Youths Compete to Recreate the Panama Canal with Lego at Sea Asia

SINGAPORE, April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) and Seatrade are launching a first-of-its-kind Lego competition for tertiary students at Sea Asia 2017 as part of an initiative to give students pursuing a maritime-related education greater industry insight and exposure to the industry.

With support from The Panama Canal Authority, three groups of students from the Singapore Maritime Academy (Singapore Polytechnic), Ngee Ann Polytechnic and ITE College Central will be tasked to compete and recreate part of the world's technical wonders, the Panama Canal, under 90 minutes.

Using the Limited Edition Lego Education Panama Canal sets, the teams will be judged on speed, accuracy and functionality of their canal's locks system.

Mr David Chin, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation, shares that the competition aims to engage youths and introduce them to the diverse aspects of the maritime industry.

"The Sea Asia Youth Lego Competition (Panama Canal Edition) is a great way for us to engage the younger generation and promote maritime through a fun and interactive activity.

"This year is also special as we will have over 220 participants from the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) who will be participating in the guided Sea Asia Youth Tour 2017. These participants will include, for the first time, not only youths from the IHLs, but the education and career guidance counsellors (ECG) working with students and jobseekers.

"SMF has been working to share more with youths about the maritime industry over the past decade, building up to the establishment of the Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) Office last year, with support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. This unit focuses efforts on establishing networks across various stakeholders, and thereby increasing accessibility, to connect both students and jobseekers to the multiple pathways to a rewarding and enriching maritime career," said Mr Chin.  

Mr Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade, said: "The young generation are the future of the industry and we're pleased that Sea Asia 2017 can provide an opportunity for them to engage through activities such as the Sea Asia Youth Tour. The Youth Tour has always been a key part of the Sea Asia offering, and the competition will add a new dimension to it which will be both instructive and enjoyable."

Also taking place for the first time at this year's edition of Sea Asia is the Sea Asia Maritime Art Gallery. Exploring the works of maritime artist Mr Chung Chee Kit, the art gallery will showcase the transformation of the maritime and shipping landscape in Singapore through Mr Chung's paintings.

"The art gallery will bring a new dimension of vibrancy to Sea Asia. We're honoured to be working with Mr Chung on this inaugural Sea Asia Maritime Art Gallery and look forward to sharing with everyone the heritage and culture of Singapore's maritime industry through Mr Chung's works of art," said Mr Hayman.

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Notes to Editors

About Sea Asia 2017
Sea Asia, the premier maritime and offshore conference and exhibition in Asia is returning for the 6th edition on 25 - 27 April 2017 at the Marina Bay Sands®, Singapore. Co-organised by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Sea Asia is well-attended by trade professionals and some of the most influential and respected leaders in the industry, delivering an unparalleled reach of key decision-makers.

Alongside an international exhibition, the highly acclaimed and interactive Sea Asia conference complements and puts Sea Asia at the forefront of regional maritime events. International thought-leaders will address the latest topics, debate on key trends, and discuss opportunities and challenges facing the maritime and offshore businesses from a commercial perspective.

For a full list of sponsors and exhibitors, and more information on the conference programme, please visit www.sea-asia.com.  

About Seatrade
Founded in 1970, Seatrade was acquired in 2014 by UBM, the world's second largest media and event organiser across a wide variety of industries. Seatrade's publications, events, management training, research and award schemes cover every aspect of the cruise and maritime industries. The company's principal strength is its ability to bring key people together, encouraging innovation and facilitating better communication within the industry. Seatrade is headquartered in Colchester, UK, with regional offices in Dubai, Singapore, as well as representatives in all major maritime centres and cruise destinations across the globe.

For more information, please visit www.seatrade-maritime.com.

About the Singapore Maritime Foundation
Established in 2004, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) is a private sector-led organisation that seeks to develop and promote Singapore as an International Maritime Centre (IMC). As the representative voice for the commercial players of the maritime industry, SMF seeks to forge strong partnerships with the public and private sectors of the maritime industry. SMF spearheads initiatives to promote the diverse clusters of the maritime industry in Singapore and at international frontiers, and to attract young talents to join the sector. SMF is directed by its Board of Directors which comprises prominent leaders in the Singapore maritime community.

For details, please visit www.smf.com.sg.

About the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (22nd -- 28th April 2017)
Sea Asia 2017 is held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (SMW). SMW is the leading maritime event in Singapore driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. These events reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

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