Governance & Structure

WMU is an independent academic institution that operates in a complex environment of stakeholders, of which all are key to the success of the institution.

The University is governed by Charter and Statues approved by IMO Assembly. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) serves as Chancellor of WMU.

The 30-member Board of Governors meets annually and the 11-member Executive Board meets no less than three times a year providing oversight between the annual meetings of the Governors. Both the Board of Governors and Executive Board members are appointed by the Secretary-General of IMO.  

The Office of the President provides executive support to the President in their capacity as Chief Executive Officer of the World Maritime University. It supports the President in several key areas, including executive management and coordination of IMO and UN system matters, legal and external relations, communications, partnerships and development, strategic planning and implementation, fund-raising as well as operations management. The Office serves as secretariat to the WMU Governing Bodies (the Board of Governors and the Executive Board).

At the center of the University's operation is the Faculty which operates the Malmö-based teaching programmes, the international outreach programmes, research, short courses, conferences and professional services (publications, participation in international panels, boards and seminars).

In supporting the delivery of the academic programmes, Academic Services and Administrative Services provide a wide range of functions for the institution, including Registry, Student Services, Finance, Human Resources Management, Information Technology and Corporate Services.

The organizational structure of the University follows the functional structure and defines formal reporting lines of all staff at the institution.

In addition to the formal structure, the University operates several councils, committees and working groups. Councils and committees are permanent components of the organizational structure of WMU and are either established per definition in the Charter or other legislative document or out of industry practice.