Shifting from global maritime professional to global maritime citizen

Abstract

The evolution of maritime education and framework started with the foundation framework established by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), which focuses primarily on the technical competence of seafarers. Then, the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) built on the STCW Code framework, producing the Global Maritime Professional Body of Knowledge (GMP BoK) in 2019 with the mission of producing a holistic and resilient education for seafarers in the new age of the maritime industry. This study was developed to advance the two frameworks further, thus completing the evolution from being a competent professional to a global maritime professional and eventually to becoming a Global Maritime Citizen. The development of an elective course for the Global Maritime Citizen Program utilized a conceptual design by the triangulation of the three frameworks, namely the STCW Code, GMP BoK, and the Global Citizenship Education (GCED) framework. The structure of the elective course was patterned after the International Maritime Organization (IMO) model course, which was founded on an outcome-based education. The developed elective course could pave the way for the incorporation of the GCED framework in the development of maritime higher education curricula. This would not only produce graduates who are technically competent and holistically proficient but also prime movers in the accomplishment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (USDG), affecting the maritime industry in a positive and innovative way.