From April 8th to 10th, the 21st Executive Committee Meeting of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) was held at the Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET) in India. Secretary-General Takeshi Nakazawa of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), President Violeta Ciucur of Constanta Maritime University (Romania), Vice President Daniel Moon of World Maritime University, Vice President Janet Waldron of Maine Maritime Academy (USA), Vice President G. Thiruvasagam of the Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET, India), Director Stephen Hurd of the Maritime Training Center at Australian Maritime College, Dean Srđan Vujičić of the Faculty of Maritime Studies at University of Dubrovnik (Croatia), Dean Christian Matthews of the School of Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University (UK), and Dean Rino Bošnjak of the Faculty of Maritime Studies at University of Split (Croatia), among others, participated in the meeting as members or representatives of the Executive Committee. Shan Hongjun, President of DMU, presided over the meeting as the Chairman of the IAMU.

The current Executive Committee reviewed work reports from the Policy and Planning Sub-Committee, Academic Sub-Committee, Financial Sub-Committee, and Liaison Sub-Committee, deliberated on the annual plans of seven working groups, voted on the approval and closure of relevant research projects, and received a presentation from the Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET University, India), the host of the 2025 IAMU Annual Conference, on the progress of conference preparations.

Notably, Associate Professor Li Quan from College of Navigation successfully secured approval for the 2025 Organizational Development Project titled “NF-IAMU GMP Fellowship Programme Renewal”, marking the second consecutive year that DMU has been granted such a project. Additionally, the 2024 Organizational Development Project led by Associate Professor Wang Huanxin of the College of Navigation was officially concluded.

The meeting also resolved that our university will appoint experts to conduct an on-site evaluation of Jakarta Maritime Academy (Indonesia) regarding its application for the IAMU membership. Furthermore, Associate Professor Zhao Zhiwei from the College of Transportation Engineering has been designated to represent IAMU at the 2025 Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) Meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

On April 11th, all members of the Executive Committee were invited to participate in the "International Conference on Maritime Sustainable Development" hosted by AMET in India. Before the conference, as the Chairman of the IAMU, Shan Hongjun reviewed the student parade of AMET, planted a tree on the new campus, and visited the teaching and research facilities of the university.

Shan Hongjun delivered a speech on behalf of the IAMU at the opening ceremony. He emphasized that achieving maritime sustainable development requires international cooperation in technological innovation and talent cultivation. As an international cooperation platform for globally renowned maritime institutions, the IAMU is willing to contribute to maritime sustainable development by promoting exchanges between teachers and students, scientific research cooperation, and knowledge sharing among member institutions.

The International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) was established in 1999. Currently, its members include 81 renowned maritime institutions from 42 countries and the Nippon Foundation of Japan. The association is committed to cultivating global maritime professionals, building an academic exchange platform for member institutions, and establishing cooperation with the International Maritime Organization and the maritime industry. It is the most influential maritime education and academic organization with the largest number of participating institutions so far.