The Blue Scholarship Awards are created "To support the preparation of doctoral and post-doctoral research and to highlight Academic and scientific excellence". Through this program 4 young researchers, Doctoral Candidates or Post-doctoral researchers as well as 8 Master's students from all the HEIs of the country who deal with and research issues of sustainable blue economy with an emphasis on shipping, will be funded or awarded for their effort and work.
In his address, the Vice-President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, Georgios Alexandratos, referred extensively to the value of the cooperation of all the institutional bodies of shipping, as well as the role that the HCS could play in this effort.
The Rector of the University of Piraeus, Professor Angelos Kotios, after thanking the Region of Attica and the Regional Governor Mr. Georgios Patoulis for the cooperation with the University of Piraeus, referred to the role played by the late journalist Evangelos Mavraganis in the completion and establishment of this project and in honor of which the scholarship of excellence to a postgraduate student for blue economy and communication issues was also named.
The Regional Governor of Attica Giorgos Patoulis supported the necessity of wider collaborations for the sustainable development of the Economy, whether blue or green, he presented the program and actions of the region for the blue economy and in particular for Piraeus with particular emphasis on the larger program for the coast budget front of €300 million, while he praised the effort of the School of Shipping and Industry of the University of Piraeus for excellence.
Finally, the Dean of the School of Shipping and Industry, Professor Angelos Pantouvakis, clarified that excellence is not a result, but is determined by the very effort to achieve it, and pointed out that the purpose of supporting and promoting excellence in the sustainable blue economy includes both economic activities and environmental and social awareness of citizens about it.
He referred at length to the support and reward program for excellence which is mainly funded by the Region and the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has been designed by the School of Shipping and Industry of the University of Piraeus. Indicative areas of research may be shipping, supply chains or ports, support and shipbuilding or cruise management, economics, environment, technology or institutional framework, law or quantitative methods.
The Evaluation committee consists of well-known academics and recognized professionals of the shipping market, several of whom attended such as Piraeus University Professor Emeritus Athanasios Kouremenos, the Managing Director of Arcadia Shipmanagement Cpt. Dimitris Matthaiou, the Professor of the University of Bath Dimitris Gounopoulos, the Managing Director of Capital Executive Mr. Stavros Meidanis, the Director of the DNV Maritime Academy Mrs. Marina Papaioannou, the Professor of Strathclyde University Spyros Gounaris, the President and Vice-President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping Dr. Georgios Pateras and Mr. Georgios Alexandratos, the president of WISTA HELLAS, Mrs. Elpi Petrakis and others.