KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Upper House of Parliament is set to debate a bill to confer university status on the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) at its next sitting on Friday. 

The bill, entitled the ‘Caribbean Maritime University Act, 2017’, was passed by the House of Representatives last month. 

Minister of Transport and Mining Mike Henry piloted the bill, which proposes to repeal the Caribbean Maritime Institute Act under which the institution operates.

The CMI is the only international entity approved for maritime training in Jamaica.

Over the years, the institute has expanded its scope of programmes to include degrees at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

As a result of this expansion, the CMI has gained national, regional and international recognition by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport of the United Kingdom, the International Maritime Organisation, CARICOM, and the World Maritime University.

The bill is likely to be passed on Friday and sent to the governor-general for assent.