West Java proposes establishment of maritime polytechnic at Patimban seaport

West Java proposes establishment of maritime polytechnic at Patimban seaport
Arya Dipa October 24, 2019 https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/10/24/west-java-proposes-establ...

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has proposed the establishment of a maritime polytechnic – a maritime school backed by a British organization – within the Patimban international port complex in Subang, West Java, which is currently under construction.

“Once the Patimban project is completed, local children will have access to education based on a British curriculum – the best one. This is a result of my official visit to the United Kingdom and several other countries, which will hopefully lure more investors to Indonesia,” Ridwan said on the sidelines of the 2019 West Java Investment Summit in Bandung on Oct. 18.

He went on to say that the maritime polytechnic would be part of a large investment in the education sector.

Britcham executive director in Indonesia, Chris Wren, said the proposal was a follow-up to Ridwan’s visit to the UK in July. “West Java is among the friendliest and most flexible provinces in the country. It’s essential to the country’s efforts to attract foreign investment,” Wren said.

Indonesian Maritime Institute chairman and shipping company PT Bumi Laut’s CEO Jay A Singgih said the proposed school would adopt a syllabus and courses from a maritime college in Scotland, UK.

“Governor [Ridwan], along with representatives from the British Chamber of Commerce [Britcham], visited several [maritime] schools in the UK. We’ve decided to model our school after the oldest maritime college in Scotland,” Jay said, adding that the UK was home to the International Maritime Organization, which had given birth to various international maritime regulations around the world.

Jay said the school would be geared toward the improvement of human resources. The Indonesian Maritime Institute would help prepare the curriculum ahead of the school’s construction, he said.

“We don’t want a subpar syllabus. We want an exceptional curriculum that takes maritime safety into consideration,” he added.

He went on to say that the institute was currently preparing the curriculum in collaboration with the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT); the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry’s human resource development division; and the Education and Culture Ministry.

Jay said the institute would then proceed to implement the curriculum in special courses at 15 of the best maritime schools in the country, culminating in an advanced training in Glasgow, Scotland.

“We will also bring foreign trainers to the country to share their knowledge,” he said.

In addition to maritime safety, the forthcoming syllabus will also focus on maritime tourism, offering courses in tourist yachts, fisheries and marine resources. (rfa)