Academic Research on Maritime Affairs Viewed from the Perspective of the World Maritime University

摘要

The argument put forward in this presentation is that MET institutions claiming genuine university status for their organization and academic awards must have research as a core activity of their academic program. Research provides the essential underpinning of any progressive development of the academic teaching program, as well as meeting the demands and expectations of the institutional clientele. Of course, not all research undertaken on maritime issues meets the strict standards of academic research as described earlier. This applies to much contract work as well as many conferences and related publication activity in the professional maritime milieu. While these activities are valuable in terms of their professional networking and information sharing benefits, MET institutions should make an effort to advance more strictly academic research which is not subject to the constraints outlined above. Finally, the obligation to undertake research cannot be implemented by fiat What is required, first of all, is the employment of academic staff with the necessary qualifications or potential to do research; and, second, the provision of necessary conditions and incentives to effectively encourage and guide staff to do research as part of their ongoing work. Taken together, the combination of corporate commitment to research, the employment and training of staff to do research, and the necessary institutional conditions and incentives for research should ensure that genuine research becomes a core activity of the academic program in higher maritime education and training.