The World Maritime University-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) contributed to the 2026 Summer Academy “UN and the Sea: Ocean Governance and Maritime Affairs”, organized by the Regional Chapter North of the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN), held from 3–8 August 2026 in Hamburg, Germany.
2026 summer academy
un and the sea: ocean governance and maritime affairs
The Summer Academy brought together participants from diverse academic backgrounds, including law, political science and international relations, to explore the role of the United Nations in ocean governance and to examine contemporary maritime affairs.
WMU-GOI contributors included Associate Professor Aleke Stöfen-O’Brien, and Akrita Kaur, Project and Research Support intern. Dr Stöfen-O’Brien delivered an opening session on the United Nations’ work in ocean governance and maritime affairs, providing an introduction to the UN system and its engagement with ocean-related issues, including the development of the law of the sea and current challenges in ocean governance. The session also highlighted career opportunities within the United Nations and other international organizations.
Later in the week, Professor Ronán Long, Director of the WMU-GOI, delivered a session on dispute resolution in ocean governance, providing participants with an overview of the legal and institutional mechanisms available for addressing disputes relating to the oceans.
The WMU-GOI contributions supported the Summer Academy’s objective of strengthening participants’ understanding of the legal, institutional and policy dimensions of ocean governance. The engagement also provided an opportunity for WMU to further strengthen its collaboration with the United Nations Association of Germany and contribute to knowledge exchange on contemporary ocean and maritime affairs.
About the world maritime university
The World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden is established within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. The mission of WMU is to be the world centre of excellence in postgraduate maritime and oceans education, professional training and research, while building global capacity and promoting sustainable development. WMU is an organization by and for the international maritime community and is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Agenda.
About the wmu-sasakawa global ocean institute
The World Maritime University’s WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) is an independent focal point for the ocean science-policy-law-industry-society interface where policymakers, the scientific community, regulators, industry actors, academics, and representatives of civil society meet to discuss how best to manage and use ocean spaces and their resources in accordance with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Institute was inaugurated in May 2018 and made possible through generous support from The Nippon Foundation of Japan, the Governments of Sweden, Canada, and Germany, as well as the City of Malmö
About the FUTURE OCEAN PROGRAMME
The Future Ocean Programme is funded by The Nippon Foundation and aims to generate knowledge and understanding of how law, political science, and public policy are used to effect change in humanity’s relationship with the ocean to combat the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution