Participants in the IHO – Korea capacity-building initiative graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi

Qualified hydrographers can work in many fields and can help increase our knowledge of the ocean, supporting all ocean-based activities

“The Hydrographic Science masters is a demanding and intensive curriculum covering all aspects of hydrography and related sciences. It is core to the advanced requirements, and is sought out by government agencies and industry, worldwide, to meet their need for highly trained hydrographers.“

USM President Dr Joseph S. Paul

The IHO representative, Director Luigi Sinapi, attending the ceremony in person after three years of absence due to the pandemic thanked the USM and the Republic of Korea for this successful “Category A” programme which has been running since 2013 and highlighted the importance of the collaboration between the IHO, ROK and USM in his keynote speech.

“This Programme is a real success story thanks to which 20 students from 12 different IHO Member States, including the 3 graduating this year, have been trained, and who now occupy prominent positions both within and outside the international hydrographic community, at national, regional and international levels.”

Mr Sinapi, IHO Director

Mr Sangkil Lee Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S. echoed the importance of collaboration between the three organizations behind the Category A programme at the USM and pledged continued support for the IHO Capacity Building programme on behalf of Mr Byeon, Director General of the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA).

During the ceremony, Mr Marlon E. Estropia from the Philippines, one of the IHO-ROK scholars, was awarded the ‘Hydrographer of the Navy Education Award’ for his results during the 2021-22 academic year. The award was handed over by Mr Matt Borbash, Deputy Hydrographer of the U.S. Navy.  

The IHO-ROK programme will continue and for the 2022-23 academic year it will finance two students from Guatemala and Sri Lanka to attend the course at the USM.

Opportunities for 2023-24 will soon be announced by Circular Letter thanks to the ongoing support of the Republic of Korea.