Classification society DNV recently honoured the top graduates of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for the 2021-2022 academic year. The ceremony was held at DNV’s offices in Piraeus.

The event was graced by the presence of the Rector of the NTUA, Prof. Andreas Boudouvis, and the Dean of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Prof. G. Zarafonitis. The Rector expressed his gratitude to DNV for the initiative and emphasized the importance of this award not only as a reward for the graduates’ efforts, but also as an endorsement of the quality of NTUA’s graduates from a world-leading organization like DNV. As a result of two graduates tying for third place, the ceremony recognized four recipients instead of the usual three.

“The maritime industry is experiencing significant transformations, but this is not only affecting world trade but the economy and society as a whole,” said Ioannis Chiotopoulos, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager South-East Europe, Middle East and Africa at DNV Maritime. “This makes investing in tomorrow's leaders today crucial. By establishing the Excellence Award, we want to show our commitment to supporting the next generation, the young people who will take on the challenge of driving shipping towards greater sustainability, efficiency, and safety.”

The Excellence Award reflects the strong ties between DNV and NTUA, with many of the company's employees in Greece being NTUA’s graduates. DNV is also contributing to the development of future naval engineers by providing hands-on experience through internships during the summer months and offering free seminars to all students of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering throughout the year.

In 2021 DNV Hellas proposed to the Senate of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) the establishment of an Excellence Award for the top three graduates of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, which was accepted. The first award ceremony, for the outstanding graduates of the academic year 2020-2021, was held on December 20, 2022.

Image caption: Ioannis Chiotopoulos (left) with the Rector of the NTUA, Prof. Andreas Boudouvis

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DNV in the maritime industry

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