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GlobalMET Director
Swapan Das Sarma, Ph.D.
President, American Digital University, Inc.
2. Your views on current technologies such as Electronic Navigation, the advantages, and the pitfalls: The advantages are related to improved navigation, reduction of fatigue and stress on watchkeeper and maintaining an on-board record of navigation which can be investigated as necessary. This also allows ships to be monitored from ashore. The particular advantage will be in restricted and congested waters with traffic separation where a surveillance is active from shore based facilities. Reduction of shipboard manpower will also be a benefit. Disadvantage is on over-reliance on automation and encouraging lack of attention, and
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3. Behavioral Science skills for seafarers: Working with small and multi-cultural crew with variant language skills presents many problems; IMO has introduced some teaching modules to encourage thinking in this direction. However, more structured courses are necessary at the undergraduate levels which should be a mix of ethics, understanding individuals and working as a team with some leadership keys.
Thanks,
Learning without boundaries