MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY OF SYROS

Welcome to our website

We welcome you to the website of the Merchant Marine Academy of Syros for Marine Deck Officers, in the hope that it will offer you explicit information about our Academy, its activities and curriculum.

"We have land and home, when we have ships and sea",

said Herodotus in ancient times, thus providing a part of the definition of Hellenism and Greece itself: that of Seamanship.

Ever since the contemporary Greek state was established, Merchant Shipping has been one of the key ingredients for its survival and progress.

The maritime educational system is a key factor for the development of Greek Economy since the seafaring profession is ‘‘extrovert’’ by definition and contributes to the greek economy in multiple ways.

The Merchant Marine Academy of Syros was founded six decades ago under the decree 10477/268/04-02-1961 of the Ministry of Mercantile Marine / MC 2nd and during the term of Minister G. Andrianopoulos. It was then named ‘‘Public School of Merchant Navy Captains’’ and has ever since been housed in the historic building that housed the British Telegraph company during the nineteenth century. This company belonged to CABLE AND WIRELESS LIMITED, which had succeeded the well-known EASTERN TELEGRAPH COMPANY LIMITED, based in London.

The semantics of the location of the building which houses the Merchant Marine Academy is probably not accidental. This neoclassical building, which carries great historical and architectural value is located at the edge of the port of Syros, at the part of the town called "Kymata", with a view to the island of Tinos, Mykonos and the deep blue Aegean Sea.

Starting its operation in 1962 and during the intervening 60 years to date, the M.M.A. of Syros has been a pioneer through its 1,895 (and more) graduates that sail the seas of all continents. It is a common secret among all seafarers that the degree of M.M.A of Syros is in itself a powerful and important quality that ensures its holders respect and appreciation due to the knowledge they have already acquired during the first years of their seamanship.

Throughout the 60-year-old existence and history of our Academy, its graduates have put themselves out into unknown seas and new horizons, ‘shipping’ Greek thought, Greek culture and Greece itself, all over the world, along with the merchandise their vessels transport.

It is known that the island of Syros, and the whole group of the Cyclades through it, have a long maritime tradition. The presence of our Academy enhances seamanship in all traditional shipping areas of the Cyclades, as well as of the entire central and southern Aegean Sea, reviving significantly the historical role of Hermoupolis in the development of Greek shipping.

The students of the M.M.A. of Syros constitute a living cell of the society, having an active role in many educational, social and religious events. Their participation in the celebrations of national holidays and local festivities (such as the celebration of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of all seafarers, as well as of Hermoupolis) has been established and is always anticipated with pride by the society of Syros. Throughout the last few years, our Academy has made progress, both in its curriculum that is always being updated following the changes to the STCW International Convention (Manila amendments 2010), as well as in the upgrade of the quality of education it offers through the provision of grants, the renovation of the building, the educational equipment and simulators, etc.

In the meantime, the Academy does not fail to show its ‘‘social face’’, as our Student Association provides their life-giving assistance to the General Hospital and the Association of Blood Donation of Syros, with alacrity and a major sense of duty.

Today, the Merchant Marine Academy of Syros has been ranked in the top positions of all State Maritime Training Institutions in terms of its productivity and profitability, according to a survey conducted in 2012 by the Athens University of Economics in cooperation with the Eugenides Foundation.