The global maritime industry is responsible for transporting and delivering more than 95 percent of trade by volume. And China is a key player.

Lawrent Gordon is a 36-year-old from Tanzania who recently began his PhD studies in Marine Engineering at Dalian Maritime University, the only key maritime institution under China's Ministry of Communications. The university is currently training a global talent pool for countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

With Tanzania's coastline stretching over 1,400 kilometers along East Africa, Lawrent believes his home country has untapped potential in the maritime sector.

"Lake Victoria (in Tanzania) is not much utilized, because of this idea of BRI, we still have the opportunity to implement the initiative not only from the ocean side, but also implement it from the lake side," said Lawrent.

Over 5,000 international students and professionals from more than 90 countries and regions have received education and training at the university. The majority come from Belt and Road countries.

Experts say a digitalized, environmentally-friendly and resilient maritime industry is necessary to foster connectivity under the BRI network. And this requires a young generation of fresh talents.

Peng Xuefei, the deputy director of international student education center of Dalian Maritime University, said: "We are pleased to see that many of the international graduates from our postgraduate courses, like maritime law, marine engineering and port operations and management, are now working in key positions back in their home countries."

In recent years, the maritime industry has faced a shortage of qualified seafarers due to an ageing workforce and an increase in demand for sea transportation services. One aspect of the BRI is to build a talent pool that meets such ever-changing needs. 

The maritime industry is undergoing a transformation, incorporating innovations like alternative fuels, increased automation, and regulatory and legal changes to boost efficiency and sustainability.

Dalian Maritime University's training vessel, Yu Kun, is China's first self-developed training ship for navigation education. It provides students from around the world with hands-on experience.

"The training vessel has been to more than thirty countries and regions since it was commissioned in 2008. It offers a quality education to students from those countries that don't yet have the resources," said Ma Mingfei, the head of International Cooperation Division of Dalian Maritime University.