ABS, one of the world’s leading classification societies, has signed a letter of intent for cooperative research and development projects with the South China University of Technology (SCUT) through the ABS China Offshore Technology Center (COTC) in Shanghai.
ABS Vice President of Offshore Technology Bret Montaruli and Vice President of SCUT Zhu Min, recently signed the agreement at the SCUT campus in Guangzhou, China.
ABS has had a longstanding commitment to education and a history of establishing valuable relationships with research facilities. “Signing this agreement will highlight the research capabilities at the COTC, strengthen our ties with SCUT and allow us to invest in students who will be the future leaders of the marine engineering industry,” Montaruli says.
Min says he welcomes the opportunity to work with ABS and is looking forward to substantive cooperation in the fields of shipbuilding and marine engineering.
The agreement will enable SCUT personnel to participate in agreed ABS research projects and activities; establish a jointly funded research program within SCUT; and allow ABS to provide financial support to post graduate students who will participate in the joint COTC-SCUT research and development project. ABS has a long history of partnering with academia and a longstanding commitment to education. “We believe that encouraging students in engineering is crucial to the future of the industry,” says ABS President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.
“By executing this agreement through the ABS COTC, we are enabling both organizations to cooperate in scientific, applied research, educational and outreach activities related to shipbuilding, offshore and marine engineering,” Montaruli says. “This agreement is an important step for ABS and SCUT to work toward a collaborative relationship that we both will benefit from in the long run.”
Following the signing event, Montaruli and Min joined members of the delegation to tour the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering and visited the experimental facilities in the Department of Navigation.
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Offshore WIND staff, August 17, 2012; Image: abs