Gujarat Maritime University to be setup in Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar: On the last day of budget session, the Gujarat Assembly today approved Gujarat Maritime University under Gujarat Private University Act, 2009.

The concept of setting up Gujarat Maritime University was originally conceived by then Chief Minister and present Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. In -principle approval for Maritime University was given in July 2014. Proposed university will be promoted by Gujarat Maritime Board(GMB) through GMB Education Trust.

According to V.C. and C.E.O Ajay Bhadu, while Indian Maritime University(IMU) is mainly focused at technical courses, proposed university’s focus will be on commercial matters. 88% courses at IMU are technical while 12% are commercial against which Gujarat Maritime Board will give more weightage to commercial courses which will address the global demand.

The university will come up at Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar. It will be a private university. It will have very much thrust on research. The main areas of functioning will include maritime trade, shipping, ports and logistics, shipping trade and finance, chartering etc. The university will also have programmes for professionals. The university will have affiliation with global maritime education institutes.

In the first phase of six years, the university will start School of Maritime Management, School of Maritime Law, Policy and Administration, Center for Continuing Education and Center of Executive Education. The university in the first phase will civer commercial aspects such as logistics, laws, maritime management, shipping industry, finance etc.

In the second phase, the university will start the School of Marine Technology, School of Liberal Arts and Social Science, Center for Faculty Development etc. The university will offer programmes on technical subjects such as marine engineering and nautical science which will be converted to liberal arts and social science.

The university as per an estimate will have 1,000 students at the end of the first phase and 5,000 students at the end of the second phase. In the first phase, the main thrust of university will be on post graduate programmes while in the second phase the weightage will be given to graduate courses.

The first phase will need Rs 270 crore fund. Initial fund will come from GMB. University will have a state-of-the-art green building campus. The total cost is likely to be around Rs 800 crore. The university campus will be around 100 acre in size. Search for land is going on. GUDA, AUDA and Collectors of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are approached for this purpose.

The university might have extension center in coastal area.

DeshGujarat