Today, we are at a pivotal crossroads where digitization, automation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping every facet of maritime operations
(NMI) not just as an academic institution, but as a movement for meaningful change in maritime training and policy
The Arab region holds tremendous maritime heritage and strategic importance in the global maritime economy. From the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf
He welcomed the interview very much and no hesitate rather even somewhat praised my questions, some of which I publish on the Maritime Tickers platform.He is charismatic surely this is Eric R. Dawicki in the exclusive Interview and the first to Arab Media
Eric R. Dawicki, MPA – is a visionary leader and passionate advocate for maritime and ocean education, with a career spanning over 42 years. As President of Northeast Maritime Institute, Eric has revolutionized the way maritime professionals are trained, fostering a comprehensive systems approach that integrates ethical leadership, advanced technology, and sustainable practices. His efforts have empowered tens of thousands of professionals worldwide, equipping them to meet the highest regulatory standards in both private industry and government sectors.
Eric’s achievements include founding the first private maritime college in U.S. history, transforming it into a globally recognized institution offering maritime science degrees and cutting-edge continuing education programs. He pioneered innovative platforms like NEMO and HALO°, which have revolutionized access to maritime certifications and real-world training simulations. As co-founder of the Commonwealth of Dominica Maritime Registry, Eric helped build one of the fastest-growing ship registries in the world, setting benchmarks in international compliance and governance.
In His interview emphasized The Arab region holds tremendous maritime heritage and strategic importance in the global maritime economy. From the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf
You have over 42 years of experience in the field of maritime education. How do you see it today in light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4IR and the era of digitization and automation?
With over four decades in the maritime industry, I have had the privilege of witnessing the industry evolve from a highly analog, experience-based tradition to one that is now being rapidly transformed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Today, we are at a pivotal crossroads where digitization, automation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping every facet of maritime operations – from navigation and engine room management to logistics and compliance.
Northeast Maritime Institute (NMI)
This shift has made it imperative for maritime education to not only adapt but to lead. At Northeast Maritime Institute (NMI), we have embraced this responsibility head-on. Our approach is rooted in preserving the human element while embracing technological advancement. Through our Northeast Maritime Online (NEMO°) platform, we’ve expanded access to world-class training by delivering accredited coursework and simulations globally. NEMO° ensures that mariners, whether in remote fishing communities or bustling ports, can upskill on demand, with consistency and quality that can be relied upon by companies and government agencies approving maritime education and training programs, alike.
HALO° Education Systems
We’ve also invested heavily in HALO° Education Systems and its groundbreaking HALO° Exams and LMS platform, which brings a new level of integrity and security to online education and assessments while significantly enhancing performance in the field. This innovation supports our commitment to valid, verifiable, and accessible certification processes, something that is crucial in a time when the industry is seeking faster, more scalable ways to credential a global maritime workforce without sacrificing quality or accountability.
The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE°)
Moreover, through the Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE°), we’re addressing the broader policy implications of 4IR on maritime labor, regulation, and sustainability. COPE° works at the intersection of workforce development, public policy, and ocean governance to ensure that the technological transformation is matched by equitable and forward-thinking frameworks that protect mariners’ rights while ensuring economic and environmental resilience.
Seamanship traditions and the necessity for innovation.
Personally, having started in this field long before digitization was even a consideration, I understand both the importance of seamanship traditions and the necessity for innovation. Our goal is not to erase the past but to bridge it with the future and to prepare professional mariners not just to survive, but to thrive in an industry that demands lifelong learning, technological fluency, with moral and ethical clarity.
The maritime education of tomorrow will belong to institutions and individuals who can balance human expertise with technological advancement, and I am proud that the organizations I’ve helped shape are doing just that.
Revolution in the maritime education
-You said that you have revolutionized the field of maritime education and training. How? And what characterized the institute you head from others?
Revolutionizing maritime education has never been about chasing trends, it has been about identifying systemic gaps and courageously filling them. Over my 42-year journey, I’ve witnessed first-hand how rigid, outdated systems failed to meet the real-world needs of mariners. That’s why I founded and continue to lead the Northeast Maritime Institute (NMI) not just as an academic institution, but as a movement for meaningful change in maritime training and policy.
Our revolution began with a human-centered model
Our revolution began with a human-centered model – one that values mariners not as commodities, but as professionals who deserve rigorous training, ethical treatment, and lifelong opportunity. Unlike many traditional institutions, NMI has remained independent, agile, and forward-thinking. We are proud to be the only private maritime college in the United States, and this freedom allows us to innovate rapidly, respond to industry needs, and focus on merit, not bureaucracy.
We distinguished ourselves by creating the Northeast Maritime Online (NEMO°) platform, an intuitive, scalable e-learning system that brings quality maritime education to even the most remote corners of the globe. Through NEMO°, we’ve broken down barriers of geography, cost, and institutional exclusivity. Mariners who would otherwise be left behind now have access to relevant training and certification at their fingertips.
We further revolutionized the integrity of maritime credentialing through HALO° Education Systems and its HALO° Exams and LMS platform are setting a new global standard in online education and examination monitoring and validation. HALO° guarantees academic and exam integrity, proctoring transparency, and real-time assessment security, which is essential in a global sector where inconsistent training and fraudulent certification threaten both lives and commerce.
Related : Francis Zachariae ..Secretary-General of (IALA): Our dream !
But our work extends beyond technology. Through The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE°), we are driving policy-level changes advocating for fair labor practices, sustainable economic development, and new models for flag-state oversight. NMI isn’t just training mariners; we’re working to reform the very systems that govern maritime operations from safety regulation to workforce development.
What sets us apart is our mission-driven ethos. We are not beholden to legacy systems or institutional inertia. Instead, we champion moral clarity, innovation, and access. We’ve built a platform that doesn’t just teach seafaring, it empowers the professional mariner and seafarer, strengthens communities, and supports the economic engines of coastal and island nations. In short, we’ve revolutionized the field by doing what others would not or could not. And we’re just getting started.
The fastest-growing ship registries in the world
You helped build one of the fastest-growing ship registries in the world as co-founder of the Commonwealth of Dominica Maritime Registry if you can tell us about this step?
Between 2004 and 2009, I had the unique honor of serving as a co-founder and architect of what became one of the fastest-growing ship registries in the world, the Commonwealth of Dominica Maritime Registry. At that time, the global maritime landscape was dominated by a handful of entrenched flag states, many of which operated under models that lacked transparency, accountability, and, most critically, a genuine commitment to mariner welfare and safety.
Our goal with the Dominica Registry was bold but clear: to create a flag state that balanced global competitiveness with moral integrity, prioritizing safety, training, and compliance while offering shipowners a responsive and responsible alternative. We developed a comprehensive, policy-based framework rooted in the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) instruments, and we established a worldwide network of Deputy Maritime Administrators, auditors, and port state liaison officers committed to upholding those standards.
One of our proudest achievements was advancing the Dominica Registry onto the IMO STCW Whitelist that issued original Certificates of Competence, a critical benchmark that affirmed our training and certification system met global standards. We also worked diligently to establish a Code of Ethical Conduct for shipowners and seafarers, something rarely seen in flag registries, with an emphasis on labor conditions, training compliance, and seafarer protections.
Related : Exclusive with Gavin Allwright : Secretary General of (IWSA) ( 1- 3 )
From 2004 to 2009, the registry’s trajectory was strong and accelerating. We had positioned Dominica as a principled leader in the open registry market, guided by the belief that a flag could be both commercially viable and ethically sound. However, in 2009, with the election of a new government in Dominica, there was a marked departure from our strategic vision. At a critical juncture, when key international treaty instruments required ratification to advance the registry’s position globally, the new administration chose not to act, effectively stalling the momentum we had worked so hard to build.
While that policy shift slowed the registry’s growth trajectory, it also served as a lesson in the importance of political will in sustaining global maritime leadership. Nonetheless, the foundational work we did during that five-year period has had enduring impact. The systems, infrastructure, and international credibility we established laid the groundwork for Dominica’s continued presence in the maritime world.
It was a formative experience that shaped much of my later work, including my ongoing efforts through The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE°) to advance policy-driven, ethical, and effective models of maritime governance because we’ve seen what can be achieved when bold vision meets principled execution.
Maritime training and education in our Arab region
How do you evaluate maritime training and education in our Arab region or elsewhere?
The Arab region holds tremendous maritime heritage and strategic importance in the global maritime economy. From the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf, Arab nations are at the center of international trade, energy transport, and port innovation. Over the past two decades, I’ve observed significant advancements in maritime infrastructure, the development of training centers, and a growing recognition of the importance of investing in human capital to match the region’s geopolitical maritime relevance.
That said, like many regions around the world, there remains a critical need to bridge the gap between traditional training models and the demands of the modern, digitally transformed maritime industry. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerates, maritime training must evolve to meet new safety, technological, regulatory, and environmental expectations.
At Northeast Maritime Institute, we approach this global challenge not with criticism, but with solutions. We recognize that every region, including the Arab world, faces unique regulatory, economic, and cultural contexts, and our strength lies in our ability to listen, adapt, and respond. Through our Northeast Maritime Online (NEMO°) platform and our HALO° LMS and Exam monitoring and assessment system, we’ve developed tools that are scalable, secure, and standards-compliant, offering training and credentialing that can seamlessly integrate with national goals.
Where we see gaps, we see opportunities for innovation, for partnership, and for mutual capacity-building. Our mission is not to impose a system, but to work collaboratively with regional governments, port authorities, and industry to enhance existing training frameworks, build local workforce capacity, and help position Arab maritime nations as leaders in the next era of maritime excellence.
We see the Arab region not as behind, but as poised for transformation, poised for leadership, and poised for impact. And NMI stands ready to help realize that vision, hand in hand.
