The blockage of the Suez Canal, a key waterway for global maritime trade, has been dominating the news recently. Amid the disruption of global commerce, Old Dominion University's ManWo Ng, associate professor of maritime management, was interviewed by Supply Chain Dive - a key trade publication reporting on maritime news - to provide context to the situation.
"ODU has long been known within academia for its maritime business research," said Wayne Talley, professor of maritime economics at ODU. "Under the leadership of Dr. Ng, ODU is building a name among maritime industry professionals as well. He is regularly interviewed for his thoughts on major events affecting the maritime industry, both by specialized trade outlets as well as general business media, such as Bloomberg News."
Last year, Ng connected with the American Association of Port Authorities to share maritime research conducted at ODU with more than 130 port authorities in the Western Hemisphere.
"ODU's maritime research is widely known among academics worldwide, but it has not been able to reach industry practitioners to the extent that I want to see," Ng said. "This is a pity, because we have a lot to offer. We somehow have managed to keep it hidden. It is time to share our work to benefit the broader public.
"With all the media attention given to the Suez Canal accident, a silver lining is that this might be a good opportunity to increase the awareness of the maritime industry among the general public, an industry that is often taken for granted."
ODU's expertise in maritime research stretches back decades. In 2020, Talley and Ng were appointed co-editors-in-chief of Elsevier's Maritime Transport Research journal.
