A consortium of the Green Maritime Horizons: Collaborative Innovation in Ship Engineering and Sustainable Technologies (GEMS-TECH) project visited the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) on 12 November 2026 as part of its field activities in Kenya. The delegation, led by Project Coordinator Dr. Boris Stanimirov from Bulgaria, was hosted at TUM by Capt. Talib Ibrahim of the Institute of Maritime and Seafaring Studies.

 

During the visit, the delegation paid a courtesy call to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Research and Extension (DVC ARE), Prof. Peter Gichangi, providing an opportunity for engagement between the visiting partners and the University's leadership on the project's objectives and implementation.

 

GEMS-TECH is a 36-month international capacity-building project funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme. It brings together 12 partner institutions from Europe, Kenya and Egypt to modernise maritime education through the integration of green technologies, sustainable maritime practices and business skills into higher education curricula.

 

The project is structured around four work packages covering management and coordination, modernisation of existing curricula, development of advanced Maritime Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and dissemination and sustainability.

 

Under curriculum modernisation, the project targets maritime programmes at four universities in Kenya and Egypt: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and TUM in Kenya, and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) and Ain Shams University (ASU) in Egypt. The initiative seeks to align university training with emerging maritime industry needs while incorporating sustainable maritime solutions and green technologies.

 

Another key component involves developing and piloting advanced online courses informed by European experience and the needs of the Egyptian and Kenyan maritime industries. The project also seeks to raise awareness of modernised curricula in ship engineering and sustainable technologies while establishing a foundation for the sustainability of its outcomes beyond the project period.

 

Through the initiative, TUM is contributing to international efforts to strengthen maritime education, equip graduates with relevant competencies and support the transition towards a more environmentally sustainable maritime sector.