UniFiji partners with Captain Cook Cruises for marine science and maritime training

University of Fiji students, faculty, and the Vice-Chancellor toured Captain Cook Cruises’ vessel, Fiji One, to mark the International Maritime Organization’s 2025 World Maritime Day theme: “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”

UniFiji says the joint efforts build on the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference held in Fiji and coincide with the IMO’s new Regional Presence Office in Suva, which will drive capacity development and skills-building on maritime safety and environmental standards, and advance the Pacific’s blue economy, a sector closely tied to cruise and marine tourism.

They say as part of the initiative, students, faculty, and the Vice-Chancellor got an opportunity to learn from experts about the full range of maritime and marine science skills, training, certifications and experiences required to operate in the industry in line with IMO regulations, both nationally and globally.

UniFiji says this was followed by conference-style discussions on board with multidisciplinary team highlighting Captain Cook Cruises’ platforms for capacity development and skills-building.

Executive Director of Captain Cook Cruises Fiji, Allison Haworth West says with their long history pioneering marine science and sustainability tourism in Fiji, Captain Cook Cruises provides in-field classrooms for marine sciences and maritime training, serving as a floating classroom and a platform for IMO sea-time training and underwater marine research.

She says operating daily Island and Reef, plus Sunset Sailings, they are not just a tourism operator but a hub for maritime, marine science, and eco-tourism capacity building.

UniFiji also says in marking World Maritime Day 2025, this academic–industry partnership demonstrates opportunities for multi-disciplinary training and hands-on capacity building at sea, including work directly with coral reefs, addressing the multiple threats identified under UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water.

University of Fiji Vice Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem says the offer of partnership from Captain Cook Cruises to join them on sustainable missions to restore coral reefs, provide students with a floating marine science laboratory, as well as cadetships in marine biology and to assist the company with ecotourism projects was more than the university had ever dreamed about.

She says the university had moved it's curriculum towards practicals and attachments from year 1 in as many programmes as possible so that students would be work ready when they joined the workforce after graduating.

Professor Shameem says the opportunity provided by Captain Cook Cruises was much appreciated by the university as it added value to their science work in support of SGS 14, Life Below Water, in partnership with scientists and environmentalists working on Captain Cook vessels.

She says the students will have the chance to work with these scientists and experts to help replant coral gardens, research the extent of threats to our coral reefs and help with other regenerative oceans work on behalf of planet earth.

Professor Shameem adds the university was working on the idea of developing a marine park and the partnership with Captain Cook Cruises would accelerate that initiative a lot more.

UniFiji confirms the MOU between the university and Captain Cook Cruises is being developed and will be signed as soon as a suitable date is found.