On 28 October, the maritime leaders of tomorrow - World Maritime University (WMU) class of 2023 - graduated. The WMU 2023 graduating class includes 283 graduates from 71 countries, including a record of 99 women graduates.
WMU President, Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr., delivered welcome remarks. As a WMU graduate himself, President Mejia reflected on the power of the WMU experience and how it affects the way one thinks, works, plans, and interacts. “You have acquired information that you did not possess before you enrolled here," he said. "Perhaps more importantly for your future in the international maritime world, you have acquired a real and strong network on which you can rely for decades to come.”
In his graduation address, HE Mr Kitack Lim, the first WMU graduate to serve as International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor, said, “Collectively, WMU graduates form a formidable international network, a force for good in the world. Your influence as global citizens, educated in a unique environment, will extend far beyond what you can envision today.”
Professor Myron Nordquist was awarded Doctor of Science honoris causa. Dr Nordquist is a renowned international law scholar in maritime law, the law of the sea and ocean policy. His greatest achievements are associated with strengthening the rule of law as it applies to international
navigation rights and freedoms, as well as the role of the International Maritime Organization in maritime and ocean affairs. He shared with the gathering highlights of his career path that spans over 50 years of focusing on the Law of the Sea, and that included establishing the Center for
Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia School of Law which has become one of the world’s premier academic institutions for the study of maritime law, ocean law and policy. Dr Nordquist has been a long standing supporter of the WMU, and he thanked the University for the
esteemed award.
Awards Presented
Honorary Fellow Awards
Outstanding Alumni Awards