Interview with Prof. Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Windeck

Professor Windeck, the maritime centre of excellence on the Weserschiene is a new, but already very prominent institution of professional qualification for young people. You are expanding constantly and adding to the range of courses and programmes, not only for the young people in our region, but also for those from all over the world. What strategic aims are you pursuing in this respect?

The Maritime Campus Elsfleth has been accomplished through the joint planning and financial commitment of the city of Elsfleth, the administrative district of Wesermarsch, the state of Lower Saxony, the federal government, the European Union and maritime companies to a volume so far of around euro 18 million. Its strategic aim is to concentrate vocational training, maritime studies at university level and applied maritime research in one place for the benefit of our common region, JadeBay.

What are the educational focal points? Do not only JadeWeserPort, but also other economic developmental expectations already influence the future range offered by your centre of excellence?

The maritime vocational college, which as a "maritime centre of excellence" is part of the BBS Wesermarsch – the vocational colleges of Wesermarsch – is currently offering a training course to become a ship mechanic. A vocational training course in "port logistics" is being planned for next year, as well as a dual course of studies in nautical science in cooperation between the Faculty of Maritime Shipping and the BBS. The range of studies at the Faculty of Maritime Shipping at Jade UAS – this is our new name – which with around 700 students is the largest maritime university in West Europe, includes bachelor studies in nautical science, maritime traffic and port management and international transport management. Since the beginning of the winter semester we are also offering a master’s course in maritime management. The third component of the maritime campus is the Centre of Applied Maritime Research. This has developed from the private-public partnership between the private investor Beluga Shipping, under the management of the shipping company owner from Bremen, Niels Stolberg, and the state of Lower Saxony. Practical research projects in maritime environmental protection, maritime computer science and maritime logistics are being conducted here in cooperation with numerous maritime companies and institutions. In addition, two other investment projects amounting to around euro 10 million are being planned on the maritime campus for next year for offshore wind energy technology.

Are you a lone warrior with this highly specialized range of courses or do cooperative alliances/partnerships exist? Would such a thing be possible for you?

Although the range of studies I just presented is almost unique here in Germany and attracts students from all over the Federal Republic and from abroad, even from as far away as China, we are also a member of the International Association of Maritime Universities and maintain active cooperative alliances with over 20 universities in Europe, Asia, USA, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

Moreover, we have a number of close contacts with maritime companies and institutions, which is particularly important for our students’ practical semester. So you see, we are both unique and strongly networked.

JadeWeserPort is drawing international attention to the region. Do you regard yourself as a partner who, in combination with others in the region, could be active in terms of our new, future internationalization. Together with us, for example?

Our graduates work both in Germany and abroad in management positions in shipping companies, port operating companies and transport companies. In this respect we view ourselves as a natural partner of JadeWeserPort, particularly considering the international aspects. This also applies most certainly to the cooperation with JadeBay, which we consider very important for our region.

What are you looking for in the economy and in other potential partners in the JadeBay region, and what are particularly urgent spheres of activity that, in your view, require work?

I am firmly convinced that, as a country with few resources, it is extremely important for Germany to develop its human capital in an optimum way. This corresponds with our task as a university institute and we invite the collective maritime economy – including the small and medium-sized businesses – to accompany us on this path. That means we want to be challenged to further develop our efficiency and performance in teaching and in applied research and make such available, and this in close coordination with private sector partners.