SUNY Maritime College said it has expanded its global reach by signing a memorandum of agreement with the International Maritime University of Panama, paving the way for further cooperation between the two institutions, including student and faculty exchange programs, collaborative research ventures and cooperative educational programs in a variety of areas including marine transportation and logistics, marine engineering, marine sciences and naval architecture.
“Maritime College graduates enter a global industry,” said Dr. Joseph Hoffman, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Maritime. “It is vitally important that our students are exposed to an international perspective and international opportunities.”
For SUNY Maritime, the agreement is the fourth of its kind signed in the past 18 months. The other agreements are with National Taiwan Ocean University, Svendborg International Maritime Academy in Denmark, and Finland’s EEX Maritime Oy, a startup platform focused on building collaboration between maritime companies.
In the photo: Front row, left to right: Capt. Aladar Rodriguez Diaz, president of International Maritime University of Panama, and Rear Adm. Michael Alfultis, president of SUNY Maritime College. Back row, left to right: Dr. Joseph Hoffman ‘75, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs at SUNY Maritime; Capt. Julio Bonilla, director of technical cooperation and international affairs office at International Maritime University of Panama; Capt. Charles Piersall ’56, International Maritime Organization maritime ambassador; Capt. Mark Woolley, chief of staff at SUNY Maritime