Michael Roe – Professor of Maritime and Logistics Policy

Professor Michael Roe is a globally recognised research leader in the area of maritime and logistics policy and governance with a particular interest in the cross-disciplinary relationship between globalisation, international governance and the maritime sector. This interest has emerged from earlier work which focused upon shipping and ports policy-making in the European Union and across the Soviet dominated Eastern Europe.

Professor Roe has close links with a number of global institutions (the United Nations, OECD and World Trade Organisation) and a range of national policy-making bodies including those in China, Greece, Hong Kong, Poland, Sweden and Turkey. Recent publications have included a major new book on maritime governance and policy-making which examines the relationship between policy failure in shipping and the role of the industry in manipulating globalised governance inadequacies. Work continues on modelling the nature of policy-making in shipping with a focus on moving the current framework from those dominated by structure to process-based policies.

Professor Roe, is also leading the WMA  Diploma in Maritime Business.

Looking back, how would you describe your career journey in maritime academia? What motivated you to enter this field?

Chaotic and with little planning. I began as a PhD student in Birmingham looking at highway planning. Then accidentally did some lecturing (Aston Uni) which suggested I enjoyed it. That led to a research post in operational research (!!!) (Coventry Uni) where I learned the topic each week before teaching it to town planning students. And that led to a proper lecturing job in London (City Poly). The job advert wanted a transport planner (traffic lights, roundabouts etc). When I got there my timetable was all shipping – something I had never studied….. then I moved to Plymouth Uni. And all that took place between 1982 and 1988……

Motivation? I loved it all.

What qualifications and skills do you find essential for a University career in maritime?

PhD. Business experience is overrated as a quality. Without a PhD you shouldn’t be working in a university. Patience, love of the subject; love of students. A generator of novel ideas…. and be willing to change tack.

You’ve taught a diverse group of students from different countries, ages, gender and so on, many of whom have gone on to become leaders or play crucial roles in shipping decision-making worldwide. How do you feel about seeing your former students making such significant impacts in the industry?

Love it. I still hear from a number and remain proud of most of them particularly those in higher education.

What do you miss most about teaching to students? Can you share a memorable teaching moment or experience that stood out during your career?

Nothing. I have dome that (teaching) and after 3000 lectures have exhausted the fun. Lots of lectures were enjoyable (for me if not the students) – it depended much on the topic. I remain potty about governance and the underlying politics and deception that characterises the industry.

2 stand-outs (and there are others I will miss here) – the collapse of a student in a lecture which required ambulance, resuscitation (not by me) etc…. she was eventually fine.

And the day the white board and all its electronics fell off the wall causing substantial damage to the board and wall, ripping out the electrics and generating a major alarm. I never touched it, honestly….

How has the field of maritime policy evolved since you first started? What have been the most significant changes or developments?

Little fundamentally has changed at all. The objectives and incentives remain the same. Some of the players have changed – location, etc – The main issue has been the change in communications of all sort and more significantly the increase in the role of women at increasingly higher levels. Thank goodness. My experience of dealing with maritime Doctoral students is that they are almost always the more perceptive, hard-working and innovative possibly because they know they have to be to compete in a continuing unfair world.

What were some of the major challenges you faced in your career?

Narrowly focussed senior staff who never saw the opportunities that were there. Vertical blinds that never worked. Being moved to Mast House – miles from the main campus – with no understanding of the impact on student/staff relationships.

How has technology influenced maritime policy and research during your tenure, and what technological advancements do you see as most pivotal for the future?

Hardly worth saying but I am pre PC; laptop; internet; email; mobile phones….. No idea on the future – may be autonomous shipping (or even autonomous lecturing).

How have sustainability concerns shaped maritime policy over the years? What future trends do you foresee?

A buzzword (often applied meaninglessly) for something that has now been recognised and should have been 100 years ago….. It is now central even where it actually is not important. Everything has to have a sustainable dimension – which does not mean it is overall very significant but…. sometimes too much lip service. Shipping has an abysmal record and those governing its governance are also awful – the IMO in particular even though it has great ideals.

What role did mentorship play in your career? Are there any students or colleagues you mentored who went on to make significant contributions to the field?

I have never been mentored. Ever. And I don’t think ever mentored anyone else – just tried to look after students when they needed someone. However unacceptable nowadays, an arm around many students (male and female) makes a lot of difference. And in some cases all the difference. I have a number of examples of parents thanking me not for “shipping” but for being human.

How do you see the future of maritime policy education evolving? What changes or improvements would you recommend for academic programs today?

More governance. The majority of maritime courses just tinker with facts and procedures. If you don’t understand good and bad governance then the rest is a waste of time.

You mentioned in one of your research papers that policy-making ‘is like beauty in the eye of the beholder.‘ How do you perceive the current state of policy-making and governance in the shipping industry today?

Did I really? (reference please). Corrupt. Governance often is, as are politicians. And nothing changes, so approach all policy making with a healthy dose of cynicism. Incidentally, cynicism is the most important quality for a professor….

Can you reflect on the impact of your work and career? How do you hope your contributions will be remembered in the field of maritime?

As something that is a bit different from the normal run of the mill: collect data, put in the mixer, model, produce more data, interpret, conclude – this structure dominates almost all output today, particularly journal papers. Once upon a time philosophy underlay much published material, but the obsession with data and its modelling has now come to dominate even Doctoral work – and remember that a PhD is a Doctorate in Philosophy and not shipping (or trucks or supply chains etc).

What were some of the most contentious or significant policy debates you engaged in during your career? How were these debates resolved, and what were their outcomes?

Most debates are never resolved but continue. Perhaps the most contentious revolved around the impact and characteristics of globalisation – whether it is a good or bad thing and for whom, can it be ignored or avoided (NO – see the UK and its pathetic attempts to do so); and more generally the political impact of shipping, starting with my work on Communist East Europe.

As a professor and policy expert, how did you balance the demands of academia, research, and personal life?

With difficulty. Each part suffered but each contributed to the other. Ultimately the latter always won out if a choice had to be made and yes, as a result I may not have written as much as I might, and may have missed some research visits/conferences etc – but overall obsessive academics will always contribute to life less rather than more. And it’s not just academics.

How important is an interdisciplinary approach in maritime policy, and how did you incorporate this into your teaching and research?

Vital and one of the things that is missing in much research. Shipping is not an island……. and needs to be placed in its wider context (including its philosophical base). Hopefully it shows through in all the work I have caried out and published since 1985…

How has retirement been for you? What activities or projects are you currently involved in that relate to your lifelong passion for maritime policy?

Still writing books, reviewing papers, examining PhDs and speaking to my favourite contacts. Retirement is busier than working – sounds ridiculous but it is. However, still much more  time for football, reading of Japanese fiction, seeing family and answering surveys……

What legacy do you hope to leave behind? How do you continue to stay connected with the field?

Books. And a few students that enjoyed my time with them.

What inspired you throughout your career, and how do you think the next generation can be inspired to pursue careers in maritime policy?

The most important inspiration for me was undoubtedly one academic – Gunnar Sletmo who wrote a brain changing paper on maritime governance – and a student from Maritime Business between 1999-2001 – Lina Selkou – who whilst at Erasmus University in Rotterdam changed my whole academic direction and future research. I remain in frequent touch with Lina even after all these years.

Are there any questions or areas in maritime policy that you believe remain unresolved or deserve further research?

Governance of course …..; Also the role of prejudice – sex, colour, faith, disability

How did your views on maritime policy and its challenges evolve over the course of your career? What personal growth did you experience as a result of your work?

They didn’t change, just got more intense. I fiercely doubt the claimed value of capitalism and hope for a socialist future. In truth land, air, open space, water etc etc belong to no-one. I also fiercely believe in internationalism and would be delighted to see all borders open as they are an artificial and unnecessary construct of capitalism.

Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Think. Take your time. Don’t reject any idea without thinking. Be ready to change. And remember to enjoy it all – including pain, tragedy, disappointment…… You are only here once.