30 international UCL students of Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos, studying International Business Development and Strategic Management modules attended this annual visit on the 24th of July 2026, at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization, the Temple of International Shipping, at the south bank of Father Thames in London – the Administrative capital of International Shipping, diagonally opposite the Parliament.
As in every annual visit, the students had the opportunity to experience the way meetings are organized, coordinated and delivered, listen to discussions on pressing global maritime issues particularly with Planet Ocean on fire given the Iran, Ukrainian, and Middle East mess and their impact to global trade, international business, human life, the preservation of the Environment, and take a tour on the IMO impressive building; they were more than impressed!
It is worth noting the importance of the four pillars of IMO, being the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) all contributing to the Safety of Navigation, Human Life and the Environment – lately the focal point on Planet Ocean given the 2050 target!
A special thank you also goes to Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez and the delegates from the students’ home countries (India, Belgium, Spain, Italy, China, to name a few) for taking the time to speak with each of them after the event. Their generosity in sharing their insights and their willingness to engage with the students made the experience even more meaningful and memorable.
These visits are more than paramount for University students as they contribute to their future business development, particularly as shipping and transport are the most important sectors in business and everyday life. No Shipping, No Shopping, No sipping !
As in previous visits, Tamara Vassilissin, the principal external relations assistant from the external relations office at the IMO facilitated the student’s visit with her immense knowledge and experience.
