MONROVIA – The Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Emma C. M. Glassco, has been recognized by her alma mater, the World Maritime University, for her enormous contributions towards the development of the fisheries and maritime sector.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
She was recognized along with several other alumnus making strides in their respective countries in the maritime industry. They include the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim, a 1991 alumnus of the University, Dwight CR Gardiner Obe, Commissioner, Antigua & Barbuda Port Authority; Yusuke Mori, Deputy Executive Director, International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), Japan; Mitzie Silva-Campo, Commodore, Philippine Coast Guard; Gopikrisna Chockalingam, Engineer & Ship Surveyor cum Deputy Director General of Shipping (Tech) at Directorate General of Shipping, India, among others.
The University counts more than 5,900 graduates. The average age of a WMU student is 33 at enrolment, while 75% have been promoted to a more senior position by the end of the year after graduation. The proportion of female students has risen from 3% in 1983 to 34% in 2022. These are unequivocally good statistics; however they do not give an insight into the lives of our graduates.
WMU Voices has a special purpose: it is the University’s way of opening a window into the world of our alumni and to allow them to tell their own stories in their own voices. A number of graduates have been invited to describe how their studies at WMU have impacted their lives, work and careers. Some are young, recent graduates. Others are mature professionals, with decades of knowledge and experience. Together, they offer a kaleidoscopic picture of the alumni from WMU’s first 40 years and their own contributions to the maritime and oceans community.
Madam Glassco is a 2017 graduate of the University with a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs, specializing in Ocean Sustainability, Governance & Management.
According to her, she was aware of WMU and its reputation for producing quality graduates in the maritime sector which attracted her to apply and build capacity for herself and her country.
“I’m a great beneficiary of the WMU today because of the wealth of experience, both in terms of technical knowledge and practical knowledge. The programme is so unique in that WMU offers both the theoretical and the practical elements, unlike other universities. With WMU you have practical experts and visit many field sites and gain a wealth of experiences outside the classroom. As a student, you cannot affect policy, not yet, but you can build networks,” she told the Voices of UMU.
She added, “I was elected as the president of the WMU Women’s Association and it allowed us to strengthen our ties and build international and regional networks during and after we left the walls of the university. Women play a critical role in the decision making process in the maritime sector, and this helped us build connections and promote visibility. Today I work using skills I learned at WMU, diplomacy and negotiation. They helped me gain a strong understanding of the sector and I use that to create policy for my country. It has benefitted me a whole lot.”
According to her, this recognition is a demonstration of Liberia’s visibility in the fisheries and maritime industry which she said she and her team have been working tirelessly to ensure that it competes with other leading industries around the world.
