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NSA expands in UCLM

NSA expands in UCLM
posted November, 2007 by ucwatch

NSA expands in UCLM [view full image]

The Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA) is bringing in additional scholarship grants to maritime students of the Lapulapu-Mandaue campus of the University of Cebu.

UC and NSA inked a Memorandum of Agreement on November 12, 2007 at the NSA Office in UC-LM. The momentous affair was participated in by NSA-Norway Director Mr. Erik Gjerdene, Mr. Pal Tangen, Norwegian Training Center-Manila (NTC-M) Director and Mr. Odd Magne Skei. UC top brass came in full force, headed by UC President Atty. Augusto W. Go, Chancellor Candice Gotianuy, VC for External Affairs Atty. Baldomero Estenzo, VC for Administration Atty. Nendell Hanz Abella, UCLM Academic Director Engr. Analiza Son, UCLM NSA Coordinator Dr. Leonilo Oliva and other university officials.

The ceremony was repeated on November 22, 2007 in the presence of the media, university honchos and other prominent personalities at the Marco Polo Plaza. This time, UC President Atty. Augusto W. Go and UC Chancellor Ms. Candice Gotianuy were joined by NTC-M Director Odd Magne Ske, NSA Recruitment and Training Head Mr. Einar Schiefloe, First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy Ms. Larissa Kosanovic, and NTC-M Project Manager Mr. Morten Johnsen.

During her speech in behalf of the Norwegian Embassy, Ms. Kosanovic singled out UC as “one of the very finest” of the six schools on the NTC list of qualified institutions within Luzon to Mindanao that the Embassy “was not surprised” when informed of the partnership of UC with NSA. She also cited the quality of seafarer education and facilities, combined with innovative, dynamic university leadership and management as some of the determining factors for the collaboration. In parting, the First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy also verbalized her confidence in the NTC-UC partnership while anticipating the program “to continue to demonstrate the importance and vitality of the Norwegian-Philippine bilateral relations in the field of maritime transport and education”.

The MOA concretized on paper the plan to expand the NSA Scholarship Project in UC. By June 2008, an additional 500 freshmen are expected to avail themselves of this opportunity.

The scholars will start their theoretical studies in Marine Transportation or Marine Engineering at UC-METC and UC Lapulapu-Mandaue. Two hundred freshmen scholars are anticipated for METC while 300 freshmen scholars will join UC-LM. A five-storey dormitory and school building will rise in UC-LM to house this latest addition of maritime scholars.

A scholar will have free tuition, free board and lodging, academic support through supplementary lectures, textbooks, materials and equipment, upgrading and computer-based trainings, and 10 to 12 month shipboard training aboard international-plying NSA vessels while receiving a monthly allowance of at least 0 each. The students are also guaranteed employment after graduation.

At present, NSA has 1,774 ships. Their vessels sail with a mixture of over 60 nationalities, numbering about 60,000 seamen. Filipinos account for over 40 percent or at least 24,000 crewmembers.

Ultimately, NSA through UC intends to educate and train spontaneously as many as 1,500 promising young sailors in the coming school years.

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