The era of marine officers who only sell technology is over. We have entered an era that requires sailors who know how to steer ships and understand the humanities. Korea Maritime & Ocean University explored this path alongside a Chinese training ship.
Korea Maritime & Ocean University (President Ryu Dong-keun) announced on the 4th that its Institute for International Maritime Affairs (Director Jung Moon-soo) successfully concluded a series of exchange programs during the visit of the Chinese training ship 'Yukun' to South Korea. These programs included a humanities lecture, a visit to the '2026 Korea Maritime Mobility and Safety Expo', and attendance at the World Maritime Day commemorative event. This exchange is an extension of the joint Arctic sea route seminar and academic exchange held in Dalian on October 9-10. The 'Yukun' docked at the university pier on the 14th and stayed in Busan for about two weeks, starting with a welcome ceremony.
On the 19th, Lim Ha-ram, a researcher (doctoral candidate) at the Institute for International Maritime Affairs, gave a lecture to the trainees of the 'Yukun' under the theme, "Why Do Marine Officers Study the Humanities?" Citing examples of humanities majors among CEOs of global AI companies, the researcher emphasized that the integration of the humanities with technology and engineering researchers is precisely what determines the direction of technology. Researcher Lim is an Arctic route researcher who participated in research laying the foundation for the establishment of the Arctic Sea Route 3.0, and was recently invited as a lecturer to the international summer school in Svalbard, Norway.
On the 26th, 83 faculty members and trainees of the 'Yukun', including the captain and chief engineer, visited the Maritime Mobility and Safety Expo and the World Maritime Day commemorative event held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BPEX). President Ryu Dong-keun and Lim Ki-tack, chair professor at the Institute for International Maritime Affairs (honorary secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization IMO), encouraged the 'Yukun' delegation. The two-week exchange program concluded with a farewell ceremony on the 27th.
Director Jung Moon-soo stated, "It is meaningful that we connected the two universities' maritime officer education, international exchanges, and academic exchanges into a single program using the training ship's port call as a medium," adding, "We will continue to expand the maritime cooperation network connecting Busan and global maritime cities."
The question of a survival strategy for regional universities remains. Amid population decline and concentration in the capital region, this exchange shows that the path for Busan's maritime-specialized university is not domestic ranking competition, but rather international networks. In an era where the development of Arctic routes is accelerating, the competitiveness of maritime officer education comes from the combination of ship operation technology and humanistic literacy. The question is whether such exchanges will end as a one-time event. Whether the government's maritime talent budget is used to foster universities' autonomous international cooperation or merely distributed for show. If it does not lead to practical exchange and employment opportunities for students, only the signboard of 'international exchange' will remain. The success will be judged by whether the 'Yukun' reaches the port of Busan again next year.
