Fulbright alumnus Dr. Ioannis N. Lagoudis is an associate professor at the University of Piraeus Department of Maritime Studies and Director of the university’s MSc in Marine Science and Technology Management. Here, he talks to Business Partners about the role of innovation in transforming the maritime sector, the importance of building on education to develop actionable solutions to real world challenges, his experience with the Fulbright Program, and his commitment to assisting aspiring Fulbright scholars seeking to make a positive impact on society.
Much of your work focuses on supply chain management and maritime logistics. How are technologies such as AI and IoT transforming these fields and shipping operations in general?
Technology is a key component in every company’s strategic direction and a critical enabler in implementing and executing daily decisions that affect financial performance on the one hand and have a social impact on the other. In the maritime world, digital business applications such as AI and IoT are playing an increasingly important role as they assist in decisions related to daily operations. Applications are manifold and include voyage optimization, refueling options, repair and maintenance, port dues, and more. This is an era of major digital transformation for the maritime industry, with an abundance of ideas being developed aiming to tackle various challenges the industry has been facing for decades—if not centuries.
What are some of the main trends and challenges facing the maritime industry today and how are technological advances and innovation used to address these?
Two of the key challenges the maritime industry is currently facing are people management and energy. The first has to do with the global shortage of seafarers, which has pushed the industry to explore innovations related to unmanned vessel design as well as other new technology options offering high levels of automation. It is worth pointing out that there are already a number of automated container terminals in operation around the world and pilot projects with unmanned ships are currently being evaluated.
The second challenge concerns maritime’s fuel of the future. There is an industry consensus that the transition from fossil fuels to greener options is a conundrum, with methanol, biomass, and LNG being among the transitory fuels toward that goal. There is currently a lot of R&D in this area, with innovations seeking to identify the dominant solution that will have the greenest impact on the planet.
Tell us a little about your time as Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010-2011. What inspired you to apply to the Fulbright Program, and how has the experience shaped your academic and professional journey?
Spending time at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics was a unique experience. I was given the opportunity not only to conduct research of the highest caliber but also, most importantly, to experience MIT’s academic culture. MIT’s motto, mens et manus, which translates from Latin to “mind and hand,” is inspirational in the sense that education via research should aim at having an impact on humanity by providing practical solutions to everyday problems, which will improve the wellbeing of people.
Having experienced the US education system at a high school level, the Greek higher education system at undergraduate level, and the UK education system at postgraduate level, it was one of my goals to experience the US higher education system as well, as this would assist in extending my academic and research skills. The Fulbright Program made it possible not only for this dream to come true but also for a once in a lifetime journey to start. To date, this journey has included an approximately 10-year-long affiliation with the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, involvement in launching MIT’s center for supply chain management in Malaysia, setting up the MSc in Supply Chain Management at the Hellenic Open University, and currently, my involvement as Director of the MSc in Marine Science and Technology Management that is offered jointly by the University of Piraeus and the Hellenic Naval Academy.
As a Fulbright Outreach Ambassador, you work to inspire and guide future candidates. What’s your advice to aspiring Fulbright scholars?
Allow to me start by stating that education is the best investment one can offer to oneself for many reasons. Among the obvious reasons is the fact that it enables us to think critically and tackle the challenges we face pragmatically, by balancing between data and emotions. Education also cultivates our spirit by exposing us to experiences of multiple and diverse cultures, and it assists us in improving our wellbeing by offering us the potential of higher wealth levels. A unique characteristic of education that many are perhaps not aware of is that, from an investment point of view, it is among the few low risk, high reward investments. The Fulbright Program offers scholars an opportunity to further invest in educating themselves and enjoy the fruits of this investment in the medium to long term. Most importantly, the benefits of education are not constrained to self-development only; through their initiatives and active participation in society, Fulbright Scholars can make a direct and/or indirect impact on improving the lives of the communities they are part of.
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Fulbright Greece Outreach Ambassadors
Fulbright Greece Outreach Ambassadors are alumni who share their experiences to help promote the scholarship programs, advise future applicants, and connect and engage with our grantees and alumni.
While all Fulbright Greece alumni are ambassadors of the Program, the Outreach Ambassadors are Fulbright voices in Greek universities and research centers. They are the Foundation’s points of contact at major institutions of higher education around Greece.
They inform, advise, and assist potential Fulbright Greece scholarship applicants, relate their personal Fulbright experiences in the US, and introduce students to the United States higher education landscape. They increase awareness about Fulbright opportunities in the academic and research environment, either in Greece or in the United States, and engage with US Fulbright grantees to help them integrate into their university and local communities.
For more information visit www.fulbright.gr
