Mastering Maritime Law and Business Management (MMLBM)

Tony Graham
MSc, CEng, MBA, FRINA, FICCPM, FREng, RCNC
Visiting Professor at LJMU

Tony Graham sustained a highly successful track record in engineering and programme/project management inside the Ministry of Defence over a 34-year career. Tony trained as a Naval Constructor and achieved the rank of Constructor Rear Admiral alongside his appointment as Head of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.

Whilst he is well known for his leadership of the Battlefield Infrastructure Team during OP TELIC (Iraq War) and his turnaround of both the Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) project and the MARS Fleet Tanker project, it is his sustainment of the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier programme over a highly challenging seven-year period for which he is perhaps best known.

His final role in the UK Ministry of Defence was as Director Ships procuring and supporting all ships of the Royal Navy (2011-2015).

More recent private sector company roles have included Cammell Laird (Chief Operating Officer) and OCEA Shipbuilding UK Ltd (currently Chairman).

Prof Jin Wang

Jin Wang is a Professor of Marine Technology, the Director of Liverpool Logistics, Offshore and Marine (LOOM) Research Institute, and Associate Dean (Research and Knowledge Exchange) for the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science at LJMU. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (FIMarEST), a Fellow of the UK Safety and Reliability Society (FSaRS), a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (FRINA), and a Chartered Engineer. Jin is also the Chairman of the Marine Transportation Safety Committee of the European Safety and Reliability Society, and a member of the Formal Safety Assessment Experts Group at IMO.

Jin is a globally recognised civil engineer, maritime engineer, and naval architect; among top 60 world ranking scientists in civil engineering based on publications and citations annually since 2021. Jin is the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Marine Science and Technology. He was the sole representative of the substantial maritime engineering community in the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 and 2021, for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. He has supervised or co-supervised about 100 doctoral or postdoctoral researchers. He is also Chair of the UK-Malaysia University Consortium (UK-MUC) of 16 UK and 20 public Malaysian Universities funded by British Council to expand international higher education in terms of teaching, research and knowledge exchange between the UK and Malaysia.

Dr Abdul Khalique
Head of Maritime Centre, Programme Leader for Professional Doctorate (EngD)

Dr Abdul Khalique is the Head of the Maritime Centre and Programme Leader for the Doctor of Engineering (EngD) at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). A qualified Master Mariner, Dr Khalique is a seasoned seafarer turned academic who has worked at Shetland School of Nautical Studies, Warsash Maritime Academy (Southampton Solent University), Serco Marine and now at LJMU. During his shore-based career, he significantly expanded his academic contributions by authoring several widely used textbooks for nautical cadets and officers. Notably, NavBasics has been extensively adopted by institutions such as Durban University of Technology and Akademi Laut Malaysia (ALAM).

Dr Khalique holds a Doctor of Engineering (EngD), with his research focused on Human Factors through use of maritime bridge simulators. As the Head of the Maritime Centre, Dr Khalique supports simulator-based training for senior deck officers and pilots and leads consultancy projects focused on developing new ship and port simulator models for proof-of-concept studies. He led the development of the MSc Renewable Energy and MSc Maritime Energy Efficiency programmes currently offered at Liverpool John Moores University. His expertise contributes significantly to various research initiatives within LJMU.

Prof Zaili Yang

Zaili Yang is Professor of Maritime Transport at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), UK. Prior to his current appointment, he was Reader in Maritime Transport (2010-2014) and a lecturer in Maritime Operations (2007-2010) at the School of Engineering, Technology and Maritime Operations, LJMU. He received his BEng in Maritime Transportation from Dalian Maritime University, China, in 2001, MSc in International Transport from Cardiff University, UK, in 2003, and PhD in Maritime Safety from LJMU, UK, in 2006. Prof. Yang’s research interests are analysis and modelling of safety, resilience and sustainability of transport networks, particularly maritime and logistics systems. Prof. Yang has received more than £13m (located to LJMU only) external grants (£8m as the PI) from the EU, UK EPSRC and UK DTI to support his research, including a prestigious ERC consolidator grant. Research funding support has also been received from government collaborators (i.e. UK MoD and Korean research collaborative funds) via PhD research projects. Prof. Yang has successfully completed 9 postdoctoral and 45 PhD projects. He currently has 5 postdoctoral researchers and 11 PhD students under his supervision in the research areas of maritime safety, logistics operation and port optimisation. His research findings have been published in 400 refereed papers in risk and supply chain areas, including 240 SCI/SSCI cited journal and 150 conference papers. Prof. Yang is a member of 9 transport/maritime journals (for example Transport Research Part E). He has also served as a member of review boards for national research councils of the USA, UK, EU, Canada, Norway, China and Hong Kong. He has received 15 paper awards and 4 research awards (for example Northeast Asia Logistics Award 2018).

Prof David Ong Khai Long

Dr Kenneth Kang
Senior Lecture, School of Law and Justice Studies, Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Kang is interested in social theory and its application to current issues, in particular, international law’s regulation of transboundary rivers and oceans. At the core, his research revolves around understanding the relationship between law, science, finance, politics and the mass-media. He has also published on topics such as the relationship between international water law, river rights and transboundary hydropower dams.

Currently, Dr. Kang teaches Environmental Law, Tort Law, International Trade Law and Maritime Law at Liverpool John Moores University and also the module leader for Environmental Law and Tort Law.

Prior to LJMU, Dr. Kang taught international environmental law at Lancaster University and international trade law and tort law at Bournemouth University. He also holds a PhD from Xiamen University (China) in Public International Law and post-doc from Utrecht University.

Dr Eddie Blanco-Davis
Reader in Marine Engineering, School of Engineering

Dr Eddie Blanco-Davis is a Reader in Marine Engineering for the School of Engineering. He started his position as a Senior Lecturer and a member of the Liverpool Logistics Offshore and Marine Research Institute (LOOM) in 2015.

Dr Blanco-Davis obtained a BSc in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y., in 2004, and sailed shortly as a member of the engine department on different commercial containerships.

After carrying out water and fuel treatment servicing for various industry diesel-powered generation plants, he performed as a project manager collectively for 4 years at repair shipyards in Panama and Mexico. He has previously worked for Braswell International Shipyard, Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., and Ashland Specialty Chemical Co.

He also holds an MSc and a PhD from the Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

His research interests include human factors applied to shipboard and pilotage operations; system design applied to maritime systems; Life Cycle Assessment; alternative fuels, power generation and propulsion, energy efficiency, and renewable energy; and marine environmental protection and regulation, including emission control.

Dr Alireza Eslami Majd
Research Fellow in Renewable Energy Systems and Green Shipping and Maritime
Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Majd's current research activities are centred on Sustainable Maritime and Green Shipping Corridors under supervision and collaboration with Professor Jin Wang. The work supports the advancement of safety and resilience in offshore renewable energy infrastructure. Additional areas of investigation include:

• Damage analysis and Innovative crashworthiness device for Ship & Wind Offshore Turbine collision.
• System Performance and Developing Novel Ideas for Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems for Green Ship Technologies.
• Thermal Management and Smart Thermal Interface Materials for Battery Packages and Electrical devices.
• Hybrid energy platforms and floating offshore technologies.

These research themes combine computational simulations, experimental validation, and engineering system design with practical applications in marine, offshore sectors and energy storage systems.

Mr Martin Kerridge
Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, School of Education

Martin is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Educational Leadership at Liverpool John Moores University, where he is part of the team delivering educational leadership programmes and executive coaching. He also teaches on the Degree Apprenticeship in Youth Work and the MA in Academic Practice. Martin has significant experience of school leadership, having been the Headteacher of an 11-16 school in Staffordshire and the Headteacher of an 11-18 school in Lancashire. He has been a Governor in primary and secondary schools as well as the Chair of Governors of a Pupil Referral Unit. He has also held leadership roles in two further education colleges, in one as Head of Higher Education and in the other as Assistant Principal leading on quality and learner services, including being the Designated Safeguarding Lead. As a Governor in a FE College he was Chair of Curriculum and Quality. His experience of leadership in higher education includes leading initial teacher education programmes across primary and secondary phases at two universities and being an External Examiner.

Martin's breadth and depth of experience informs his work across the Centre for Educational Leadership and the wider University. He is committed to education and leadership as transformative influences that help communities and individuals realise dreams and achieve aspirational aims.

Ms Ruth Slater
Head of Centre for Educational Leadership, School of Education

Ruth Slater is Head of the Centre for Educational Leadership and a senior leader within the Faculty of Society and Culture. She leads innovative partnership and place-based projects that connect education, public services, and communities across the Liverpool City Region. Ruth is committed to advancing the region’s skills agenda through collaborative workforce development, supporting the design of inclusive, future-focused leadership pathways across the public sector.

Her academic and professional work centres on stakeholder engagement, organisational development, and applied leadership practice. Ruth brings a strong track record of creating impact through regional and national partnerships, combining executive education with coaching and mentoring to support cultural change and improve organisational performance.

With a focus on innovation and enterprise, Ruth champions leadership models that are practical, values-driven, and designed to meet the real-world needs of public sector organisations. Her work places particular emphasis on supporting under-represented groups and fostering positive working environments through evidence-informed coaching interventions.

Ruth works at the intersection of research, policy, and practice to build sustainable, high-trust partnerships that deliver meaningful outcomes across public sectors, education and communities.

Robin Grenfell Cowan
Strategic Transport Solutions International (STSI)

Mr. Cowan holds Master's degree in Jurisprudence and is considered an expert in Charter Party and commercial contractual negotiations analysing the local, national and international legal frameworks governing port authorities and cargo handling or affecting proposed mergers and acquisitions. He began his career with the family-owned SME shipping company, Edward Nicholson Ltd., and expanded the business into stevedoring and warehousing to include partnerships in Rotterdam and Dublin in addition to running Ellesmere Port docks. Nicholsons were a market leading UK/European Short Sea and chartering brokerage and Ships Agency firm handling over 1300 vessels and concluding over 1,000 fixtures per annum mainly in the dry short/middle sea trades.

Mr. Cowan also fixed chemical cargos, working as an exclusive broker for Laporte Industries and BW Mud in Aberdeen. Alongside being the shipping agent for Stolt Nielsen's short sea chemical tankers in the Manchester Ship Canal with Shell Chemicals and for Lauritzen Kosan’s Gas fleet of small LPG/LNG tankers, he had a good working relationship with leading gas brokerage firms in Bergen. He was also involved in offshore project forwarding as Spliethoff BV's UK agent and pioneered the Through Rate concept of door to door transportation for UK importers in dry cargo (mimicking the container trade) for steel, fertilisers and other commodities.

Peter Iles
Strategic Transport Solutions International (STSI)

Mr. Iles started his business career at James Fisher working with Sir John Fisher, then worked for Tor Line in Immingham for ten years before becoming General manager of the Port of Boston in Lincolnshire, where he introduced proper financial management and successfully diversified the trade of the port. While he was there the port handled about 1.5 million tonnes of cargo per annum. In 1989 he privatised the Port of Boston and then left to become a founding partner of MDS Transmodal Consultancy. In 2004 he together with Robin G. Cowan and Mary Gallagher (Stena Line, Irish Lights and past president of the CILT) formed STS International. Signifiant amount of STSI’s work was in the ferry sector in UK/Ireland/Europe, several Irish ports.

Mr. Iles is an expert commercial/market analyst together with financial modelling and modelling through freight/logistics. His specialist areas are ferries, ports and terminals and the through movement of unitised freight. He also has a thorough grasp of international passenger travel by sea.

Mr. Iles is also a shareholder and director of Interport BD, an established British company which specialises in port development projects in Bangladesh, and more recently, in Sri Lanka. This includes development of the Blue Economy for Bangladesh including both on and offshore (wind, solar and LNG/LPG).

Dr Alan Bury
BSc (Hons) MA PhD FCILT SFHEA FAUA FInstLM, Senior Teaching Fellow

Dr Alan Bury is a Chartered Logistician and Senior Teaching Fellow at LJMU’s School of Engineering, where he has taught since 2011 and completed his PhD in Transport and Logistics. He has contributed to over forty-two modules in nautical and engineering programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, trained hundreds of seafarers, and supervised more than 22 BSc and 35 MSc dissertations, as well as being involved in the supervision of 9 PhD theses. Dr. Bury has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications and, with additional talks, technical papers, and articles, has produced more than 70 works. He has played a key role in research projects exceeding £7.2 million in funding and is an active member of LJMU’s Maritime Centre, Applied Computing Research Group, and Logistics, Offshore and Marine Research Institute. His research centres on pedagogic innovation in seafarer training, simulator-based teaching, and competency assessment, with further interests in human factors in maritime operations. Prior to joining LJMU, Dr. Bury spent nine years as a Merchant Navy Officer operating worldwide. In 2023, he received the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service, recognising his contributions to maritime education.

Dr Yinan Yin

Dr Yin is a senior lecturer in Law. She is module leader for Maritime Law (LLB), Contract Law (LLB) and International Maritime Law (LLM). She also teaches a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, mainly including Tort Law, Independent and Legal learning Skills, and Remedies. Prior to joining LJMU, she received her LLM degree from Lund University, Sweden and completed her PhD at the University of Central Lancashire where she started teaching a range of Law subjects across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Yinan supervises projects and dissertations on taught postgraduate and undergraduate Law programmes. She also acts as the cohort tutor of Level 5 of LLB and personal tutor providing academic support for LLB and LLM students.

Dr. Yin has been undertaking research in International Law, Maritime Law and Chinese Law. Her PhD focused on the issues in relation to carriage of cargos within Maritime Law and she has presented papers at conferences and published articles concerning issues on International Law and Maritime Law.

• The Full Event Fee is £3000.
• A place on the course can be secured by either paying a £1000 (non-refundable deposit) or paying in full (£3000).
• If the event is cancelled for whatever reasons, then a 100% refund of payments made will be provided, LJMU will not be liable for any travel or expenses commitments.
• To ensure optimal delegate experience, each course requires a minimum number of participants. If this threshold is not met, LJMU reserves the right to cancel the course. Delegates will be notified of cancellation at least two weeks in advance and offered a transfer to the next available dates. If unable to attend, a full refund will be provided.
• If a delegate cannot attend and cancels before 13 May 2026 then they can do so free of charge, and a full refund will be provided.
• If a delegate cannot attend and cancels after 13 May 2026 and before 13 June 2026 then they will receive a full refund of fees paid less £500 administration charge.
• No refund will be available if a Participant cancels after 13 June 2026.
• Lunches will be provided each day.
• An Event Dinner is provided one evening.
• The Event security level is Unclassified and is open to international delegates.
• Event fee does not include travel, accommodation, or any other living expenses.
• Upon completion of the booking form, the customer automatically accepts the terms and conditions listed on the brochure.
• LJMU will not be liable for any failure or delay in the performance, in whole or in part, of any of its obligations in connection with the provision of the course arising from or attributable to acts, events, omissions or accidents beyond its reasonable control”.
• LJMU will not be liable for any loss, injury, or damage to persons or property during the course, except where such loss, injury, or damage is caused by the University’s negligence. The University shall not be responsible for any damage or loss resulting from the actions of the attendees, including damage to any personal equipment they bring on site, such as laptops or other devices.

The event organisers reserve the right to change the events contents, topics, location, schedule or speakers at any time. Speakers may be changed subject to availability or due to their unexpected absence. Location changes will be limited to within LJMU city campus buildings where possible. Topic and content adjustments may occur in response to registrant feedback.

Liverpool is a ‘world in one city’ with a proud heritage of arts, music, sport and culture. Liverpool is home to Liverpool FC and Everton FC. The city has a large and historic waterfront which includes Cammell Laird and a busy cruise ship terminal. Those who love maritime heritage will find much to do, including visiting the Western Approaches Museum (Battle of the Atlantic), U534 The U-Boat Story, and much more.