Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has called for aligning education policies with the requirements of the blue economy to develop a skilled workforce and support sustainable economic growth.

During a meeting with Bahria University Rector Vice Admiral (retd) Engr Abid Hameed, the minister discussed expanding maritime education through collaboration between the Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) and Bahria University.

He said the process of granting degree-awarding status to PMA was in its final stage and would help align maritime education with international standards.

The minister highlighted a shortage of skilled manpower, weak institutional coordination and limited specialized educational programs as major challenges facing Pakistan’s blue economy. He also discussed the proposed Maritime Educational Endowment Fund (MEEF), which aims to support students, particularly from coastal communities, through scholarships and educational assistance.

Junaid Chaudhry noted that Pakistan’s ocean economy contributes around 0.4 percent to GDP and stressed the need to unlock opportunities in shipping, ports, fisheries, marine tourism and offshore energy through improved education, research and industry-academia collaboration.