From October 26 to November 1, NYK hosted an international maritime exchange program in Japan, uniting students from the NYK-TDG* Maritime Academy (NTMA) in the Philippines with Japanese students at maritime schools in Japan.

This program marks the second phase of a broader exchange initiative that previously sent two groups of Japanese maritime students to NTMA, the first from August 17 to 24 and the second from August 24 to 31.

For this second phase, eight NTMA students visited Japan to participate in shipboard training and sports exchanges at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and Yuge College of the National Institute of Technology, deepening the Filipino students’ ties with their Japanese maritime peers. The visiting students also joined a discussion session at the NYK head office with Filipino seafarers currently working ashore. In addition, the students toured Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Aichi, Japan), the Tatsumi Office of Japan Radio Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), the moored Hikawa Maru museum ship (Kanagawa, Japan), and NYK Group companies Nippon Yuka Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Kanagawa, Japan) and MTI Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). These visits enriched their understanding of Japan's maritime industry and cultural heritage.

The exchange program is designed to cultivate international perspectives and build cross-cultural networks among future seafarers from Japan and the Philippines. Students spend roughly one week in each country, engaging in classroom lectures, practical training, and cultural tours to experience language and cultural diversity firsthand. Now in its seventh year since its inception in 2015, the program is structured as follows:

Phase 1
- From August 17 to 24, students from Kobe University, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, and Nagasaki University studied at NTMA.
- From August 24 to 31, students from Toyama, Hiroshima, Yuge, and Oshima colleges of the National Institute of Technology studied at NTMA.
News Release about Phase 1: NYK Hosts Global Maritime Exchange Program for Students in Japan and the Philippines | NYK Line

Phase 2
-October 26 to November 1, NTMA students visited Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Yuge College of the National Institute of Technology, the NYK head office, and various NYK Group companies.

Participating NTMA students shared their experiences, remarking, "We learned a great deal about Japan's maritime industry, culture, and values," and "Interacting with fellow maritime students was heartwarming." Japanese students commented, "Exchanging ideas with NTMA students boosted my motivation for future studies," and "Their proactive attitude was truly inspiring."

NYK remains firmly committed to collaborating with educational and research institutions in Japan and abroad to support the development of young people who will be the future of the maritime industry.


* Transnational Diversified Group (TDG)
A business group established by Chairman J. Roberto C. Delgado. Business activities include vessel agent services, seafarer manning, training, and cadet education, as well as other logistics businesses. TDG and NYK have maintained a cooperative relationship since the establishment of TDG.