Haifa University and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Haifa and northern Israel are cooperating in establishing a special program for Logistic Studies, distribution, marine transport and land transport. The studies will include preformance reasearch and prediction, optimization methods, project managing and the utilization of logistic information systems.
At the Chamber of Commerce and Industry some of its memebers - shipping companies, Haifa port and custom brokers - are aware of the need for proffesionlas and for providing vast theoretical knowledge in econimic and logistic planning and at the same time having a deep understanding in the marine field.
Oded Feller, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Haifa, which initiated the cooperation with Haifa University Rector, Prof. Yossi Ben-Arzi, said that the need for academic studies in the field became stronger in the last years, due to big changes which took place in the marine transportation field.
"In a state like Israel, which is open for thousands of ships per year and has 3 sea ports, there is a need for professional menpower which will be the future generatrion of executives in logistic, tranportation and distribution. International trasportation today does not rely on cargo transport from one port to the other but it also includes land transportation form the supplier to the origin port and from the destination port to the consumer. Lack of effiency in planning the transport route and coordination between marine and land transportation, in loading and unloading, can cost a lot of money. Inlight of these facts the demand for experts in supply chain and marine logistics is growing, and in higher academic degrees", said Feller.
Professor David Fargi, Vice rector at Haifa University, said that the new program will provide an M.A in logistics expreties and will be a part of the statistics studies. It will be headed by Professor Shmuel Gan and Professor Gideon Wiess. The offer which is being examined now, presents the main purpose of the studies: to train leading professionals within logistic operation of complex system organizations and to provide them with knowledge, education and tools in a variety of areas which are part of the logistic profession. The intention is to train university graduates, by way of M.A studies, to answer the demand in advanced logistic management in big organizations , and to maintain a university information center in logistics with orientation for applications in big organizations.
The head of statistics studies, Professor Avner Halevi, said that Logistics studies will include inventory management, acquitisitions, supply and support systems, preformance reasearch and prediction, optimization methods, managing and operating supply chain, project managing, budgeting and pricing and important as well - the utilization of logistic information systems. "A logistic manager must be familiar with all these professions which include knowledge of mathematics, statistics, stochastic process and management information systems".
The designated audience for the program are graduates from social studies (behavioral studies, geographic, computer science, statistics, economic), engineering, mathetamitcs, preformance studies, health and welfare, and undergraduate in logistics.
Logistic studies in Haifa University will adress a wide variety of potential students.
The program will train not just engineers or mathematicians for the management logistic profession, but also graduates from social studies.
The program will give in its first semester a profound background study for students from all different areas in order to enable them the professional challenge of handling logistical systems. The program will emphasize transport studies, a profession in demand among marine, air and land shippers. Another aspect which will have a strong manifastation in the program is planning, operating and using logistic information systems.
