EMC Espouses UKZN PhD and Master’s Maritime Research Students to Alleviate the Country’s Maritime Challenges
EThekwini Maritime Cluster (EMC) in collaboration with the University Of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) held a Maritime research briefing with the UKZN Maritime students on 4 March 2022. The briefing was held at 303 Anton Lembede Street, Durban, hosting five (5) post-graduate candidates’ undertaken to conduct research aimed at tackling South Africa’s maritime industry challenges.
EMC and UKZN have an MOU in force that will see the maritime industry being able to utilize the research capacity within UKZN, in order to alleviate industry challenges and make it globally competitive.
After a rigorous process, five postgraduate students, registered through the UKZN Unit for Maritime Law and Maritime Studies; the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance and School of Law, intending to pursue their maritime-related research were nominated
“As a cluster, our interest lies within the efforts of growing and solving the maritime industry challenges. We are now family. We want you to engage us for this project to be a success,” said the EMC Managing Director Ms Zenzile Gwamanda speaking to the five student beneficiaries.
With EMC’s vision of growing South Africa’s maritime industry to be a formidable global competitor, EMC prides itself in partnering with various stakeholders such as the government, maritime professionals, academia as well as civil society. The vision is, therefore, guided and piloted under one of the pillars of EMC; Training and Skills Development. This serves as a drive to programs similar to this, as it aims to position eThekwini and KZN as the center of Maritime knowledge.
The students presenting their topics were Nyadu Kabongo, Nomali Port, Matthew van Maasdyk as well as Nomvelo Luthuli.
The research topics of the Maritime students were driven by findings to help provide solutions to the current challenges within the industry. The brewing research topics selected are to include the economic efficiency of SA port systems, the Port terminals congestion challenge, Investigation of the readiness and response of the maritime organisations to cybercrime, and Techniques implemented to meet the demands of custom modernisation and trade facilitation in South Africa.
The Maritime students are under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Langa Dlamini, Professor Trevor Jones, Dr. Sanele Gumede, and Dr Dusty Donnelly.
Dr. Dusty Donnelly of UKZN said, as part of her opening remarks: We expect excellence from our students. However, we are also looking for research that is impactful, meaningful & touches real issues,”
“Our valued partnerships with key industry stakeholders like the EMC are central to our vision of positioning the Unit of Maritime Law & Maritime Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal as the leading knowledge institute for maritime-related studies on the African continent, providing inter-disciplinary teaching and research excellence in the areas of shipping and international trade law and economics” Dr. Dusty Donnelly continued.
“Ours is a platform for partnership & collaboration in order to make a difference in the maritime industry, hence the collaboration with UKZN,” said EMC board chairman, Mr Hans Modipane, as he was welcoming all the attendees to the briefing. In addition to the students and their supervisors, representatives from the Department of Public Works, Maritime industry stakeholders and the private sector were present, providing meaningful contributions to the presentations done by the students.