMI is one of those institutions. We are grateful to have variety of areas of collaboration and bring finality to interactions that started seven months ago,” he stated.

He said,the fact that the two institutions intended to combine forces was an indication that Africans could work together to achieve a common goal.

On her part, DMI Rector, Dr Tumaini S. Gurumo added that, they would be working together in research and publication as well as the upcoming International Blue Economy Conference to be held in Tanzania in July.

“The conference had been going on since 2021 and the third edition would be held this year. Because of the collaboration, starting this year, we would run the conference together with the RMU. It would be rotated every year,with this year’s event happening in Tanzania in July and the next in Ghana in 2025,” she explained.

“We would also have reviewers from the RMU to assist with the Journal of Maritime Science and Technology at DMI in addition to exchange programmes for lecturers and students.We believe this collaboration would be one-of-its-kind and urge all to be committed to the course,” she stated.

“This is the first institution in Africa we entering into an MOU with since we started in 1978 and certain that it would be fruitful to show that Africans can move together and achieve results,” she added.

“We want to see Africa grow through its own resources and this would be part of the collaborations to ensure that we develop within,” she stressed.

The two institutions exchanged gifts with the delegation also touring the facilities of the RMU, hoping to replicate the state-of-the-art infrastructure to improve upon maritime education in their country.