Semester At Sea

[proud_ionian]

June 11: The Institute for Shipboard Education and the University of Pittsburgh reached an agreement under which the University will continue to certify academic credit for participation in Semester at Sea until the spring 2006 semester. This agreement will mean that all upcoming voyages will continue as scheduled. A statement on their website reagarding recent news reports, it stated:

"The MV EXPLORER is our current floating campus for Semester at Sea. ISE acquired this vessel in June of 2004 to replace the 48 year-old S.S. Universe Explorer. While the S.S. Universe Explorer served Semester at Sea well since 1996, it was reaching the end of its useful life and has since been sold for scrap. The MV Explorer was built in 2002 by Blohm and Voss (www.blohmvoss.com), a well respected German shipbuilding company. It is equipped with the latest technology related to navigation, fire safety, speed and many other attributes, which make it an exceptional vessel for shipboard education. The vessel is currently managed by V.Ships (www.vships.com), one of the largest and widely recognized fleet management companies in the world. The technical quality and safety specifications of the MV Explorer are certified by Germanischer Lloyd (www.gl-group.com), an independent and impartial classification society established in 1867. Additionally, the ship is subject to regular, required inspections by the U.S. Coast Guard and its flag state authority".

"This past January, the MV EXPLORER encountered severe weather in the North Pacific Ocean during our spring 2005 semester. The ship was damaged when a wave impacted the navigational bridge, breaking a window and causing disruption to the ship's navigational equipment. Due to the damage that was sustained and the on-going severity of the weather, the MV EXPLORER diverted to Hawaii for repairs. Upon completion of repairs and required inspections and certifications, the program continued successfully on its around the world voyage".

www.maritimematters.com

[proud_ionian]

In light of this incident, ISE retained the services of Det Norske Veritas (www.dnv.com), a renowned Norwegian company with an impeccable reputation in the shipping industry, to inspect the ship and conduct a full evaluation of the circumstances around the incident. In their final assessment, DNV reported that the MV EXPLORER, "in light of the severity of the weather it encountered, performed better than any ship of her class." Based on their recommendations, modifications have been made to the ship that include, among others, reinforcement of the metal framing and windows on the navigational bridge. The improvements further enhance the MV Explorer's seaworthiness and suitability as our shipboard campus for many years to come".

Safety also plays an integral part in the planning of our itineraries and the in-country experiential field programs that we offer. Our decision to visit any country is based on a comprehensive risk analysis that includes regular consultation with the U.S. State Department and their regional security officers. We also rely on the risk assessment services of iJET (www.ijet.com), a well established global risk management consulting firm, as well as information from local agents with whom we have long-standing relationships. Based on current information from these sources, we are prepared at any time to alter our itinerary if the need arises".

Semester at Sea will look to establish a relationship with a new academic partner.