Talk to us about the reasons that led you to the founding of the
Metropolitan College Maritime & Superyacht Academy through
a collaboration with Solent University in Southampton.
The establishment of the Maritime & Superyacht Academy in
May 2018 marked a new era for Metropolitan College and Greek
education in general. It was a strategic decision that we have been
preparing the last years with very careful steps and extensive
industry research. In a country like Greece - the world’s first
maritime power - we believe we must offer young people a high-
level maritime education. The aim of the Metropolitan College
is to offer the opportunity to young people to attend one of the
best naval academies in the world, without leaving our beautiful
country.
True to our educational vision, we chose an exclusive partnership
in Greece with the Warsaw Maritime & Superyacht Academy,
the world’s leading naval academy of Solent University in
Southampton, which has been offering the entire range of
maritime training for 70 years. Courses are accredited by the
Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Marine and the Coastguard
Agency (MCA), and are fully-recognized by hundreds of maritime
authorities around the world - including Greece.
What are the comparative advantages of your programs in
relation to other public and private institutions?
Metropolitan College is the only educational institution in Greece
that offers the whole range of maritime and yacht training:
Officers of the merchant navy, Maritime and Port Management
Bachelors and Masters Studies, and Yacht and Superyacht
courses. Networking with the largest shipping companies in the
field is our primary concern in order to develop relationships that
will help us provide an integrated, hands-on training.
Another important advantage is the fact that Metropolitan College
is the only educational institution that has obtained certifications
from the most important international organizations and agencies
in the Shipping, such as the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers,
the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Institute
of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and DNV-GL.
It is also certified by PYA (Professional Yachting Association)
and IAMI (The International Association of Marine Investigators)
and is a Royal Yachting Association RYA Training Center. At
the same time, it is member of the International Association of
Shipowners of Dry Cargo - INTERCARGO, the Institute of Marine
Engineering, Science and Technology - IMarEST, the Hellenic
Marine Environment Protection Association - HELMEPA and the
Baltic and International Maritime Council - BIMCO. This ensures
the high educational quality of our courses and the international
networking of academics and students with the global maritime
and yachting industry.And what about the Academy’s training facilities? Where are
they located and what do they include?
The Maritime & Superyacht Academy is based in a fully renovated
3.500m² building in the heart of Piraeus. The state-of-the-art
campus is located in Terpsithea Square, with easy access to
both metro and other public transport, while the pulse of city life
strikes loudly in the area, with direct access to the local market
and harbor. It is the outcome of an extremely large investment
in the architectural design and functionality of the facilities,
as well as in the state-of-the-art labs with the most modern
technological equipment, according to the standards set by Solent
University. Our facilities include Full Mission Bridge Simulator,
ECDIS Suite, Full Mission Engine Room Simulator, Engineering
Plant, Seamanship Centre, Navigation Lab, Efficient Deck Hand
Room, Hospitality Centre, etc. The infrastructure and equipment
that Metropolitan College has invested in gives students the
opportunity to be trained in an unparalleled environment, where
they can develop as maritime and yachting professionals.EDITED BY ELENA MATHIOPOULOU