CAPTAIN Cook Cruises (CCC) Fiji and the University of Fiji recently had an academic-industry partnership where students and faculty members had an opportunity to tour CCC’s Fiji One vessel.
The joint effort which was built on the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference (GSTC2025) held in Fiji hopes to drive capacity development and skills-building on maritime safety and environment standards.
According to Captain Cook Cruises, the joint effort hopes to advance the Pacific’s blue economy too – a sector closely tied to cruise and marine tourism.
As part of the initiative, students and faculty members with their vice-chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem toured the vessel learning from experts about the full range of maritime and marine science skills, training, certifications and experiences required to operate in the industry in line with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) regulations.
After a tour there was a conference-style discussions onboard with CCC’s multi-disciplinary team.
The CCC team highlighted their platforms for capacity development and skills-building.
Captain Cook Cruises Fiji’s executive director, Allison Haworth West said with their long history pioneering marine science and sustainability tourism in Fiji, Captain Cook Cruises provides in-field classrooms for marine sciences and maritime training, serving as a floating classroom and a platform for IMO sea-time training and underwater marine research.
“Operating daily Island and Reef, plus Sunset Sailings, CCC is not just a tourism operator but a hub for maritime, marine science, and eco-tourism capacity building”.
Captain Cook Cruises highlighted in marking World Maritime Day 2025, the academic–industry partnership demonstrates opportunities for multi-disciplinary training and hands-on capacity building at sea, including work directly with coral reefs, addressing the multiple threats identified under UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water.
Professor Shaista Shameem said the offer of partnership from Captain Cook Cruises to join them on sustainable missions to restore coral reefs, provide students with a floating marine science laboratory, as well as cadetships in marine biology and to assist the company with ecotourism projects was more than the University had ever dreamed about.
She said the university had moved its curriculum towards practicals and attachments from Year 1 in as many programs as possible so that students would be work ready when they joined the workforce after graduating.
She added the students would have the chance to work with scientists and experts to help replant coral gardens, research the extent of threats to our coral reefs and help with other regenerative oceans work on behalf of planet earth.
Captain Cook Cruises (CCC) Fiji and the University of Fiji had an academic-industry partnership where students and faculty members had an opportunity to tour CCC’s Fiji One vessel. Picture: CAPTAIN COOK CRUISES
