One of the Myanmar Maritime Experts at PIANC 7th Biennial Technical Visit

The Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses (PIANC) is an international professional organization to provide expert guidance and technical advice on technical, economic and environmental issues relating to waterborne transport infrastructures such as canals, rivers as well as ports and marinas. Which is also known as an association – World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure has the core business providing the working group reports with preparing technical reports and guidelines by international experts in maritime sector.

PIANC 7^th Biennial Technical Visit (BTV) was organized 3-days program in Singapore on June 11-13, 2019. At the introductory meeting in 2006, the Young Professional Commission (YP-com) set out to organize a technical visit to a certain project every two years. Therefore, the BTV is the most important and prestigious event on the YP-Com calendar. Previous BTVs were organized in Italy, Austria, The Netherlands, Panama, Belgium, Australia and by 2019, BTV was in Singapore highlighting the importance of maritime innovation in the national development of Singapore.

Aung Phyo Kyaw who has got veteran experience in maritime sector from Myanmar joined BTV for the first time. In September 2019, he is organizing 'gathering session', named "Flow Together" to share with young engineers graduated from Myanmar Maritime University (MMU) by the specialization of Port & Harbour engineering and River & Coastal Engineering. Of course, not only the students but also lecturers and teachers from MMU are included in his plan to share his experience of the event. He extends his invitation to 4^th and 5^th year students as well to give them a chance to connect their academic knowledge with the experience of fellow seniors who are now working in the relevant fields.

"I am quite familiar with the organization PIANC, and I usually design Ports and Waterways based on its design guidelines," he shared his past experience that he used its guidelines.

"I attended the seminar on behalf of my company, Think Maritime Engineering and Consultancy Co., Ltd which is also a collaborator of Royal HaskoningDHV, focusing on consultancy service and design of Ports and Waterways in Myanmar. My intention was to expand networks within PIANC Young Professionals," he explained the core mission of this trip.

At Suntec Convention Center with Professor Ron

Event Structure

The event was designed to expand the networks and shared the technical knowledge as well as PIANC updates. Participants are from different corner of the world, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, USA, Belgium, Philippines, Argentina, Spain, Iran and Myanmar. As PIANC BTV's Theme "Innovations in Maritime Infrastructure", many Young Professionals from these countries presented about innovations in maritime infrastructures.

"The main thing that inspired me most during the event is the way the knowledge passed down to younger generations from older generations. Although the event was meant to be for Young Professionals, senior professors such as Professor Kees from the Netherlands, Professor Ron from Australia, were invited and shared their wisdom with Young Professionals. We had a chance to talk both with young fresh minds and mature wise minds," he told his learning point from the event. "The rests of learning points will be shared during my gathering session," he added. His experience sharing event will be in September 2019 intending to invite the students and alumni of Port & Harbour Department and River & Coastal Department at Myanmar Maritime University.