With the evolution of technological advancements in the 21st century, law enforcement and its impact on society has been revolutionized greatly. Through the symbiotic relationship that the law has always had with academia, the introduction of state of the art detection and prevention equipment has enabled law enforcement officers to be more responsive and thus ensuring that lives are saved and crimes are prevented.
Netherlands Maritime University College (NMUC) as a maritime education provider recognizes the importance of constantly introducing innovative approaches towards maintaining a safe and secure environment for society, especially with regards to maritime law. From the local maritime law of each nation to the international guidelines that ensure the security of the thousands of vessels that pass through maritime gateways every day, there is a need to stay vigilant. Research and development conducted by those in the academic field have paved the way for more and more improvements to be introduced to maritime law.
It is this realization that has spearheaded the collaboration between NMUC and Nottingham Trent University (NTU) to set up a centre that addresses the issues pertaining to law and maritime law directly. The launching of the International Centre of Excellence in Maritime Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice and Leadership took place on 2 August 2018 at the Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In attendance were representatives from NMUC, NTU and top officials from various government and private bodies and enforcement agencies.
The launch of the Centre signals the strengthening of partnership and strategic collaboration between NMUC and NTU in working towards building a centre focussing on international knowledge exchange, human capital development and the generation of projects and activities. It is envisaged that the Centre will ignite collaborative scholarship and research partnerships in areas such as criminology, law, forensics and business.
The Centre aims to act as a unifying hub to support the needs of the industry practitioners while offering advanced resources and facilities for comprehensive and outstanding law enforcement academic programmes, training and research that will lead to sustainable knowledge transfer beyond the areas of maritime studies. One of the overarching goals of the Centre is to develop methods, tools, knowledge-products, and technology-based solutions informed by cutting-edge research for both in the relevant public and private sectors.