ENSM welcomes the publication of its amended decree
Two major challenges emerge from these structural changes.
1. The School Management
The School has undergone significant changes since 2019 with the creation of a single headquarters in Le Havre, leading to a restructuring of all administrative services. Its operations have been considerably revised since 2022, giving more space to the sites in the governance of the institution. The requirement to appoint a deputy director general has been removed and the position of director of studies has been replaced by that of director of training and research, whose profile is specified as an educational expert or maritime expert. Recruitment is currently underway to align with the institution’s project described in the objectives and performance contract and to move
towards a more concrete coordination of the teaching staff across all sites in this mission. In addition, the appointment of a deputy director general has been removed from the decree, which also provides for the director general to have full authority to delegate further, in line with the recommendations of various successive inspection reports.
2. The school's governing bodies
The participation of the Inspector General of Maritime Education (IGEM) on the Board of Directors has been removed in line with his role of overseeing the School. In order to better reflect the School’s relations with decentralised services and the role of these services in the functioning of maritime vocational training, the IGEM has been replaced by the director of an inter-regional maritime directorate. A ‘Stakeholders’ Council’ has also been created, which will formally involve stakeholders such as merchant navy officers’ trade unions in the governance of the school. This is a strong demand from the sector, inspired by the practice of the National Institution for Disabled Seafarers a few years ago, which strengthens the place of social dialogue within the School. The organisation of the Improvement Council is being reviewed so that the decree does not freeze an organisation that must be able to evolve within the school. Finally, the Scientific Council is replacing the ‘Research Commission’ for greater clarity.
“ENSM is the spearhead of our policy to promote the French flag and employment. With this change, the Ministry of the Sea, which oversees the School, is consolidating the School’s governance and modernising its organisation. I would like to commend the Director of the School for the quality of the social dialogue that has made this change possible. With its academic department becoming a training and research department, the school is looking resolutely to the future and taking its place among the institutions of excellence in higher education.”
Éric Banel, Director General of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry for the Sea.
“These significant changes are the result of work carried out by the School, supported by the DGAMPA, in particular the Seafarers’ Sub-Directorate, which demonstrates the evolution of its organisation without stifling it. The stakeholder council is an important initiative and we would like to thank the trade unions in the sector that have been involved in its creation. We will implement these changes in the coming weeks to bring to life the bodies in which we invite all stakeholders to get involved, as they are the essential decision-making forums prior to the implementation of Hydro’s actions.”
Frédéric Moncany de Saint Aignan, President of ENSM, and François Lambert, Director General of ENSM.