NTMA Holds Graduation Ceremony for Year 2021 Graduates
On November 18, a graduation ceremony was held for 108 2021-year graduates was held at the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA), a merchant marine university jointly operated by NYK and the Transnational Diversified Group (TDG) near Manila, Philippines. The ceremony had originally been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the pandemic, NTMA switched to online classes when dormitory life and on-campus classes were not feasible, and the students completed the classroom curriculum without delay. However, there was a delay in graduation due to difficulties in accepting trainees for onboard training on the oceangoing ships operated by the NYK Group.
In his congratulatory speech, NYK President president Hitoshi Nagasawa commented about the onboard training during a worldwide pandemic, saying, “I’m proud that each of you was able to overcome our anxieties about this pandemic and achieve your goals. NYK's job is to contribute to the lives of our customers and continue to earn their trust. This is the NYK spirit that has been cultivated over 137 years, and I believe that you, the graduates, will be able to embody it in the future.”
NYK was the first Japanese company to establish a maritime academy in the Philippines, and NTMA is currently celebrating its 15th anniversary since opening in 2007. A total of 1360 students have now graduated from NTMA since the academy opened, and most graduates are actively engaged as officers or engineers on NYK-operated ships.