Introduction
This paper forms the background to the introduction of the Draft AMETIAP Charter 2000-2010 which will be discussed at workshops, reported, debated and adopted at the Plenary session.
By way of introduction, early cooperation in the Asia Pacific region and the formation of AMETIAP in 1996 is described. A brief review of AMETIAP's achievements then occurs.
Following from this look into the recent past the challenges facing Maritime Education and Training (MET) now and into the future are introduced and each of these challenges, ie flexible delivery, quality and networking are considered in turn.
Finally, against the backdrop of the challenges facing MET now and in the future the potential for AMETIAP is introduced by way of the Draft AMETIP Charter 2000-2010.
Early Cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region
In 1989 a seminar, initiated by AMC and jointly sponsored by IMO and the World Maritime University (WMU) was held in Launceston at the AMC. This seminar was for the heads of MET institutions in the Asian and South Pacific Region and amongst the major aims of the seminar was the following objective:
・identify training needs and explore ways in which these needs can be met through increased cooperation and collaboration between institutions.
As a result of this initial meeting the Forum for Maritime Education and Training Institutions in the Asia Pacific Region was formed. Further cooperation occurred which included seminars held in Dalien (1991), Suva (1992), Vladivostok (1994) and Auckland(1995). The major aim of the 1995 forum was:
・for heads of maritime training institutions in the Asian and South Pacific Regions to identify needs and explore ways in which these needs can be met through increased cooperation between institutions and develop the forum into a regional network of major benefit to all MET institutions in Asia Pacific.
The Auckland meeting decided that after 6 years of successfully inter-changing ideas between MET institutions it was time to formalise arrangements and, consequently, it was agreed to meet in Hong Kong in 1996 to create an organisation to further the above aim.
