Italian Shipping Academy and BCA GIME together for the high training of the seafarers

Genoa & Athens, November 23th, 2021 – We are proudly announcing the agreement between the Fondazione Accademia Italiana della Marina Mercantile (Italian Shipping Academy, FAIMM), and  the Business College of Athens (BCA), Greek Institute of Maritime Education (GIME) for the provision of the online Bachelor in Maritime Business degree for ITS graduates. Recognizing the mutual interests in the field of maritime education and training, and considering the advantages of their respective institutions deriving from the establishment of international links, FAIMM, and BCA GIME aim to foster academic cooperation between Italy and Greece by providing higher education, practical Ship Management tools to those who have obtained the ITS diploma.

The signed agreement provisions that all students of the Deck and Machine courses, following an English course provided for free by the Academy itself, will be eligible to apply for enrollment at the BCA GIME, having the recognized credits and training courses carried out in the classroom. The one year programme of study consists of 4 modules (Maritime Business Management / International Maritime Policy and Regulations / Maritime Law / Financial Management in Shipping) and a final thesis (Maritime Business Research Project), which leads to the recognized degree by West London University, which collaborates on an institutional level with BCA-GIME.

The agreement between Faimm and BCA-GIME provides an initial 3-year period of cooperation, which can also be developed in the future on other projects and activities. The programme can be attended 100% remotely, so that students can also carry out their professional duties smoothly. The programme offers a combined comprehensive and practical  knowledge of the economics and operations the Ship Management industry, which can be later translated into a strong competitive advantage for students who will already have acquired classroom and practical skills on board. «This agreement marks an extremely important step for all students of the Academy», Director of the FAIMM Paola Vidotto, states. «An agreement that underlines the growth path of our institute also in the international field, aiming to provide total support of the students so they can enhance their own higher skills, with the possibility of further advancing their careers».

C.E.O. of BCA GIME Harry Daskalakis, states: «BCA GIME is proud to partner with FAIMM, a first step between an Italian and Greek Maritime educational institution. BCA has been the leading Ship Management college of Greece since 1971, offering its 9,000 alumni the practical knowledge and skills needed in order to prosper in the Maritime industry, from its business perspective. We are very happy that this knowledge shall now pass on to Italian students as well».

The Italian Shipping Academy, founded in 2005 and recognized as the ITS Foundation in 2011, is a body financed by public institutions which issues qualifications from the Ministry of Education in non-university tertiary education. The “mission” of the Academy is to provide specialized training aimed at occupations with a high professional and technological contents, based on the needs of companies in the industry, and in particular in the strategic areas of maritime and logistics. From 2005 to today, the Academy has trained 1,048 Officer Students in the 52 editions of the ITS Deck classes, and 737 Officer Students in the 39 editions of the ITS Machine classes.

BCA GIME is the oldest maritime college in Greece, specialized in Ship Management Studies. BCA’s educational programmes aim to forge leaders and executives in the shipping sector by equipping them with the necessary theoretical background and professional skills in order to meet the demands of the maritime sector. BCA, with over 1000 students and more than 9,000 alumni employed in prominent Greek and international companies, provides university programmes which integrate both theory and practice in their curriculum, gaining from the expertise of its fully qualified academics and professionals.