The new school was officially inaugurated 14 September. Chios has long supplied Greece with captains, engineers, sailors and shipowners, one of whom, Captain Panagiotis Tsakos, has set up the Maria Tsakos Foundation which is now funding Greece's first private professional lyceum for maritime education, the Tsakos Enhanced Education Nautical School (TEENS).
TEENS opened with an inaugural class of 20 students, and has a capacity to host up to 60 students in all three high school grades.
While offering the same opportunities to students as state professional lyceums for graduating to Greece's state merchant marine academies or universities, the new school has the bonus of giving students the opportunity to experience working as trainees with the widely diversified Tsakos shipping group if they so wish.
Reversing a trend
Michalis Belegris, gm of the Maria Tsakos Foundation, said TEENS aims to reverse the trend in Greek shipping of fewer Greek officers on board. Belegris said: "We have managed to convince several teenagers to swap the general-education lyceum with the only private school on Chios which offers them the skills needed to succeed in the maritime professions."
The inaugaration tape was cut by Captain Tsakos, son Nikos Tsakos, the ceo of NYSE-listed Tsakos Energy Navigation and chairman of Intertanko, his son Panagiotis, Antonios Kounadis, president of the Athens Academy, and Efthymios Mitropoulos, Imo secretary general emeritus and president of the Maria Tsakos Foundation.
A dream coming true
At the inauguration, Captain Tsakos spoke of "a dream coming true as the project was announced just a year ago and was finished in time". He referred to the great tradition of Greek seamanship and expressed his concern over the decreasing number of Greek seafarers. He welcomed the new students and called on them to attain ethos and knowledge from the institution and become the future leaders of shipping.
The new lyceum will also employ a pioneering e-learning application developed in Greece, SQLearning, that allows for the optimum cooperation between teachers, students and parents. Belegris has said a goal of the foundation is to enhance maritime education on the island and, in general, in Greece whose shipowners control some 20% of the global merchant fleet.
Indeed, Chios is developing as an international centre for maritime research and education and TEENS hopes it sets an example for others to follow.
Bridge simulator
Launch of the academic year also saw the Merchant Marine Academy at Aspropyrgos enriched by the addition of a bridge simulator. Officially presented 18 September, the simulator was donated by shipowner Marios Iliopoulos’ and will enable Aspropyrgos students to become familiar with ship handling in all conditions as the simulator provides these capabilities.
At the inauguration Shipping & Island Policy Minister, Fotis Kouvelis said: " Problems in shipping are real. There are many challenges and opportunities ahead of us as we further enhance our shipping in a highly competitive business environment. The Shipping and Island Policy ministry considers the education and training sector of the merchant marine executives an important dimension for the development of shipping and for safe navigation."
IIiopoulos, described the event as special for his Seajets Group and for the Shipping ministry as the academy's facilities are enhanced by a modern bridge simulator. He said it represents the company's social sensitivity, noting the Seajets group's ships have trained hundreds of masters and engineers.
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