Higher Education Focused on Port Management in Europe

EU directives on environmental sustainability, such as Directive (EU) 2019/883 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17th April 2019 on port reception facilities for the delivery of ship generated waste, are stringent. The Commission Communication of 05/23/2013 (Ports: a driver for growth) states that "Port activities cause significant impacts in terms of emissions, noise, water and soil pollution as well as habitat fragmentation" and "The Commission welcomes the initiatives taken by the port sector to promote excellence in environmental management and performance through the publication of guides to good practice". Ports therefore need to adapt to the new requirements also, and above all, in terms of stricter requirements for environmental performance and alternative fuels. Furthermore, according to the European Commissioner for Transport “Maritime transport is a global business, and reducing its emissions requires global solutions. The entry into force of the global sulphur cap is an important milestone for the entire maritime sector; it will contribute to further reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, directly benefiting cities and communities around the globe, including important ones on our Southern European shores. It also shows that concerted effort from the EU and the IMO, together with strong commitment from the industry can deliver important benefits to the environment and the health of our citizens”. Therefore, due to Europe's historical relationship with the sea (mainly due to commercial reasons) a study has been undertaken on the current offer of European Masters related to seaports. This offer has been analysed according to the educational areas taught (legal, operational, business, management, safety, engineering, ecological, etc.), the language in which they are offered, the duration of the studies, the location of these masters by country and the type of teaching (in person or online). The results have been shown in graphs and it has been seen, among other aspects, that the countries of Southern Europe are the ones that contribute most to teachings related to the maritime sector