This paper is about professors‘ understanding and perception in addressing a diversified adult student complement. The example is taken from a study at the World Maritime University. A total of 17 semi-structured conversations were conducted with the university‘s permanent and visiting professors. The study is based on the Bronfenbrenner‘s theory Ecology of Human Development. The analysis of collected data basically stems from two inductive strategies: Marton‘s phenomenography and Potter‘s discourse analysis. The study concludes that a different pedagogic understanding is required in order to meet students‘ different cognitive styles and to handle diversity. This study will give a voice to the teachers. The study also suggests that both students and professors should take short courses in cultural awareness and undertake sensitivity training.

This article is a summary of 15 years working onboard merchant ships with a multicultural crew complement, 25 years on the rostrum at World Maritime University in Malmö, and my Licentiate dissertation. These circumstances have awakened in me an interest in how people with different cultures manage to cooperate, reach consensus decisions and are able to understand and learn from each other and in the classroom. The latter prompts the question how it is possible to learn in an environment with many different teaching styles together with colleagues having equally different cognitive styles. Cognition varies, but how does the individual assimilate a wide variety of teaching styles as well as the different cultures and way of thinking and talking of colleagues?  This article aims to pass on findings from data gathered in a study carried out at my workplace using students and teachers outside my office. It has become a special concern today to understand how a group of people comprising different genders and different cultures can work together and learn together. In shipping it has become even more important because of its global nature since crews are seldom from the same nationality but comprise a mixture of people from almost the entire world. Teachers and students world-wide need culture awareness training in order to interact painlessly and communicate effectively. A student’s life at the four walls of the hostel-room and the World Wide Web (www) as the best friend is a recipe for withdrawal and misery. This article will encourage cultural awareness education and cultural sensitivity training at, in particular, education institutions for mariners. 

The aim of this article is to show if and how European maritime education and training institutions have met the increasing enrolment of women, and how shipping in general has reacted to gender equality. WMU has partly been the source for finding data related to studies in a multicultural and gender (minority) mixture of students and professors. In addition to a questionnaire to maritime education and training institutions, unstructured conversations with WMU students and professors have contributed to fact findings.

Apparently, there is more to be done in order to have women compete on a level playing field in the sphere of shipping. Shipping is historically male dominated and conservative, so it is well understood that there are ropes to be untied.

In this article, there are examples on how stakeholders in society have introduced policies on how to meet diversities. It is recommended that universities seriously pursue this trend.

I wish to appeal to educational institutions to publish a university policy on the gender perspective and diversity management in general. The policy must be in writing in order for staff and students to understand and remember the content of the policy. This is an issue that should follow the quality assurance aims and goals and should be posted in a public place within the university’s premises for everybody to be reminded.