Maritime 2050: navigating the future

The Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance at Cass Business School has been cited in Maritime 2050: navigating the future - a major report that sets out the government’s vision and ambitions for the future of the British maritime sector.

The report describes Cass as “one of the leading lights on shipping and commodity finance and risk management (which) directly contributes to the primacy of the City’s place in the business services sector.”

The report also uses the Centre as a case study, saying: “Cass Business School and its parent organisation City, University of London, excel in offering programmes related to shipping finance and operations.”

Professor Costas Th. Grammenos CBE, Chairman of the Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance said he was honoured that the Centre has been recognised in this way.

“I am delighted that the Centre was included in this prestigious report,” he said.

Professor Marianne Lewis, Dean, Cass Business School said the recognition was richly deserved by Professor Grammenos and the Centre staff, students and alumni.

“Professor Grammenos is a leading global authority on shipping, trade and finance. Over 40 years he has made a unique contribution to the global shipping industry through his pioneering thought leadership and exceptional community building. We are very grateful to him for his leadership and all he does to bring alumni, staff, supporters and friends of the Centre together.”

The Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance was established by Professor Grammenos in 1983 and renamed in his honour in April 2007. It pioneers postgraduate studies in Shipping, Trade and Finance and Energy, Trade and Finance and offers the first specialist MSc degrees in these disciplines. Through its research and its unique blend of theory and practice, the Centre has gained international recognition among industry leaders, policy-makers, government and academics.

Read the report here.

Read an extract from the report below.

The Costas Grammenos International Centre for Shipping, Trade, and Finance

“In 1984, Professor Costas Grammenos, founded the International Centre for Shipping, Trade, and Finance at London’s Cass Business School with three aims: postgraduate teaching; research; and creation of international dialogue between academia, policy makers, and businesses.

"Now renamed the Costas Grammenos Centre for Shipping, Trade, and Finance, it is widely considered to have contributed to London’s strong position as a hub for the global shipping industry. The Centre has introduced revolutionary-styled courses - MSc in Shipping, Trade, and Finance and the MSc in Energy, Trade, and Finance. It also introduced finance and trade in shipping studies and thus, created the three interlinked circles of ‘Shipping, Trade, and Finance’.

"By so doing, a new global approach to international business was created with both horizontal and vertical analyses. It introduced shipping finance as a new academic subject - initially in the form of bank finance - and subsequently, the capital markets as sources of external funds for shipping companies. Furthermore, in 1985 commodities and commodity finance were introduced as a new academic topic.

"Now with 35 years of ground-breaking research and over 120 published articles in peer-reviewed journals, the Centre has established itself as a leading global authority on shipping finance, financial risk management, commodity, and commodity finance. By encompassing its research in the taught material of both MScs and incorporating the global approach, the Centre has influenced the shipping industry across the world.

"Finally, the Centre has been offering a forum for international dialogue through its conferences, seminars, and debates. As of today, the Centre has over 3,700 alumni from 160 countries primarily working in the sectors of shipping, energy, trading, banking, and finance but also in academia in 50 countries around the world ‒ while 20 per cent of those alumni are leaders in their sectors at either an international and/or national level.”

If you are interested in this topic, take a look at our MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance.