Seaways December 2023
November was a very busy month for so many of our membership as we marked Remembrance Day in many countries...
Captain John Lloyd FNI Chief Executive
Working together to shape the future
These services gave us a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many in both the armed services and the merchant services during times of conflict. Our mariners and their families are profoundly affected during these times. We thank them for their service and mark their passing with dignity and respect. We also note the massive impact on civilians through the armed conflicts in several areas of the world at present. I extend my hope that those with influence can bring about peaceful resolution to these areas as swiftly as possible.
What makes a leader?
Such actions require great leadership and in the maritime community we often reflect on what makes a good leader. It was my pleasure to host a Webinar recently on the subject of ‘Kind Leadership,’ a paper and a discussion led by the Maritime Professional Council of the United Kingdom. The paper brings together key elements of leadership developed with empathy and support, which when well executed, can bring huge gains in positive attitude, safety and an all-round improvement in effective maritime operations. For those who were not able to join on the day there will be a recording available on our website.
Shaping the future
The Nautical Institute was pleased to lead the discussion about the future of simulation in maritime training at the end of November with our event co-hosted with the Singapore Maritime Academy. We encouraged dozens of recently qualified and soon-to-be-qualified deck and engineering Officers to share their experiences and concerns about the use of simulation. We were also keen to listen to their new ideas of how we can continue to evolve and improve the use of simulation in the training and assessment of the next generation of mariners. All this information will help inform our discussions at the IMO in the months ahead. Please see the article on p6 for information on the STCW review process, and how you can get involved in the discussion.
Community and engagement
On the subject of engagement, early December will see our first ever attempt to bring many of our senior governance post-holders together at the same time. Over the three-day period we will host the Finance and Audit Committee, Executive Board and Council at NI HQ as we discuss progress against the Strategic Plan and our priorities for the coming year. Hosting these important meetings on consecutive days will allow members of each group to mix with each other, share ideas and ensure they leave London with as much information as possible to help with the continued growth and influence of The Nautical Institute. This is a major commitment by our organisation to ensure communications and engagement are as direct and effective as possible and we look forward to the lessons we can learn from such a large gathering of members.
My thanks to all of our volunteers who give so generously of their time to support The Nautical Institute in so many ways. Whether supporting our branch events, Committees, Council or Technical Committees, you are central to our global contribution and have been key to the respect and position of influence that we have developed over the years. Thank you.
For many of our readers, December provides a very special month of celebration and so I would like to wish all of our readers a peaceful Christmas. With this, the final Seaways edition for 2023, the very best to all of you for the New Year and for 2024. Thank you for your support. This year we have grown in many areas. It is only thanks to the efforts of our members and supporters that we have been able to achieve this growth and have such a positive influence on our maritime community. I hope that, together, we can sustain this momentum into the years ahead.