Deputy minister for shipping, Vasilis Demetriades officially presented the committee for the development of shipping culture and the promotion of shipping studies on Monday.

The 16-member committee is comprised of young shipping industry executive, who will act as guides to the ‘Dive Into Shipping Career Opportunities’, also known as the DISCO initiative.

Demetriades said that the initiative’s slogan will be ‘Let’s Disco’, which will have the Deputy Ministry, Cyprus Shipowners’ Association, the Cyprus Chamber of Shipping and the Cyprus Institute for the Sea and Shipping, as well as representatives of Wista Cyprus (Women of Cyprus Shipping) and Youngship Cyprus (youth of Cyprus Shipping) as partners.

The purpose of the committee is to coordinate all the actions of the groups that make up the shipping community in Cyprus.

The committee will also aim to jointly formulate proposals and recommendations to academic institutions and maritime academies, so that the study programmes they offer or any new ones they create, fully respond to the modern challenges and needs faced by shipping nationally and at a global level.

“We have created a steering group of 16 shipping executives, young executives active in the field, from different academic backgrounds, to highlight the multidimensional character of shipping,” he said.

Demetriades added that they all had a passion for the sector that they want to share with others, to create positive prospects for the country.

The 16 members of the committee will have all their contact details uploaded to the Deputy Ministry’s website, and the plan will include the committee members visiting secondary schools.