Today I would like to talk about the maritime symposium that I attended with my colleague a few weeks ago.The symposium was help by Centre for Maritime Research of Cardiff University and unfortunately we were able to attend only the second, closing day of it. But what a themes, what a gifted and passionate speakers!Of course it would be nice to see more people in the auditorium, but still, I must remember that maritime issues are a very specific subject that concerns a very specific group of researchers...
First two speakers bombarded us with the stats and figures. Such information is obviously very important, but sometimes is challenging to present: how do you make it easy and interesting to follow? I believe that the second speaker knew the answer to that.He talked about the numbers in maritime industry as if he was discribing exiting adventures of brave mythological heroes, he loved certainty and clarity of picture that statistics gave him, and surely forced us to love it too.His colourful graphs and charters projected on the big screen behind him helped us to visualise the subject really well. In the end of his speech he introduced the audience to the information regarding different attitude towards work related problems amongst different groups of seafarers;it was interesting to hear that Chinese seafarers seem to be the most outspoken ones. Could it be explained by their culture?
Luckily, the next presenter was a Chinese maritime researcher, who answered the question at least partially. He was describing seafarer's lives on the contemporary Chinese ships and touched slightly on how it was centuries ago. Sadly it was only a slight touch of history, that surely could lead to a fascinating revelations, but the ever present time was marching on and not many questions were allowed.
The final speaker was an extremely young sea captain. He was wearing his uniform with the gentle smile and very soft, despicable manners.Later I found out that interest in research, marine science and history forced him to abandon captain's career quite early and turn into a research student at Cardiff University. He was talking about crew's relationship with their superiors, and how sutisfying, or frustraiting seafarers find it.Unfortunately the latter word was heard much more often then the first one: the dialogue is clearly not always there and as our presentor's conversations with different seafarers demonstrated, some of them don't even think about approaching their captain in need, such a concept is alien to them. But that did not come as a surprise,-many of our callers contact as without talking to thgeir captain first, and sometimes when encouraged by Seafarer Help, they finally do so, their problem suddenly resolves itself.
Symposium prtesented me with the new, yet barely discovered branch of science,- Maritime Psychology. Apparently it has been proven that long life at sea changes human mind. In what way,is yet to be seen, but I certainly would like to hear more about it.
A very brief lunch afterwards triggered few informative conversations. I will never forget meeting few lovely people from Sea Health Denmark. They were enthusiastically describing their experience of working as maritime medics in their centre and while visiting ships. I am sure that their safety, nutrition and hygiene advise is quite significant to seafarers. Now I know who to call if health issue arises, and that is exactly the point of meeting ones colleagues from all over the world, that is the reason for sharing working experience.
But truly exiting moments are always so swift!And so, after final good-byes we had to return to the wet small station and catch our train to London, that would take us away from tiny towns with long, complicated names and sad looking Welsh dragons washed by untimely summer rain.
First two speakers bombarded us with the stats and figures. Such information is obviously very important, but sometimes is challenging to present: how do you make it easy and interesting to follow? I believe that the second speaker knew the answer to that.He talked about the numbers in maritime industry as if he was discribing exiting adventures of brave mythological heroes, he loved certainty and clarity of picture that statistics gave him, and surely forced us to love it too.His colourful graphs and charters projected on the big screen behind him helped us to visualise the subject really well. In the end of his speech he introduced the audience to the information regarding different attitude towards work related problems amongst different groups of seafarers;it was interesting to hear that Chinese seafarers seem to be the most outspoken ones. Could it be explained by their culture?
Luckily, the next presenter was a Chinese maritime researcher, who answered the question at least partially. He was describing seafarer's lives on the contemporary Chinese ships and touched slightly on how it was centuries ago. Sadly it was only a slight touch of history, that surely could lead to a fascinating revelations, but the ever present time was marching on and not many questions were allowed.
The final speaker was an extremely young sea captain. He was wearing his uniform with the gentle smile and very soft, despicable manners.Later I found out that interest in research, marine science and history forced him to abandon captain's career quite early and turn into a research student at Cardiff University. He was talking about crew's relationship with their superiors, and how sutisfying, or frustraiting seafarers find it.Unfortunately the latter word was heard much more often then the first one: the dialogue is clearly not always there and as our presentor's conversations with different seafarers demonstrated, some of them don't even think about approaching their captain in need, such a concept is alien to them. But that did not come as a surprise,-many of our callers contact as without talking to thgeir captain first, and sometimes when encouraged by Seafarer Help, they finally do so, their problem suddenly resolves itself.
Symposium prtesented me with the new, yet barely discovered branch of science,- Maritime Psychology. Apparently it has been proven that long life at sea changes human mind. In what way,is yet to be seen, but I certainly would like to hear more about it.
A very brief lunch afterwards triggered few informative conversations. I will never forget meeting few lovely people from Sea Health Denmark. They were enthusiastically describing their experience of working as maritime medics in their centre and while visiting ships. I am sure that their safety, nutrition and hygiene advise is quite significant to seafarers. Now I know who to call if health issue arises, and that is exactly the point of meeting ones colleagues from all over the world, that is the reason for sharing working experience.
But truly exiting moments are always so swift!And so, after final good-byes we had to return to the wet small station and catch our train to London, that would take us away from tiny towns with long, complicated names and sad looking Welsh dragons washed by untimely summer rain.
posted by Seafarerhelp at 6:31 PM
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