On December 12, the graduation ceremony of “China-Indonesia Maritime Technical Cooperation Competence Development for VTS Operators of Lombok Strait and Sunda Strait” program hosted by China MSA (Maritime Safety Administration of China) and co-organized by Shanghai MSA and SMU was held at Conference Room 128, Administrative Building of SMU. More than 40 people attended the ceremony, including 16 trainees from Indonesia Lombok Strait and Sunda Strait, Mr. Zhang Chongyang, Deputy Director General of Navigation Management Department of China MSA, Director Gu Ping from Training Center of Shanghai MSA, Mr. Yang Wanfeng, Vice President of SMU, heads from International Office and Continuing Education College, some trainees and teachers from Maritime System and volunteers.
Mr. Yang Wanfeng congratulated on the success of the program and thanked China MSA and Shanghai MSA for their support. He said the trainees from Indonesia were very diligent in theory study and earnest in cultural communication, which was very impressive; Program staff had input unremitting effort in ensuring the operation, starting from making teaching plans, to leading tours and organizing cultural exchange activities; Chinese trainees serving as liaisons, and volunteers consisting of SMU students and staff from maritime system undertaking tasks such as reception, accompanying tour, cultural exchanges and translation also contributed a lot to the program.
Mr. Zhang Chongyang on behalf of China MSA thanked Shanghai MSA and SMU and thought highly of the scientific planning and elaborate organizing of the program, hoping to deepen understanding and friendship between China and Indonesia and carry out more in-depth exchanges and cooperation so as to achieve win-win progress with this program as a start.
Mr. Yang Wanfeng and Mr. Zhang Chongyang jointly granted graduation certificates issued by China MSA to trainees.
Mr. Gu Ping presented souvenirs to trainees on behalf of Shanghai MSA.
Mr. Hu Zhiwu, Secretary of Continuing Education College, SMU, granted letter of appreciation to volunteers.
The two-week courses were developed in accordance with IALA Guidelines V103/1. Professors, masters and maritime officials proficient in VTS were selected from SMU and the maritime system as instructors and liaisons. Trainees were given courses about languages, traffic management, equipment, marine knowledge, communication cooperation, VHF telephone, professional qualities, emergency response, VTS simulator training, VTS operation, VTS application, etc. In addition, trainees had sidekick study and discussion in Wusong VTS Center and Yangshan VTS Center to integrate theoretical knowledge into practical operation.
According to Indonesian trainees, they had learned VTS knowledge systematically and in more depth, and further elevated their operation ability with the teaching of the experienced and professional instructors in this scientifically developed program.
“Competence Development for VTS Operators of Lombok Strait and Sunda Strait” program was financed by Dedicated Fund for Asia Regional Cooperation of China. Since capacity building and human resources development is becoming a new mode of cooperation in the maritime field, this program, as landmark cooperation between China and Indonesia and other ASEAN countries, has enriched the channels, content and modes of China-ASEAN cooperation.
