One of the world’s largest classification societies, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK), has witnessed high standard of polar navigation training, conducted in Makarov Training Centre of Professional Development Programmes Institute of Admiral Makarov SUMIS.

The Class NK audit documented that the training of deck officers, chief officers and ship masters onboard ships operating in polar waters complies with the current international standards enshrined in the International Polar Code, which has been developed since 1993, put into force in 2017, and the STCW-78 Convention, as amended in 2016, regarding the requirements for competencies of shipmasters operating in polar waters (Chapter V, Regulation A-V/4, Sections A-I/11 and A-V/4 of the STCW Code), which entered into operation in 2018.

The certificates received by the university confirm that the training programs at «Makarovka» are fully consistent with the model (typical) courses of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 7.11 and 7.12, adopted in February 2017 at the 4th session of the IMO subcommittee on the human factor, training and watchkeeping (HTW). The courses were developed by a review team led by Canada, which included experts with polar waters operation experience from Norway, Denmark, Chile, Argentina and Russia.

Admiral Makarov University first passed Class NK accreditation for compliance of ice navigation courses with international requirements in January 2017 – and became the first of the world’s educational institutions after the publication of new IMO requirements. The auditors carried out a comprehensive performance check of simulators, work programs, updates to presentations and exercises, as well as workflow of Makarov Training Centre.

This year, according to the results of the commission’s work at the specialized high-tech training center, the university’s approval for conducting courses in this area has been extended. The university received certificates of compliance of the basic and advanced training programs for crews of ships operating in polar waters with the requirements of amendments to the STCW Convention. «Makarov Training Centre has been conducting polar navigation training since 2002, having trained over 1300 boatmasters from 20 countries. Our training provides great assistance to ship crew members operating in the ice conditions in the Baltic Sea, the Arctic, Antarctica, as well as in piloting tankers and gas carriers of reinforced ice class at the approaches to the Sabetta and New Port terminals», – commented the director of Professional Development Programmes Institute and the Head of Makarov Training Centre Sergey Aysinov.

The extension of Class NK accreditation and the available recognition and approval for training of ships operating in polar waters from the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Marshall Islands Administration and The Nautical Institute confirm the high level of ice training at the Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping.