Advanced Training for Senior Maritime Navigation Aids Management Personnel Opens in Shanghai

Recently, the 2026 Advanced Management Training for International Maritime Aids to Navigation officially commenced in Shanghai. Nineteen senior maritime aids to navigation managers from 14 countries and regions are participating in the training, which includes one month of systematic learning and practical exchange.

The training is jointly organized by the Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport and the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), and hosted by the East China Sea Navigation Support Center of the Ministry of Transport. The Maritime Safety Administration and IALA have long cooperated in the field of maritime navigation support talent development. The two parties signed training cooperation memorandums of understanding in Paris, France, in 2014, and in Wenzhou, China, in 2025, establishing a regular joint training mechanism. Over the past decade, the program has covered 43 countries and regions worldwide, training a total of 190 professional maritime aids to navigation management personnel. This has provided strong support for countries to build localized professional teams and enhance navigation support service levels. The training model and its practical outcomes have been fully recognized by IALA.

In recent years, as a council member of IALA, China has conducted pilot projects for smart navigation support in key port areas, accumulating practical experience. This training is closely aligned with the actual needs of industry development and includes three teaching modules: international maritime rules and knowledge, application of navigation aid technologies, and navigation aid operation management. It also incorporates specialized practical tasks for navigation aid planning. The training invites authoritative industry experts to deliver lectures and includes various teaching methods such as field visits, technical discussions, and simulation exercises, balancing theoretical depth with practical relevance. Additionally, there will be a special seminar on the application of artificial intelligence in the field of navigation support. The training aims to further enhance mutual trust and industry consensus among countries, promote the construction of a more resilient global maritime aids to navigation service system, and play a positive role in ensuring global maritime safety, improving shipping efficiency, and fostering sustainable industry development.