Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping has obtained accreditation of Class NK for training of crews in compliance with the Polar Code

 Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping has successfully passed international accreditation of its polar navigation courses.

Audit  for compliance of the  training with the requirements of the Polar Code  and appropriate amendments to the STCW Convention was effected by one of the world’s  biggest and most prominent classification societies   – Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK).

According to the results of the comprehensive inspection which included documentary audit,   interviews with instructors and management staff and training facilities audit  Class NK issued the University Certificates of Accreditation for:

— Basic training for ships operating in polar waters and

— Advanced training for ships operating in polar waters courses.

Auditors assessed whether qualification and experience of instructors, methods of teaching, quality standards, use of simulators and other technical aids as well as the course programs complied with the Class NK requirements and amendments to the STCW Convention adopted by IMO MSC 97 in November  2016.

It is necessary to remind that in May, 2015 International Maritime Organization (IMO) successfully completed the work on development of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) which came into force on January1, 2017.

The Code covers a whole range of requirements for design, construction, equipment, ship operations, crew preparation, search and rescue and environment protection applicable to vessels navigating in waters surrounding both poles.

In November 2016 the IMO sub-committee on safety of navigation adopted amendments to STCW 1978 Convention concerning requirements to the competence of the crews on board ships operating in Polar waters. Amendments  are incorporated in Chapter  V (Regulation V/4),as well as in Sections А-I/11 and А-V/4  of the STCW Code and come into force from July 01, 2018.
It should be stressed that the Makarov Training Centre (MTC) of the Admiral Makarov University of Maritime and Inland Shipping  has a longstanding tradition of  training crews for navigation in ice, such training has been conducted since 2002.The first courses in Russia were conducted for «Sovcomflot» large-tonnage tankers calling at ice covered ports of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Later on MTC conformed the course with «Guidelines regarding training of masters and officers for ships operating in polar waters» (Section B-V/g of the STCW Code).

A total number of trained in ice navigation at the MTC so far comprises more than 1,000 officers from more than 20 countries.

For information:

Class NK –is one of the most reputable Classification Societies. A member of international association of  classification societies  (IACS). Class NK  has 9,214 ships in class with a total tonnage of  245 million tones which comprises about 20% of the world merchant fleet  (according to the information provided by the company). Headquarters are  in Tokyo, Japan.

Makarov Training Centre is the major subdivision of the Professional Development Programmes Institute of the Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping. The Centre effects worldwide recognized training of the university cadets and students, ship crews, and specialists of a  wide range of marine, oil and gas offshore production industries in Russia, neighboring and foreign countries. The quality of training at the Makarov Training Centre is in compliance with ISO-9001 standard and proved by Maritime Administrations of Russia and other countries, classification societies, IQNet, the Nautical Institute and other reliable national and foreign organizations.

The Polar Code contains mandatory requirements for a ship safety (part I-A) and prevention of pollution from ships (part II-A), as well as optional provisions on application of both mandatory parts (part I-B and II-B)

Mandatory character of the Polar Code requirements concerning a ship safety and prevention of pollution from ships is stipulated in new chapter XIV of the SOLAS Convention (resolution MSC.386 (94)) and amendments to Annexes I, II, IV and V of the MARPOL Convention respectively (resolution MEPC.265(68)).

The Polar Code is applied to new ships built on January 1, 2017 or thereafter. Vessels built before 1^st of January 2017 will be required to meet the relevant requirements of the Polar Code by the first intermediate or renewal survey, whichever occurs first, after 1^st of January, 2018. The Polar Code requirements are applicable to all ships falling within regulations of the SOLAS and MARPOL Conventions and operating in polar waters.