In order to improve the international vision and professional ability of international students, and build a platform for international students to exchange with the most cutting-edge international experts in the industry, invited by Professor Zhang Renping, the lecturer of the course “Global Maritime Governance, IMO and Maritime Conventions-Effective Implementation of IMO”, on the morning of May 9, Commander Ang Chin Hup (Retired), director (Maritime Research) of the Belt & Road Initiative Caucus For Asia Pacific, came to the International Students’ Education Center (ISEC) and gave a lecture entitled "Autonomous Shipping in the Asia Pacific" for students. A total of more than 60 foreign students from more than 20 countries attended the lecture. Ms. Peng Xuefei, Deputy Director of the ISEC, attended the lecture.
As the director (Maritime Research) of the Belt & Road Initiative Caucus For Asia Pacific (BRICAP) and the consultant of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Cdr Ang Chin Hup once served as the Centre Head of Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), Naval Officer in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), and worked in the Malaysian Ministry of Defense and the United Nations during that time. His research areas include maritime economics, transportation, connectivity and geopolitics, etc. He has spoken at the World Ocean Summit held in China and presented topics on transportation connectivity for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam – Thailand (CLMV-T) countries organized by the UN ESCAP in Bangkok, Thailand, Yangon, Myanmar and Vientiane, Laos.
In this lecture, Cdr Ang Chin Hup introduced to the students the exploration and progress made in the field of autonomous shipping in Europe and the Asia Pacific region, as well as the relevant regulations of the International Maritime Organization, focusing on topics such as the development of autonomous shipping in Malaysia and other countries, relevant research analysis and recommendations from the United Nations. He emphasized the current situation and challenges faced by Malaysia in terms of navigation safety and sustainability. He also emphasized the importance of autonomous shipping in improving navigation safety, shipping sustainability, marine environment protection, network security, and shared the analysis, research, and recommended solutions of the United Nations in this field. Finally, Cdr Ang Chin Hup and the students attending the lecture discussed together the efforts that countries can make in promoting shipping safety and sustainable development in the future.
In the context of the challenges faced by globalization and the increasingly complex world political and economic environment, it is particularly important for countries around the world to seek common ground while reserving differences, increase cooperation, and jointly resist risks. This lecture further emphasizes that countries have closely related partnerships in the field of shipping and share common interests in maintaining maritime security. The students responded enthusiastically and actively spoke up, engaging in in-depth thinking and discussions on topics such as building a smart ocean network, promoting ocean knowledge sharing and personnel exchanges, further enhancing the responsibility and mission of promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among countries, and jointly promoting sustainable development of shipping.
This lecture is a featured part of the core course of general education for postgraduate international students of the school, “Global Maritime Governance, IMO and Maritime Conventions-Effective Implementation of IMO”. Professor Zhang Renping, the lecturer of the course, has a strong professional academic foundation, extensive experience in international exchange and cooperation, and industry background. Through inviting experts from the International Maritime Organization to give lectures on campus and organizing simulated IMO conferences for international students, he has effectively combined theoretical classrooms with industry practices, providing a platform for exchange between international students and cutting-edge experts and scholars in the industry. This greatly enhances the teaching dimension and training effect of the course, and cultivates a group of international students with solid professional foundations, international vision, and the concept of building a community with a shared future for the ocean.
