Choosing a profession is challenging. It is hard to predict your life's purpose, where and how you will achieve self-realization, align your aspirations with your obligations and determine if a particular profession suits you. There are many questions without immediate answers, but one thing is certain when making your decision—you must love the job you choose.
I can honestly tell you why I chose seafaring and why it remains my professional passion—I wanted freedom. I could not adapt to prohibitions and boundaries; I needed to run, to show strength and courage. I wanted to test myself beyond the environment I was born into. I wanted to see the world as it is, travel, explore countries and cultures and sail the seas and oceans. Seafaring was my ticket to freedom.
Today, there are no more iron curtains or closed borders, but believe me, the seafaring profession still offers a path to inner freedom, self-overcoming and self-mastery. Those who choose this profession shape their own destinies. A seafarer is a world citizen, bearing great responsibility to their country and, indeed, to the world. Boarding a ship under any national flag makes you a representative of that nation in every port you visit. You must uphold the flag's honor and love people. Seamanship constantly tests your strength, dignity, relationships and diplomacy. You must love this job!
Why should you choose the Batumi Navigation Teaching University if you decide to become a seafarer? Because I founded it out of love and devotion to my profession. I began this work deeply convinced that our country's prosperity depends on having many highly qualified maritime professionals. Your welfare, your families' welfare, and your participation in the economic strengthening of the country are vital public matters.
Georgia is a sea transit country. The Nobel brothers seized this unique opportunity to export Caspian oil to Europe, initiating the Batumi port's rise to global importance. This marked the beginning of Batumi's rapid development and enrichment, a city whose beauty, architectural monuments and history we proudly celebrate today. The construction of the Transcaucasian highway and the increasing volume of cargo passing through Georgia, along with the prospects of new deep-water ports, pose significant challenges to the maritime education system. We need to train specialists in port management and transport logistics at the bachelor's and master's levels. These specialists will shape our country's modern history. That is why our university is strengthening its logistics faculties and guiding your attention toward new, in-demand specialties.
Batumi Navigation Teaching University offers international-standard training programs and certified courses, providing optimal conditions for developing high professional habits and skills. Your teachers are top-class specialists, experienced deep-sea captains and mechanics. Our team comprises individuals who love their profession. We are confident that the development of the maritime industry, transport logistics, and cargo management is crucial for Georgia's future and that you represent the best future of our country!
Sincerely,
Rector, Professor and Deep-Sea Captain,
Parmen Khvedelidze