Postgraduate shipping news and events
Keep up to date with the latest news and events for postgraduate shipping programmes
What’s causing a global goods shortage?
Global supply chain problems are leading to delivery delays and higher prices for consumer goods. Our global expert Dr Stavros Karamperidis, Head of Maritime Transport Research Group, University of Plymouth, participated in the prestigious Inside story of Al Jazeera where he explained what causes the global supply chain issues and how we could short them.
The supply chain's weak link
How disruption in a single port, factory or freight centre can cause global chaos.
Demonstrating the global impact of our research: Dr Stavros Karamperidis - Head of Maritime Transport Group at the University of Plymouth - explains the causes of global supply chain chaos in a BBC World Service Business Daily interview.
Listen on BBC Sounds
Sea power strategy conference held in Plymouth for first time
The University’s Centre for Seapower and Strategy has co-hosted its fourth Sea Power Conference alongside NATO Allied Maritime Command – the first time the event has been held in Plymouth.
The conference brought together a select group of academics, members of the defence industry, government officials, media practitioners and senior military officers who considered the dynamics of sea power to contemporary deterrence and its contemporary application. An official conference dinner took place at Boringdon Hall which was sponsored by Airbus Defence and Space, UK.
This fourth joint conference, and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic, explored the application of sea power to countering and conducting Grey Zone activity. The conference tested out hypotheses about what the critical operational dilemmas are in delivering Allied deterrence and deference in a Grey Zone context in the 2020s, and how these relate to all-domain campaign strategies.
The University was represented by VC Professor Judith Petts, CBE; Executive Dean of the Faculty Science and Engineering, Professor Kevin Jones; Head of School of Culture and Society, Professor Anna Bautz; Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Sea Power and Strategy, Dr Fotios Moustakis; Lecturer in Maritime Economics and Head of the Maritime Transport Research Group, Dr Stavros Karamperidis; and Lecturer in Security Management, Ken Livingstone.
According
to the Director of the Sea Power and Strategy, Dr Fotios Moustakis, one
of the key elements of the Conference is that
‘Its outputs are intended to inform discussions in MARCOM’s classified Maritime Operations Centre Directors Conference and Maritime Operational Commanders Conference in the spring of 2022, which will address the maritime dimension of NATO’s new Strategic Concept’.
How a Career in Logistics can lead to a World of Opportunity
CILT student conference in partnership with the University of Plymouth, 20 October 2021
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has a long association with the University accrediting specific courses, some of which are more than 40 years old. For what is hoped to become an annual event, the two organisations are coming together for this conference to promote international logistics and supply chain management to prospective apprentices, undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates, as world of opportunity.
During this conference delegates will gain an appreciation of the wide range of opportunities within the discipline, through a focus on case studies focused on the South West, but equally applicable to students across the UK and the world.
Why even giant ships can't solve the shipping crisis
Academic shares expert view on shipping crisis.
Dr Stavros Karamperidis has offered expert comment to national media about the current shipping crisis – explaining the importance of shipping to the global economy.
Read the BBC article.
How the crisis in container ships could ruin Christmas
Stavros Karamperidis discusses how the COVID pandemic, among other issues, is affecting shipping across the globe.
Read the article in theconversation.com
Watch his interview on Ticker news.
JGBS Virtual International Research Symposium
June 28, 2021
As part of the International Research Symposium, Stavros Karamperidis presented his work on Sustainability and Maritime Transport with a fruitful dialog surrounding issues related to circular economy and sustainability with Dr Manoj Dora (Reader in Operations and Supply Chains Brunel University, UK) Prof Yigit Kazancoglu (Full Professor at Logistics Management Department Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey) and a large audience who attended the symposium.
Dr Dora presented work related to Reshaping Supply Chains for a Resilient and Sustainable Future, while Prof Kazancoglu presented work on issues related to Circular Economy for Sustainable Logistics and Supply Chains. The session was moderated by Sachin Mangla Kumar Senior Lecturer from Jindal Global University.
Could
a shipping crisis derail economic recovery from COVID-19?
On Al Jazeera's Inside Story,
Guy Platten (Secretary General of International Chamber of Shipping), Christian Bueger (Professor of International Relations, University of Copenhagen) and Dr Stavros Karamperidis (Lecturer in Maritime Economics, University of Plymouth)
discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the maritime transport industry and the knock-on effect on overall
logistics and the final goods consumed around the globe.
Is Just in Time (JIT) “dead” after various black swan events
Dr Stavros Karamperidis was invited to participate on an event organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport entitled “Is Just in Time (JIT) “dead” after various black swan events”.
Several industry experts demonstrated the implication of various black swan events (e.g. closure of Suez Canal) to the overall supply chain and how Just In Time (JIT) has been affected by them. Dr Karamperidis demonstrated several findings related to his research and how black swan events affecting maritime sector has affected the known JIT approach.
The event was coordinated by Sue Terpilowski (expert in the logistics, freight, ports, material handling and supply chain sectors). Mark Rowbotham (Independent Consultant, Trainer and writer in Customs and Excise issues) and Brian Sullivan (Independent Risk & Insurance Consultant, Chartered Insurance Practitioner) also participated in the event sharing their great knowledge on the subject.
Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
The session organised with CIPS demonstrated the benefits of CIPS for our students and the importance of the accreditation of our programmes. From CIPS,
Knowledge Manager
Sheena Donaldson,
Accreditations Lead
Claire Harness, and
Senior Membership Manager
Tiffany Howard provided a comprehensive presentation to our students.
A Day in the Life of a Shipbroker: what we do and why we do it!
Organised in conjunction with the Hellenic Management Center/ ICS Greek Branch.
The session was introduced by Dr Stavros Karamperidis. Natalia Margioli, Managing Director of Hellenic Management Centre / ICS Greek Branch has welcomed the students and various participants. Mr Matt Gilbert Head of Business and Partnerships (ICS London) provided a presentation of the Institute’s qualifications. Finally Simon Ward a key shipbroker figure in Greece with more than 30 years of experience provided a really interactive discussion on 'A Day in the Life of a Shipbroker: what we do and why we do it!'.
During the session students had the opportunity to find out more about the ICS Course, the Professional Qualifying Examinations, the ICS Membership and get a taste from a practitioners point of view in reference to the shipbrokers’ profession. That session has strengthen the link of ICS with our master courses.
Railfreight: The Key to Decarbonising Trunk Haul Logistics
Julian Worth, Chair of CILT Rail Freight Forum and former Managing Director of Transrail Freight
Julian Worth will suggest that the South West is ideally placed to take advantage of a new model of logistics and propose a Freight Decarbonisation Strategy for the region. As the only mode with a proven ability to move freight over long distances in a zero-carbon manner, using renewable or nuclear energy supplied through overhead wires, rail can assume a much larger share of trunking. Allied to the use of short and medium range battery trucks for local and regional distribution, this offers the prospect of a fully decarbonised supply chain. In advance of rail electrification, modal switch to diesel-hauled rail reduces carbon emissions by around two thirds and slows the rate at which the carbon 'budget' is consumed.
COVID-19 and Maritime Supply Chains: Disruptions & Adaptability
24 March 2021, 13:00 - 14:00
Professor Thanos Pallis is the President of International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). A Professor in Port Economics & Policy, Department of Shipping, Trade & Transport at the University of the Aegean, Greece. He is Vice-Chair of the Port Performance Research Network and a founding member/co-director of Port Economics. He has co-authored the books European Port Policy: Towards a long-term strategy, Common EU Maritime Transport Policy, and Maritime Transport: The Greek Paradigm. Thanos is currently the chief transport economist of the UN program on “COVID-19 Implication on Transport/Connectivity and Trade” and a member of the International Association of Ports & Harbours (IAPH) Risk and Resilience Committee for which he co-authors the world port barometer reports.
Interview of Dr Stavros Karamperidis Lecturer in Maritime Economics for a Dutch cargo ship adrift off the coast of Norway and raise awareness for the maritime transport sector
During my interview last night in Aljazeera for Eemslift Hendrik I had the opportunity to state the importance of maritime sector and how proud I am for being a member of the maritime community which operates 365, 24/7 to support the global economy/ logistics. Let’s salute the members of our sector, especially the thousands of seafarers and raise awareness for the importance of our great maritime sector.
Interview of Dr Stavros Karamperidis Head of Maritime Transport Research Group in Aljazeera and El Mercurio for the importance of shipping and maritime logistics for global economy
It was my pleasure to comment on the Suez Canal blockage in El Mercurio when everyone was holding their breaths for the refloat of Ever Given due to the massive impact to the global economy.
I also commented on Aljazeera the importance of the proposed Turkeys Canal project for global shipping/economy. I am glad that the importance of global shipping and maritime logistics is highlighted through those two contributions. I hope that I contribute to reducing seablindness and increase awareness of maritime sector for global economy /supply chains.
Ship.energy Summit 2021
30 – 31 March 2021
The University of Plymouth is an official academic partner of the Ship.energy Summit.
The decarbonisation of shipping is underway. With the IMO’s 2030 and 2050 targets firmly in sight and countries stepping up to put domestic clean energy transition strategies in place – many of which will impact on shipping – the momentum for maritime’s energy change is building. What is clear, is that there are still many more questions than answers about getting to zero. In this, the first in ship.energy’s series of global summits in 2021, industry leaders, practitioners, analysts and commentators will define and debate the critical questions on shipping’s decarbonisation across two days of high level panel discussions.
A major benefit of the ship.energy summit is that it is entirely free of charge to attend and open to everyone.
The Decarbonisation of Maritime:
How far has the global maritime sector come on the road to decarbonisation?
Organised by Maritime UK and Clarksons Platou as part of the 2021 Maritime Masters programme, this event is one of a series of webinars bringing together speakers across the sector looking at key issues and current challenges for the global maritime industries. Register to watch the free webinar.
Speakers:
- Frederik Colban-Andersen, Clarskons PLatou AS, Managing Director, Offshore Renewables (University of Plymouth alumni)
- Sarah Fear, Sustainable Earth Institute, Impact Lab, Project and Knowledge Exchange Manager (University of Plymouth)
- Charles Haskell, Lloyd's Register, Decarbonisation Programme Manager
Webinar on combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: Lessons from the Horn of Africa experience
On 2 November 2020, Dartmouth Centre for Sea Power and Strategy at the University of Plymouth organised a webinar on combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: Lessons from the Horn of Africa experience.
Professor James Bergeron (Honorary Professor at the University of Plymouth and Politcal Advisor to Commander, Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM)) provided us with a presentation on contemporary piracy while Mina Vlachandrea (first civilian to received an MA scholarship from Hellenic War Risks and HSE Manager, Alison Management Corp) presented some key findings from her MA thesis in Applied Strategy and International Security on: Why is NATO naval military intervention crucial for the protection of merchant ships against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Watch the recording of the webinar
The Future of Freeports Under Brexit
A highly topical discussion on Freeports and Brexit was organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and Plymouth Business School. The event was held on 16 December 2020 in collaboration with the University of Plymouth and the Ports, Maritime and Waterways (PMW) Forum.
The event has attracted great attention from
various policymakers and industry representatives and provides clear guidance
for the future direction that Freeports should take under the Brexit
environment.
Moderator:
Dr
Stavros Karamperidis, Lecturer in Maritime Economics, Member of PMW CILT and
Chairman of CILT for Devon and Cornwall
Speakers:
- Sue Terpilowski FCILT OBE, PPC Chair and Vice Chair of PMW
- Mark Rowbotham, CILT PMW
- Tim Morris, UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG)
Maritime Cybersecurity and Supply Chains: How to Navigate the Waters of Digital Innovation Post-Covid
Without
doubt, 2020 was a year that put changes in the shipping
industry
in the spotlight.
Against this backdrop, on 15 December 2020, the Greek Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong held a webinar on maritime cybersecurity and maritime supply chains, bringing together a group of corporate and academic experts to examine how government and corporate actors in Hong Kong and Greece meet today’s challenges and upcoming opportunities.
After a highly engaging presentation by Mr Kapalidis, our panellists discussed the current maritime cybersecurity landscape and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the role of government regulations. They also deep-dived into the upcoming IMO Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management and assessed the projected impact on the maritime supply chains and the readiness of shipping companies for the 2021 IMO implementation.
Moderator:
Dr Stavros Karamperidis, Lecturer (Maritime Economics, Department of
International Shipping, Logistics and Operations), University of Plymouth
Speakers:
- Mr Chronis Kapalidis, Integrated Security Practice Leader for
HudsonAnalytix in EMEA, UK
- Mr Torbjörn Dimblad, CIO of Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (AESM), Hong Kong
-
Mr Spyros Georgiou, Managing Director (APAC) at Navarino, Hong Kong
Maritime UK Awards 2020: Business of the Year Award
The University of Plymouth is sponsoring the Business of the Year Award as part of the Maritime UK Awards 2020.
Maritime businesses support just under a million jobs and contribute £46.1 billion to the UK economy, while they specifically support 108,500 jobs and contribute £3.8 billion to our local economy. The University hopes to achieve local, national and global impact through recognition of the maritime business sector and its contribution to further boost our economy and society. This will be accomplished by engaging with the sector in various research projects to make UK maritime businesses more competitive in an already highly competitive global environment.
Cyber Risk in the Ports and Maritime Sector
Brian Sullivan from the Ports, Maritime & Waterways Forum chaired a recent Webinar for an important and emerging topic -- cyber security and risk management for the maritime transport and ports sector. As the sector continues to increasingly digitalise its operations, cyber-attacks and their risk mitigation are attracting attention.
The Maritime sector in the last few years has suffered serious cyber-attacks. One of most famous was in 2017 the NotPetya attack on Maersk that cost approximately $300 million. Since then several shipping and port companies have experienced cyber-attacks with the most recent at CMA/CGM and MSC. We still do not know the actual cost of those attacks but British Airways has recently been asked to pay a reduced fine (due to COVID-19) of £20 million for recent data breaches.
Stavros Karamperidis from the University’s Department of International Shipping, Logistics and Operations (also Chairman of Devon and Cornwall CILT group and Member of the Ports, Maritime & Waterways Forum) started the presentations with an overview of the cyber threats that ports and maritime transport sectors face and how these have developed. He also demonstrated the need for ports and maritime transport to adopt the right risk assessment and mitigation strategies. He reminded attendees that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which itself has been the subject of a very recent cyber-attack has the requirement for cyber security to be addressed in safety management systems by January 2021.
Matthew Wilmshurst Senior Associate at law firm Holman Fenwick Willan reviewed the exposures and legal position of ports and other transport operators. He stressed the importance of contracts and good contract management and that contracts should be reviewed as when originally drafted and agreed most would not have given consideration to cyber risks.
Brian Warszona, Europe Cyber Growth Leader at Marsh insurance brokers highlighted the risks, the type and increasing frequency of losses that the insurance market is seeing related to cyber-attack in shipping and ports sectors. He also stressed the importance of companies carrying out regular risk assessments and risk reviews with their insurance brokers to ensure that the insurance purchased remains fit for purpose.
The session closed with a lively Q&A session and dialogue between the speakers and the webinar attendees. One of the main takeaways from the session is that ports and maritime transport sectors need to take action as soon as possible, as cyber-criminals have identified the lack of knowledge and preparedness against cyber-attacks in the sector so they are exploring how future attacks could be made. In addition, ports and maritime transport sector should prepare for a cyber-attack, as it is only a matter of time before most companies operating in that sector will become cyber victims if they take no action. Preparation is key.
We would also like to thank Erin Meehan, from CILT, for arranging and ensuring the smooth running of this successful event.
Brian Sullivan and Dr Stavros KaramperidisPorts, Maritime and Waterways Forum
"This event demonstrates our strong industry links on topical issues such as the reduction of shipping emissions." – Dr Karamperidis
Reducing Maritime Emissions: The Vital Role Played by Hull Cleaning Technology
On 25 November 2020, the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics (CILT), Plymouth Business School and the MSc International Logistics and Shipping programmes welcomed our visiting speaker Mr Thanos Kapralos, Commercial and Marine Director at Sea Circle. Established in 2017, Sea Circle is a service provider that covers 250 ports from offices in London and Athens.
More than 40 participants, students of our Masters programmes and industry experts attended the event, which was hosted by Dr Stavros Karamperidis. Hull cleaning is a topic that rarely takes the limelight, yet it has a huge impact on fuel consumption as it can significantly reduce a vessel's emissions. Its relevance is demonstrated by the focus and financial support of the UK government and EU.
New technologies for the new normal: three perspectives on a changing maritime sector
On 18 June 2020, we hosted a series of remote learning webinars aimed at students studying maritime-related courses. A thread of the impact of Covid-19 on the maritime industry has extended throughout our webinars. In this session, we looked at technology as a theme and the role it may play in the ‘new normal’.
A great line of speakers shared their knowledge in this 60 minute session, which was followed by an engaging round of Q&A.
This event was organised by Maritime UK, Clarksons and Royal HaskoningDHV, illustrating the strong links between University of Plymouth academics and industry leaders, ensuring that our students have access to the most current knowledge from both parties.
Register to watch the event On Demand
Speakers:
- Stavros Karamperidis, University of Plymouth
- Miriam Goldby, Queen Mary University of London
- Kevin Martin, Royal HaskoningDHV
Guest lecture from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
On 7 February 2020 a joint meeting was held between the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and maritime business and logistics students of Plymouth Business School to discuss ‘How LNG Shipping is meeting the challenge for a low carbon world’.
Manos Panou, Commercial Manager, LNG Projects and Chartering, NYK Group and Philip Tripodakis, LNG Shipbroker, Simpson, Spence Young Ltd addressed members of CILT, students and staff on how Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) is shipped by specialist vessels to support industry and consumers around the world.
The discussion ended with a lively Q&A session looking at the commercial and environmental impact of boil-off, the pricing mechanisms used to price vessel charters and the commission taken by ship brokers upon successfully closing a deal, or in the industry jargo, 'fixing a ship'.
Financing decarbonisation of the freight transport sector
Programme Leader Dr Stavros Karamperidis moderated a panel at the “Financing decarbonisation of the freight transport sector” event, organised by the Decarbonising UK Freight Transport EPSRC funded project in London. Stavros moderated the panel “Identifying the key stakeholders that need to ‘buy in’ to the evidence to move forwards” which included panel members Duncan Buchanan, Tim Morris, Aoife O'Leary, Jos Standerwick and more than 100 industry experts who participated in a fruitful discussion for a vital topic regarding our environment.
Guest lecture
Supply Chain Risk Management with Professor John Manners-Bell
We had a dynamic start for 2020 in South West Region of CILT. Our first event for 2020 took place at the University of Plymouth on the 23 January 2020. The event was co-hosted by Plymouth Business School, CILT and CIPS. Professor John Manners-Bell Chief Executive of Ti Insight, was invited to deliver a guest lecture on ‘Supply Chain Risk Management’. The event was well attended by more than 100 delegates ranging from Head of Supply Chains to undergraduate and post-grad logistics students.
The event introduced by Dr Stavros Karamperidis (Chair of CILT Devon and Cornwall Group and Programme manager of MSc International Logistics and Shipping programmes) welcoming all the attendees and Professor Manners-Bell. Professor Manners-Bell discussed current issues related to supply chain risk management. He illustrated the risks that supply chains had faced when clinical virus outbreaks had taken place, for example the swine flu. Based on that example he elaborated how the current Coronavirus might affect supply chains and the associated risks. He also demonstrated the concept of “known of the unknown” and provided tips that could accelerate how the supply chain can become more agile under the current business and trade environments. The presentation generated a large number of questions. The event finished with a lively discussion between the attendees and Professor Manners-Bell.
The future of maritime education
The University of Plymouth in conjunction with Maritime UK as part of the ‘40 years of MSc International Shipping’ celebration hosted an event which was part of the prestigious London International Shipping Week. The event ‘The future of Maritime Education’ included discussions with a panel of leading maritime figures:
- Richard Clayton, Chief correspondent, Lloyd’s List
- Cara Carter, Operations and QA Director, Halcyon Recruitment
- Syamantak Bhattacharya, Dean of Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering
- Ross McKissock, London Container Terminal Asset Manager, Port of Tilbury
- Katharina Stanzel, Managing Director, Intertanko
Dr Stavros Karamperidis hosted and chaired the event which generated a lively discussion among the participants and the panel. Dr Karamperidis also had the opportunity to demonstrate the maritime business teaching and research at Plymouth Business School, promoting our long maritime heritage and catching up with various industry leading graduates.
During the event Dr Karamperidis presented the best masters student projects selected by industry experts for the best UK Maritime Masters dissertation. Georgios Koligiannis and Andres Tsestidis represented the University of Plymouth.
