SMHS Training for Senior Executives

The Session of Higher Maritime Studies (SHMS) is a program built by the FMES since
2022. It offers its audience a panoramic vision of the main stakes and enables them to
grasp the public policies pursued in the Mediterranean. In addition to the core curriculum, a
research theme is defined each year, and stands as a key feature of the course.

The SMHS training is the only training that discusses the full range of maritime public policies, and meets the needs of the main fields of activity related to marine areas.

Professionnals from the maritime field
Leaders and future leaders
Parliamentarians and elected representatives
Senior officials, senior officers and academics
High-level managers in the public and private field
Employees of associations, journalists and cult representatives, lawyers, consultants and entrepreneurs;
Marine and environmental conservation stakeholders

Admission to the program is decided in September by the Fondation Méditerranéenne d’Études Stratégiques’ pedagogical committee, based on an examination of the candidate’s application. Several criteria are taken into account when selecting candidates:

Career path and level of responsibility
Quality of personal experience
Motivated interest in geopolitical and geostrategic issues in France and worldwide
Open-mindedness and ability to integrate
Appetite for collective thinking, dialogue and interaction
Career prospects

Private or public field: 9000 €
Self-employed, SMBs and teritorial administrations: 6000 €

You can as of now register for the next session by filling in the form below and attaching the following documents:

A passport picture
A curriculum vitae
A photocopy of a valid national identity card or passport
A “Secret” level certificate (to be obtained from the security officer if you are authorized).

Once the information is collected, please send the entire application to the following address: formation@fmes-france.org.

Accessibility to training for people with disabilities is possible: during seminars, access to the various visit sites and conferences most times takes place in accessible premises (ERP). In a few cases (e.g. French Navy warships), the FMES institute will, wherever possible, provide compensatory resources (multimedia documents or virtual tours);

For further information, please contact the institute’s disability advisor: jm.clouet@fmes-france.org

A better understanding of naval strategy and the geopolitics of the seas
Building a qualified network and gaining inter-professional working methods
Mastering decision-making circuits
Mastering the rules regarding government action at sea and admiralty law
Awareness of maritime economic activities and technological challenges
Grasping the environmental dimension of maritime areas

Thierry Duchesne Marine department Manager

Jean-Michel Martinet Assistant Manager of the Maritime Department and Associate Manager of the Marine 2040 Observatory

Patrice Renaud Logistics Assistant

Theme for the year 2024/2025

The safety, security and environmental challenges of offshore wind farm operations

Theme for the year 2025/2026

The Mediterranean, the Atlantic: what are the stakes for France?

Past researches themes and reports

“France, a major maritime and coastal state, is currently seeing a strong development of its actions at sea in a wide range of fields. The arrival of new technologies is also changing the way we look at the sea, becoming more accessible but also more fragile. The Mediterranean is no exception to this trend, with its unrivalled geopolitical, economic, environmental and cultural challenges. I have high hopes for this new maritime session, which will bring together different viewpoints and enable its audience to benefit from a cross-disciplinary approach to this maritime basin, in dialogue with all the decision-makers and players involved in our regional, national, European and international strategies.”

“As a small maritime area with global stakes, the Mediterranean concentrates most of the challenges of the contemporanean world. This semi-enclosed sea is currently experiencing major crises, which France is constantly monitoring. Being a zone of trafficking and terrorist threat, the security position of our forces is permanent. But the Mediterranean also offers tremendous economic, technological and environmental potential. Initiatives in these fields are numerous, and France can boast many successes. This advanced maritime training course is an excellent initiative which should enable the main actors in the Mediterranean maritime world to get to know each other and, above all, to master the tools of the various maritime policies implemented by public authorities and economic and environmental players”.

“The Cluster Maritime Français, whose vocation is to promote the maritime economy, in particular by encouraging the development of synergies between players in the maritime economy, is delighted with this training session initiative offered to future auditors. It's a great opportunity for the Mediterranean to have access to future leaders from all professional backgrounds, who, thanks to their mastery of the institutional framework and their understanding of maritime issues, will be able to identify the maritime sector's capacity for innovation and development”.

“The Pôle Mer Méditerranée is delighted with the creation of this Mediterranean session. Rooted in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie and Corsica regions, the Pôle sees this as an additional asset in the ecosystem. As a gas pedal of maritime innovation, with over 500 approved innovative projects, and as a lever for maritime and coastal policy, the Pôle Mer Méditerranée supports this training program, dedicated to understanding maritime issues and helping players gain a better understanding of regulatory aspects”.

of the audience from the previous cycle (2023-2024) considered that the training met their expectations.

0 %

of the auditors got their diploma at the end of the course.

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