Indonesia Needs to Have Maritime University

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The government needs to immediately open a Maritime University to support President Joko Widodo's vision of making the country a world maritime axis, a former ambassador said.

"Opening a Maritime University has to be considered immediately as geographically and geo economically Indonesia is very much possible to be a world's maritime axis,"Aiyub Mohsin, former Indonesian ambassador to Vietnam told reporters here on Wednesday.

Jokowi as the country's president is better known has spoken about his vision of maritime development in international  and regional forums,  and a number of countries have indicated interest  and offered assistance.

Aiyub said one main component to bring to reality the idea of making Indonesia a world's maritime axis is  the availability of human resource skilled in maritime technology.

Skilled human resource must also need to have maritime mental attitude  and orientation, he said.

He cited Vietnam already has a Maritime University to turn out  experts in maritime  sector , and  currently that country has become one of major producers of fishery products in the world.

In 2012 , Vietnam which has a coastal line of only 3,260 kilometers  and sea territory of around 1  million sq. kilometers  could export US$6.8 billion worth of fishes and US$2.5 billion worth of shrimps to various countries, he said.

Vietnam already has trained people in maritime technology  to exploit its coast and sea wealth for the welfare of its people, he said, adding the experts were graduates of a state run Maritime University .

Aiyub Mohsin said it is time for Indonesia to follow the lead by Vietnam  by uniting educational institutes that have maritime branch of learning  both academies  and university faculties  and  post graduate institute into one integrated institute of Indonesian Maritime University.

The university  would need to have at least five faculties -- Shipping Technical Faculty, Marine Technology Faculty, Fishery Technical Faculty, Maritime Business and Law Faculty  and Building Technical Faculty that would provide education in ship and port construction.  

Aiyub said Indonesia has potential and abundant sea riches  yet untapped .

Since the International Sea Law came into effetc  by the United Nations  on May 16, 1994 , Indonesia has 3.2 million sq. kilometers of sea territory  and 2.9 million sq. kilometers of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that the country has a fishing ground of 6.1 million sq. kilometers , he said. (WDY)