LATVIAN MARITIME ACADEMY
Department of Marine Transportation
Professional Study Program of
PORT MANAGEMENT
Self-assessment Report
Riga 2001
LMA, Department of Marine Transportation / Kronvalda boulv. 6Tel.: (+371) 7320479 / Riga, VDP, LV-1206
Fax: 7830138 / LATVIA
e-mail:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction 2
2. Goals and Tasks of the Study Programme 3
2.1 Main goals of Port and Shipping Management study programme: 3
2.2. Main tasks of Port and Shipping Management study programme: 3
3. Self-Assessment Report of the Study programme 4
3.1 Contents of the studies 4
3.2. Perspective assessment of the study programme 5
3.3. Study programme development plan 6
3.4. Quality Management System 6
3.5. Financial provision for the study programme 7
3.6. Technical provision for the study programme 8
3.7. Control of students’ progress 9
3.8. System of knowledge evaluation 9
3.9. Assessment of scientific research 10
3.10 Co-operation in training of port management specialists 11
3.11 Comparison of the study programme with study programmes of higher educational institutions of other countries 11
3.12 Analyses of the academic personnel 12
3.13 Summary 13
Annexes 14
Annex 1 CURRICULUM Port management Admission of 1995 14
Annex 2 CURRICULUM Port management Admission of 1999 15
Annex 3 A list of methodical and scientific works of DMT academic personnel involved in Port and Shipping management speciality 16
I. Review of study subjects descriptions in Port and Shipping management speciality 1996-2001. 16
II. Review methodical work in Port and Shipping management speciality 1996-2001. 18
III. Review on scientific work of study subjects in Port and Shipping management speciality 1996-2001. 18
Annex4 Provision of Port Management profesional higher education programme with academic personnel Curriculum 1995 19
Annex 5 Provision of Port Management profesional higher education programme with academic personnel Curriculum 1999 20
1. Introduction
Nowadays 3 big and 7 small ports operate on the coast of Latvia. At present more than 65 companies are involved in marine transportation business in Latvia. These companies need specialists able to organise and carry out planning and management of marine transportation, as well as solve other issues related to transportation. Therefore in the year of 1995, taking as a basis the resolution of the meeting of the Board of Ports of Latvia of October 10, 1995 “On shipping specialists’ training programme”, Latvian Maritime Academy worked out and implemented the study programme “Port and Shipping management”, having co-ordinated it with the concerned institutions in Latvia (Riga Port, Free Port of Ventspils, Liepaya SEZ and others) as well as with potential partners in Great Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
While elaborating and co-ordinating this study programme the following basic principles were taken into account:
· labour market in Latvia in this sector and requirements of employers to the future specialists;
· possibilities of partners in elaboration of an integrated programme.
Training within this programme has certain peculiarities:
· duration of studies is 4,5 years;
· studies abroad are integrated into the programme (1 year within the programme of 4,5 years);
· relatively large amount of practice at sea, in ports or port-related companies (50 CP).
2. Goals and Tasks of the Study Programme
2.1 Main goals of Port and Shipping Management study programme:
· To secure the level of theoretical education and practical training of Port managers according to the requirements Law on Education LR, Laws on Higher Educational Institutions and on Professional Education in LR,
· To secure the level of practical training in compliance with the latest tendencies in port management.
2.2. Main tasks of Port and Shipping Management study programme:
· To secure implementation of education concept in training of ship managers,
· to teach students to permanently broaden and improve their professional knowledge and skills in issues related to the profession acquired.
Achievement of goals and fulfilment of tasks of the study programme are based on:
· compliance of the professional education concept with the norms, accepted in LR and in the whole world;
· compliance of goals and tasks of the study programme with the international standards in port management,
· compliance of the study programme with the study programmes of European Union (EU) in which similar training goals and tasks are included,
· compliance of technical and methodical provision of studies with the modern requirements,
· compliance of professional and pedagogical level of the teaching staff and specialists with criteria, ensuring effective realisation of the study programme,
· real compliance of the study process with the goals and tasks set in the programme.
It is envisaged, that as a result knowledge and skills are acquired which are necessary not only for successful fulfilment of duties in one’s job, but also for future studies in Master’s Course.
3. Self-Assessment Report of the Study programme
3.1 Contents of the studies
Contents of the studies is worked out according to the set tasks and goals un fully complies with the Law on Higher Educational Institutions LR, as well as with the normative acts as regards higher education accepted in the state.
As to its structure the study programme is unique since it includes one year of studies (40 CP) in one of Higher Educational Institutions of EU the aims and tasks of which are adequate to those declared within this programme.
The following educational institutions were chosen as partner-institutions:
· Wales University (Great Britain);
· International Marine Transport Academy (The Netherlands);
· Business High School (Belgium).
The contents of the curriculum of 1995 enrolment are constituted by the following groups, characterising training (Table 3.1.)
Table 3.1.
No. / Study groups / Credit Points (CP) / % of the total amount1. / Humanitarian / 27,5 / 13,1
2. / Natural Sciences / 22,5 / 10,7
3. / Special / 60,0 / 28,5
4. / Studies abroad / 40,0 / 19,0
5. / Practice / 50,0 / 23.8
6. / Diploma work / 10,0 / 4,9
Total / 210 / 100,0
Humanitarian and natural sciences subjects are combined into one block of academic subjects with the amount of 19,0% (40 CP) from the total amount of the study programme (Annex No.1).
Acquisition of humanitarian subjects is planned mainly during the first six semesters.
Acquisition of natural sciences subjects is planned mainly during the 1-3 semesters.
Contents of the studies gives graduates of this programme the opportunity to study in Masters’ Course of the corresponding speciality in higher educational institutions both in Latvia and abroad.
According to the previous experience graduates are successful in finding corresponding jobs in the labour market of Latvia. The number of graduates in 1999-2000 and their jobs are shown in Table.3.2.
Table 3.2.
Year ofgraduation / Number of
graduates / Working places
Ports / Companies / State
Institutions / Masters Course
1999 / 17 / 8 / 6 / 2 / 1*
2000 / 9 / 3 / 6 / - / -
*The graduate has graduated Masters Course in Antwerp University (Belgium) in 2000.
Contents of the studies envisage elaboration and defence of diploma work. The procedure of diploma work elaboration and defence corresponds to the Studies Quality manual (SQM) worked out in LMA.
Themes of diploma work are directly connected with urgent issues of ports or port-related companies. Separate themes are worked out according to direct orders of ports or companies’ management.
Diploma works are defended in open meetings. At the head of qualification committee usually is one of the managers of big ports of Latvia. The President of Latvian Association of Small Ports and representatives of a higher maritime educational institution from abroad always participate as members in the committee.
Self-Assessment of studies contents
The study programme is elaborated taking as a basis the demand of labour market in Latvia and is legally ensured by Protocol No. 17 of the meeting of the Board of Ports of Latvia of 1995 “On shipping specialists’ training programme”.
The principle of study programme’s management is permanent improvement since at present the principle of management has not yet been introduced.
Students’ Assessment of studies contents
“Port and Shipping management” study programme is positively assessed by the students. All the students of this programme are satisfied with the contents and the programme as a whole. In specific cases students suggest to include or exclude from the programme this or that subject or to reduce the academic block of the programme, increasing at the same time the block of special subjects. In curricula of 1999 several of students proposals were realised.
Employers’ Assessment of studies contents
The results of questionnaire is on the whole positive, some proposals of the employers as regards the curriculum of 1995 were included into the curriculum of 1999.
3.2. Perspective assessment of the study programme
In the research under the guidance of Ministry of Transport LR “The National Programme of Transport development 1995-2010” (1995) were grounded the main requirements concerning maritime education as a whole and specifically as regards training of specialists related to the transit through ports. Results of this research demonstrate, that up to the year of 2005 the economics of Latvia will need about 50-60 graduates of this study programme. This prognosis is confirmed also by the real situation in labour market as well. The prognosis of specialist training in the study programme “Port management” for the years of 1995-2005 is shown in the Table 3.3.
Table 3.3.
Year / 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005Factual or planned
number of students / 17 / 9 / 12 / 3 / 12 / 3 / 13
3.3. Study programme development plan
Study programme development and optimisation is organised within the framework of LMA QMS. The main tasks and goals of this process are:
· competitiveness improvement of graduates of this study programme in the labour market of Latvia,
· observation of LR legislation requirements in the sector of higher education,
· observation of EU countries’ experience in training of port management specialists of highest qualification.
For realisation of these goals and tasks during the period 1996-2000 the following measures were carried out:
· by 4,0 CP was increased the block of practical training,
· the following new subjects were introduced:
-port and terminal operations 2 CP
-basic ship crewing 1 CP
-economics and legislation of Latvian ports 1 CP.
· curricula have been revised in order to exclude duplication.
Comparison of curricula of 1995 and 1999 is given in the table 3.4.
Table 3.4.
Academic block / Special block / Practice / Studies abroad / TotalCP / CP / CP / CP / CP
1995 / 51 / 73 / 46 / 40 / 210
1999 / 50 / 70 / 50 / 40 / 210
Excerpts from the mentioned curricula are attached to the report (Annex No.1 and 2).
To achieve competitiveness of the qualified employee in Europe’s labour market, with the help of specialists from the Netherlands the study programme Port and Shipping management was audited in 2000/2001 and proposals of auditors from abroad as regards improvement of the programme are at present being comprehensively assessed in Department of Marine Transportation (DMT) (See some Findings during investigation period Riga, 2001).
3.4. Quality Management System
DMT is responsible for ensuring of studies quality, its management and control within the department.
Rector’s office is responsible for improvement of QMS, its implementation control and compliance with the international criteria in LMA. As the functions of the mentioned institutions are similar to the common goals, studies quality assurance is carried out in co-ordination.
Systematic assessment of quality is carried out in DMT within the framework of QMS. Such an assessment is based on:
· regular control of students progress in studies;
· control of progress as envisaged by the curriculum;
· reports and recommendations of quality system committees (with students participating in the work of committees).
Professionalism of the academic staff is permanently placed within the range of attention of the department management. At each meeting of the department are discussed issues on methodical methods, didactic principles in teaching special subjects etc.
When the academic personnel improves its overall experience in main teaching subjects the following issues are taken into account:
· planning and organisation of the process of studies;
· technical and methodical provision for the process of studies;
· problems of teaching students and ways of their solving.
At the same time it should be mentioned that as regards the study programme “Port and Shipping management” at present QMS has not been fully elaborated. The plan of elaboration and implementation of quality management is shown in Table 3.5.
Table 3.5.
Plan of quality management principles elaboration and implementation:
Principles / Procedure / ImplementationCommencement / Completion
of implementation
Audit / Keeping documentation / Spring semester
2001 / Spring semester
2001
Control of study process
quality / Spring semester
2001 / Spring semester
2001
Implementation of
Quality Manual / Quality Manual / Spring semester
2001 / Autumn semester
2001
Implementation of
Quality
Management principles / Quality of teaching;
updating qualification of
academic personnel / Spring semester
2001 / Spring semester
2002
Control of final
results / Standard of professional education / Spring semester
2001 / Spring semester
2002
3.5. Financial provision for the study programme
The study programme during the period of its existence has been provided for from different sources.
Starting with 1995 in addition to the envisaged means from the budget the study programme was supported with the financial means of Port Development Fund (PDF) in the following amounts (Table 3.6.)
Table 3.6.
Year / 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000PDF support / 16933 / 20110 / 25260 / 23360 / 11000
Starting with 2001 no additional financing has been allocated and at the present moment the study programme is being financed only from the personal means of students (1713 LVL per academic year).
Studies abroad (7th and 8th semesters) are paid by sponsors (employers) or from personal means of students (6-10 thousand USD per academic year).