Belgian Postgraduate Hydrography Programme
The Antwerp Maritime Academy (AMA) will be starting Belgium’s first postgraduate hydrography programme on 17 September 2012. The programme was established by the AMA in collaboration with Ghent University and the maritime industry. Currently, Belgium has over 300 hydrographic surveyors, and the sector is booming. Captain Marc Dauwe, lecturer at the AMA and creator of the hydrography programmes, says that there is an increasing demand for new hydrographers, some 35 annually in Belgium and even more abroad.
To respond to this need, the AMA and Ghent University are starting elementary courses in hydrography (cat. B) in September 2012, and advanced courses (cat. A) in September 2013. All courses are in English, and fundamentally based on the Standards of Competence of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Both programmes take a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years to complete, depending on the relevant studies and competences of the candidate. All courses are taught by experts from nautical and geographical backgrounds in collaboration with lecturers from the maritime industry. Apart from theoretical courses, a large portion of the curriculum consists of internships, together with workshops and company visits. In this way the graduates will master ample skills to start their professional careers as hydrographic surveyors or chief hydrographers.
Only a few institutes in Europe offer programmes in hydrography, and finding an English-language or advanced cat. A programme is even harder. Further, hydrographic surveyors wanting to expand their knowledge through a part-time study or to obtain a certificate are left with few options.
The hydrography programmes in Belgium aim for high flexibility and accessibility. With English as the course language, the academy is able to accommodate students from all over the world. Concentrated course days, and the course’s division into nautical and geographical days, allow for part-time work possibilities. This puts the programme in an exceptional position to cater for students and active hydrographers alike.
The postgraduate programmes on hydrography are the only ones in Belgium and were established by the Antwerp Maritime Academy in collaboration with Ghent University and the maritime industry. The Institute for Hydrography was established for the purpose of organising these programmes.
