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The Scholar Ship today announced the lease of a 29,000-ton ocean liner
that will become the first ocean going education program developed
specifically for an international student body. The application deadline
for the September voyage is April 30.
The Scholar Ship will transform the 660-foot (201 meters) MONA LISA to
accommodate 600 undergraduate and graduate students in a multicultural
academic and living environment. The ship will be re-named The Scholar
Ship. It has 389 staterooms that can accommodate 778 students and faculty,
as well as 416 crew members.
The Scholar Ship program receives
financial and operational support from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
The MONA LISA is the ex KUNGSHOLM built by the famous John Brown Clydebank
shipyard in 1966 for Swedish America Lines. In her long career she has
been a P&O ship operating as SEA PRINCESS and then as VICTORIA. In 2000
she appeared with a Union Castle funnel whilst on charter for the
centenary revival of that famous line. Latterly she operated as the MONA
LISA, owned by Leonardo Shipping.
The Scholar Ship will make its maiden voyage in September 2007 from
Piraeus (Athens), Greece and sail westward on a compelling itinerary that
includes stops in Lisbon, Portugal; Panama City, Panama; Guayaquil,
Ecuador; Papeete, Tahiti; Suva, Fiji; Sydney, Australia; Shanghai, China;
and Okinawa and Kobe, Japan. In addition to the programs extensive
onboard curriculum, each port of call provides a distinct educational
platform from which students engage in academic field study, shore
excursions, and independent travel.
Finding a vessel we could transform into an oceangoing campus was a
unique challenge, said Michael Bonner, chief operating officer of The
Scholar Ship. We wanted a ship with ample public space, expansive outdoor
deck areas, comfortable staterooms, and appropriately sized rooms to
conduct classes. After nearly a year of reviewing dozens of alternatives,
we found a vessel that is ideally suited for our program. It is a classic
ocean liner with a deep-draft hull, spacious rooms and decks designed
specifically for longer global voyages.
Seven high-standing international universities have collaborated on the
development of The Scholar Ships rigorous onboard and port programs. The
Scholar Ships Consortium of Academic Stewards includes the University of
California, Berkeley (United States), Macquarie University (Australia),
Fudan University (China), Tecnolgico de Monterrey (Mexico), Al Akhawayn
University (Morocco), University of Ghana (Sub-Saharan Africa), and
Cardiff University (United Kingdom.
The Scholar Ships student
diversity is distinctive among shipboard study programs, said Dr. Joseph
Olander, president of The Scholar Ship and a prolific author and esteemed
university president in the U.S. and abroad. Of the students requesting
applications, the Americas represent 36 percent of student interest,
Europe/Middle East/Africa - 44 percent and Asia Pacific - 20 percent. The
faculty and onboard staff are similarly diverse.
"The response from such a broad group of students has been impressive,
said Olander. Our distinctive education abroad model is catching on, in
part because we provide a unique approach to immerse students in a
multicultural environment that would be virtually impossible to create
anywhere else."
Program fees are approximately USD 20,000 per semester. A two-million
dollar scholarship fund has been established for the 2007/2008 academic
year to broaden the availability of this program to students from diverse
backgrounds. Scholarships will be awarded based on academic merit and
economic need.
For additional information, visit www.TheScholarShip.com, or email Study@TheScholarShip.com. |
