The NYK-TDG Maritime Academy, a merchant marine academy jointly operated by NYK and the Transnational Diversified Group  near Manila, Philippines, held a commencement ceremony for 96 students, the academy’s 12th batch of graduates.

NYK President Takaya Soga, NYK Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer Nobuhiro Kashima, and TDG Chairman J. Roberto C. Delgado participated in the ceremony together with invited guests of honor that included Kazuhiko Koshikawa, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of the Philippines, and Vice-Admiral Hernani N. Fabia, administrator of the Philippines Maritime Industry Authority.

The cap toss by graduates

In his congratulatory speech, Soga said, “NYK Line, in its 138 years of existence, has survived countless crises and adversities. I believe that your academy has prepared you to face the world outside its halls because you experienced the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that you will carry on the legacy of your predecessors and make the most of your strengths and abilities.” He then gave words of encouragement to the graduates.

NTMA was quick to minimize the impact of the coronavirus on onboard training by switching to online classes and rescheduling practical classes to ensure students’ safety and avoid missing opportunities to study, even though dormitory life and on-campus classes were halted at the time due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the unprecedented global upheaval could not be avoided, and graduation was delayed by one year.

NYK was the first Japanese company to establish a maritime academy in the Philippines, and NTMA is currently celebrating its 16th anniversary since opening in 2007. The academy has established a student loan program to provide a higher education for students who might find it financially challenging to pursue such a degree.

A total of 1,456 students have now graduated from NTMA since the academy opened, and most graduates are actively engaged as officers or engineers on NYK-operated ships. In fact, in April 2021 an NTMA graduate rose to the rank of captain of an NYK vessel for the first time, and in April 2022 an NTMA graduate became the first from the school to reach the rank of chief engineer on an NYK ship. Additionally, many of our graduates are active in important land positions that play a role in safe ship operations, and their fields of activity have spread to important bases such as Japan, Singapore, and Australia.

Going forward, the NYK Group will continue to make use of the knowledge gained through the seafarer education provided at NTMA to train even more talented Filipino seafarers and conduct training at major locations around the world, including Singapore.