Safe Bulkers Inc., listed on the New York Stock Exchange and led by Cypriot CEO Polys V. Hajioannou, has announced the launch of its 5th Annual Scholarship Programme for the academic year 2025–2026, as part of its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy.

The company said the initiative is designed to support Cypriot and Greek citizens settled in Cyprus who wish to pursue careers in the maritime industry. 

According to the announcement, ten scholarships worth €10,000 each will be awarded.  

The programme is open to students graduating from educational institutions in Cyprus (Lyceum) as well as those already attending universities in Greece, the United Kingdom and abroad. Awards will be based on both academic merit and financial need. 

The scholarships will cover undergraduate or postgraduate (Master) studies in fields directly connected to shipping and technology.  

These include naval architecture and marine engineering, mechanical or electrical engineering, electronic, computer or automation engineering; computer science, cyber security, artificial intelligence and data science analytics, shipping law, and MSc programmes in shipping trade and finance. 

Applicants must also meet minimum academic requirements.  

For high school graduates, a certificate of acceptance from a relevant university is required, together with a high school leaving certificate of at least 18 out of 20, or A-levels in mathematics or physics with a minimum grade of B.  

UK students must maintain a yearly average grade above 60 per cent or hold a 2.1 classification. Greek polytechnic students must achieve an annual average grade of at least 6.5.  

Candidates applying for UK Master’s degrees (MSc) must have either a Greek polytechnic degree with a grade of 7.5 or a UK university degree of 2.1. Students from other foreign universities must demonstrate a yearly average grade of “Very Good” or higher. 

In addition to academic criteria, social factors will also be taken into account, including family or marital status and family income. 

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than August 31, 2025, through the company’s dedicated portal safebulkers.com/scholarships25.  

Safe Bulkers noted that supporting documents and academic certificates may be provided before the start of the academic year if not available earlier, although final approval will only be granted once the full set of documents is received by the deadline. 

For inquiries or clarifications regarding the programme, interested candidates may contact the company at [email protected]. 

The new call follows last year’s award ceremony, held on October 22, 2024, at the company’s headquarters in Limassol.  

That event marked the fourth consecutive year of the scholarship scheme, with ten awards of €10,000 each granted to undergraduate and postgraduate students, four of them young women, based on academic merit and social criteria. 

Eight scholarships supported undergraduate studies at leading universities including the National Technical University of Athens, the University of Cambridge, Newcastle University, Eindhoven University of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  

Two further awards were granted for postgraduate programmes at the University of Southampton and the Technical University of Munich. 

The ceremony was attended by Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis, the representative of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, Zoe Polydorou, the Mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, and the Principal of Mitsis Commercial School, Lemithou, Athanasios Athanasiou. 

Speaking at the event, Hajioannou said the company was proud, for the fourth consecutive year, to award scholarships to ten outstanding young people for their academic excellence and hard work, actively supporting Cyprus’ young generation to pursue their career dreams in the maritime industry. 

He stressed that among these exceptional students, Safe Bulkers was particularly pleased to recognise four young women studying science, “promoting more gender balance and supporting women’s empowerment within our industry.” 

“These young people are the future of Cyprus shipping, and we are next to them,” he said.

He added that “the company strives to encourage and empower young people to consider a rewarding maritime career by nurturing a culture of shipping and informing them about the nature and benefits of maritime professions”.

Hajioannou concluded by saying that Safe Bulkers is dedicated to developing the next generation of maritime professionals in Cyprus, by creating “a larger pool of highly qualified young talents which is both a strategic priority and a competitive advantage to further attract international shipping business to Cyprus and expand the country’s maritime cluster.”