On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the inaugural seminar of the summer training series titled “Familiarization Cycles with the Institutions of Maritime Law” took place, organized with the support of the Postgraduate Program (PMS) “Maritime Law” of the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) and the Department of Shipping and Business Services of the University of the Aegean.
This summer event was held under the auspices of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation and included four training seminars, which took place on July 8, 10, 15, and 17, 2025.
The event was hosted at the Historical Library of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation under the title: “The Ships of the Future: Legal Issues and Regulatory Challenges.”
A total of 110 selected participants, chosen through an expression of interest process, had the opportunity to attend the event completely free of charge. Specifically, the audience consisted of students from higher education institutions specializing in legal, maritime, or engineering studies, cadets from Merchant Marine Academies, as well as young professionals in the shipping industry. Sponsors of this initiative included the Embassy and General Consulate of Panama in Greece, as well as the companies Seaven and Mylaki Shipping Agency.
The seminar featured presentations by:
Coordination was handled by Dr. Ilias G. Bisias (University of the Aegean).
During the presentations, panel members analyzed the most pressing issues facing modern legal professionals, particularly in relation to current technological advancements in the shipping sector. Specifically, extensive reference was made to upcoming changes in international legislation related to the operations, management, and safety of autonomous vessels. These issues, based on the demands of international conventions, are still under development and are influenced by continuous technological advancements in autonomous ship construction. The IMO has extensively addressed various legislative matters concerning autonomous ships since 2015 through specialized committees. However, as highlighted, many of the emerging issues that international legislators must address remain highly complex.
The seminar also introduced timely legal terms and specialized interpretations concerning seaworthiness in modern maritime law, international conventions on maritime safety, and cybersecurity.
Additionally, emphasis was placed on the fact that commercial shipping is governed by national, regional, or international regulations that modern managers must know and understand. Among other topics discussed were the need for adopting international standards for new fuels and the reassessment of the legal framework concerning modern liabilities of shipowners, managers, and crew toward third parties.
The seminar concluded with remarks by Prof. Maria Lekakou (Department of Shipping & Business Services, University of the Aegean), who summarized the key points of the event.
Below, you can watch the video from the first seminar of the “Familiarization Cycles with the Institutions of Maritime Law” titled “The Ships of the Future: Legal Issues and Regulatory Challenges”:
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The events are held with the assistance and support of:
