Secretary General of InterManager, Captain Kuba Szymanski, has been awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Maritime Studies by Solent University.
Captain Szymanski became involved with the University after witnessing the experiments being carried out at the Warsash Campus for the HORIZON project on seafarers’ fatigue. InterManager became a partner on the subsequent MARTHA project, and he was directly responsible for the dissemination of the findings to the shipping industry. He has also endorsed the recent Solent-led Effective Crew Project and Seafarers Mentoring Project.
Kuba is a great educationalist and a firm believer in supporting young seafarers. He has provided funding to enable cadets to attend conferences and events in London and elsewhere. He is also a passionate believer in the value of research to bring about change in the shipping industry and a champion of the sector’s young career seekers.
“I am truly humbled to receive this award. I am proud to be able to support the pioneering research carried out by Solent University which will benefit today’s and tomorrow’s seafarers as well as the global shipping industry.”
Captain Kuba Szymanski started his sea career in 1985, having graduated from the Maritime University of Szczecin with a Master’s Degree. He sailed gas, chemical and product tankers, reaching his first command as a Master in 1999 before moving ashore in 2001. Captain Szymanski was among the very first Lloyd’s Academy students on the Ship Superintendency course in 2003-4.
In addition to his role at InterManager, which he joined in 2010, Captain Szymanski sits on the Executive Board of The Nautical Institute, is a Director at TK Foundation, and a Director at Seafarers Rights’ International.
InterManager President Bjørn Jebsen said: “On behalf of the InterManager membership I am pleased to congratulate Kuba on receiving this honour. He continues to work tirelessly on behalf of InterManager members and the research projects he has been assisting Solent University with – particularly the MARTHA project into fatigue at sea – are making a real difference to the lives and working conditions of seafarers throughout the world.”