ABSTRACT
Most of the people in the world are struggling to ensure their presence and livelihood activities during this pandemic period. Achieving the third Sustainable Development Goal: “Ensure Healthy Lives and promote Well-being for all at all ages” since the end of 2019 is a big question mark to most of the economies. The first Case of Covid-19 was found in China during the mid of November 2019, still now there is no proper medicine and vaccine were found to cure fully. The vaccination availed after one year also not resulting 100% and the modern medicine there is no satisfactory effective therapy available to cure the Covid-19 infection due to the less genetic information regarding the mutation of this virus. World Health Organization suggested to implement Lock downs to handle this pandemic. Upto the end of first month of this decade more than 100 million people were infected and more than 2 million people were lost their lives. This pandemic severely affected most economic sectors of the world without any partiality. This attempt was made to analyze the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the Maritime Education sector and Shipping Industry. For the study purpose detailed survey was conducted among the Maritime students, educators, sailors and practitioners in the different parts of the world. Collection of qualitative data for this study is quite difficult due to pandemic. So present study adopts descriptive cum analytical research design was adopted for the study. Totally 1094 respondents of the 16 countries were approached for the study purpose and received the responses from 857 respondents were responded to the survey and results were documented here to understand the future of the Maritime industry. The results of the study are interesting and highlighted the present mentality and economic status of mariners and future of the students. Mariners reported that they have less sailing opportunities compared to the past. Many of the respondents were worried that this economic slowdown due to pandemic had a huge impact on the industry is terms of less Liner schedules and reduced employment opportunities and poor practical exposure. Maritime Students highlighted that they were unable to get the practical exposures to meet out the challenges and virtual education system gave less chances to learn the practical aspects. Maritime educators pointed that less interaction between the students resulted in terms of adverse results. Meanwhile few of them responded that this pandemic helps them in terms of increased business growth in absence of Air Cargos. This study suggests that both public and private sector should take initiatives to meet out the challenges of this changes in the Maritime sector. Maritime Education institutions have to revise their mandatory policies to meet out the changing trends in education sector. It concludes that both positive and negative aspects of this pandemic resulted the tremendous changes in the Maritime sector hugely in reduced possibilities in the economies of the maritime business ventures. Further, this study suggests future researchers to carry out the segment specific both qualitative and analytical studies to handle the pandemic situation to effectively meet out the needs of the sector for the sustainability. © 2021 21st Annual General Assembly, IAMU AGA 2021 - Proceedings of the International Association of Maritime Universities ,IAMU Conference. All rights reserved.