MOL Teams up with University of Tokyo Graduate School on its Project Based Learning
- Implementing Industry-Academia Partnership Education Program Leveraging MOL's Expertise in Environmental Regulations -

February 27, 2017

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Juichiro Ikeda) today announced the completion, on Friday, February 10, of this year's Project Based Learning ("PBL") program at the University of Tokyo (President: Makoto Gonokami; Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) Graduate Program for Mechanical Systems Innovation (GMSI), Research and Education Consortium for Innovation of Advanced Integrated Science (CIAiS) and Global Leader Program for Social Design and Management (GSDM).

"PBL" is a program implemented by University of Tokyo Graduate School, aimed at developing personnel who have the ability to work in a broader spectrum and apply one's skills to a multidisciplinary setting while maintaining a high level of expertise.

MOL, as the project manager, provided the theme "application of bio fuels for diesel engines on ocean shipping vessels," and provided support throughout the process of defining and solving tasks in research conducted by the students, from both technical and commercial viewpoints.

In this research, students of various nationalities addressed MOL's theme and assessed measures for more stringent environmental regulations, from a viewpoint outside the scope of the marine industry, based on their accumulated knowledge and information gathered in their thesis research. Their final presentation addressed the feasibility of bio fuels for merchant vessels by comparing them to the use of conventional heavy oil assuming a specific situation-using bio fuel supplied in Brazil on the Brazil/East Asia route.

MOL's human resource development activities focus on deepening its collaboration with academia with the goal of nurturing personnel with a high degree of international competitiveness, who can play active roles in shaping the future of industry and academia.

In addition, the company continues to take a proactive stance in promotion of the "ISHIN NEXT - MOL SMART SHIP PROJECT -," which involves development and introduction of technologies that will help reduce the environmental impact of ocean shipping while providing safe, reliable transport services.