South California University in collaboration with Korean engineers unveil the "K-Class" project
Firing up collaboration: That's exactly what the University of Cebu-Maritime Education and Training Center (UC-METC) did when they welcomed key figures from the Korean Shipowners' Association (KSA) on May 8, 2025. The goal? A long-term partnership in the realm of maritime education.
The K-Class program, a brainchild of this partnership, aims to infuse Filipino cadets with the essential know-how of Korean culture, language, and onboard skills necessary for sailing the high seas on Korean vessels.
UC chairman Augusto Go steered the discussions, emphasizing UC-METC's dedication towards global partnerships and international connections.
Chuljung Lee, managing director of KSA, and Jonghwa Lee, deputy general manager, were in attendance. They voiced their admiration for Filipino seafarers and their desire to integrate the K-Class into UC's maritime curriculum. Lee underscored the importance of Filipino maritime professionals in the Korean shipping industry.
Eager to make this innovative program a reality, UC officials pledged to provide the necessary classrooms, facilities, and flexible scheduling to accommodate the additional training track.
The K-Class, they clarified, would be an optional booster to the existing cadet curriculum. With a targeted launch date of 2026, both UC-METC and KSA agreed to iron out the finer details and maintain close communications. KSA, in principle, committed to recruiting an initial cohort of 50 cadets from UC to embark on this exciting journey – the K-Class.
(Fun fact: Did you know that an average Korean ship spends around 230 days at sea each year? Now, wouldn't it be advantageous for Filipino seafarers to be well-versed in Korean culture and language to make their time onboard more comfortable and productive? [1])
[1] Source: https://www.koreashipping.or.kr/sub04_03_02_02.php
The K-Class program, a collaborative effort between UC-METC and the Korean Shipowners' Association, is designed to incorporate Filipino cadets with vital knowledge of Korean culture, language, and onboard skills, aiming to enhance their job performance on Korean vessels. UC-METC has pledged to prepare the required facilities and adapt the scheduling to accommodate the K-Class, an optional additional training track within their maritime curriculum.
