Institute of Certified Ship Brokers

The history of the Institute of Certified Ship Brokers began in 1911, when a ship broker David Pinkey, a member of the Baltic Exchange , concerned about the low professional standards of London ship brokers, proposed to his colleagues to establish the Institute of Ship Brokers. Ship brokers and agents from London and all ports in the United Kingdom have been invited to become members. The main tasks of the established Institute were identified:

• protecting and promoting the interests and general welfare of ship brokers by coordinating actions;
• discussion, consideration and reporting on issues of interest to ship brokers and the exchange of information with the Industrial Chambers and other state and public bodies;
• assistance or opposition to legislative and other measures affecting the commercial activities of ship brokers, as well as discussion, creation and support of improvements in the field of maritime and commercial law ;
• discussion of all issues affecting the interests of persons involved in the commercial activities of ship brokers;
• providing a more accurate definition and protection of the profession and commercial activities of ship brokers using the exam system and the issuance of certificates.

It was the establishment of exam standards that convinced the Privy Council of the United Kingdom that the Institute was a serious professional body and deserved the Royal Charter . On January 21, 1920, it was announced that “His Grace King George V ’s special grace and known awareness” was granted by the Royal Charter and the Institute of Ship Brokers became the Institute of Certified Ship Brokers.

In addition to the conditions applicable to educational standards, the Royal Charter established a disciplinary system according to which any member of the Institute, acting in a defamatory manner, could be criticized, suspended or even expelled. This system is valid to this day. The charter of 1920 established that only persons born in Britain can be members of the Institute. This rule was changed in 1947 for all British subjects. As a result, the number of members of the Institute increased and new branches were opened in the British territories outside the United Kingdom and in the countries of the Commonwealth .

The rapid development of trade and changes in the design and size of ships at the end of World War II caused an increase in their specialization and an increase in linear shipping . In response to these trends, the Institute changed the training program to a modular one, dividing the commercial activities of ship brokers into six “disciplines”: chartering of a dry cargo fleet , ship operations and fleet management, chartering of a tanker fleet, purchase and sale of ships, liner shipping and port agency services . The growing need for membership from non-Commonwealth countries led the Privy Council in 1984 to provide an Additional Charter authorizing membership of the Institute not only to citizens of any country in the world, but also to a wide range of marine management specialties: freight brokers, commercial managers, ship agents, crewing managers, freight forwarders , commercial and operational port managers, marine lawyers, financial managers, marine insurers, ship crews . The same Charter introduced the possibility of corporate membership in the Institute, which increased its influence.

The Institute is represented on various government advisory bodies, including Her Majesty’s Office of Tax and Customs . Institute members are responsible for collecting the lighthouse fee on behalf of Trinity House .

There are 16 disciplines to study, divided into three groups:

The first group: “Introduction to Shipping”, “Legal Basics of Shipping”, “Economics of Maritime Transport and International Transport”, “Shipping Business”. The subjects of this group are required to study when choosing the direction of PQE.

The second group: “Chartering of a dry cargo fleet”, “Operation and management of ships”, “Purchase and sale of ships”, “Chartering of a tanker fleet”, “Line transport”, “Port agency”, “Logistics and Multimodal transport”, “Port management and terminals ”,“ Offshore industry support ”.

The third group: “Law of the Sea”, “Maritime Insurance”, “Ship Finance”.

Education at the Institute is possible in the following qualification areas:

• Foundation Diploma is an entry-level diploma. The program is intended for those who are not familiar with the marine industry. Education in this qualification area involves the study of 2 disciplines, one of which is “Introduction to Shipping”, compulsory, the other is at the choice of a student from the second group.
• Advanced Diploma - an advanced diploma. The program is intended for those who have some knowledge and experience in the marine industry. The training provides for the study of 2 disciplines, one of which is “Shipping business”, compulsory, the other - at the choice of a student from the second group.
• Professional Qualifying Examinations (PQE) - certificate of membership in the Institute. This is the main qualification area of ​​study at the Institute and the only one that gives the right to be elected a member of the Institute. This direction provides for the study of 7 disciplines over 5 years. 4 disciplines of the first group are compulsory (one of them is “Shipping business”, compulsory in the first year of study), 3 - to choose a student from the second and / or third group.

Examinations are held once a year, usually in April. The exam includes 8 questions, of which, however, you need to answer only 5. At the end of the exam, the answer sheets are collected, sealed and sent to the main office in London for verification and evaluation.

The Institute patronizes the Lloyd Maritime Academy , whose programs are pre-approved by the Institute.

Distance learning allows the Institute to bring itself closer to a wide multinational audience, and makes it easier for students to study in it, eliminating the need to bear the cost of visas, travel and accommodation in other countries.

There are two main types of membership in the Institute:

• Simple membership, available after obtaining a certificate of membership in the Institute;
• Full membership, accessible to senior managers with at least 6 years of experience in the field of commercial shipping.

Membership offers the following benefits:

• Improving professional rating;
• Company rating upgrade;
• Acquisition and expansion of business ties;
• Getting the magazine "ICS";
• Getting discounts on acquiring such leading specialized publications as Lloyd's List and IHS Fairplay ;
• Gaining access to Rhema training programs and practical editions of Hill Dickinson Shipping Guides, Riviera Maritime, Britannia Risk Watch , Drewry Insight Tankers, Norton Rose , Moore Stephens ;
• The opportunity to become a member of the English “Sea Club”, while gaining access to 60 similar clubs in 28 countries;
• Getting a discount at the International Association of Airline Passengers (IAPA);
• Getting discounts at BUPA private health insurance.

The Institute includes 25 departments and 17 Distance Learning Centers in various countries. The institute brings together more than 4,000 members and 120 companies worldwide.

The main office is located in London.

The President is Robert Woods. The director is Julie Lithgow.

Since 2006, the interests of the Institute in Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova have been exclusively represented by the Institute for Distance Learning LLC (Odessa, Ukraine), which is the Center for Distance Learning of the Institute in these countries with examination centers in Odessa, Novorossiysk, and Baku. The issue of opening an examination center in Vladivostok is being considered.

• The official website of the Institute http://www.ics.org.uk/
• The website of the Institute for Distance Learning in Ukraine and the CIS countries http://www.dli.od.ua/
• 1984 Charter https://web.archive.org/web/20131224111748/http://ics-canada.technologysolved.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Royal-Charter.pdf
• https://web.archive.org/web/20131027153953/http://portsukraine.com/node/2409
• http://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/93929/institute-of-chartered-shipbrokers-welcomes-record-numbers-to-global-membership/
• http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/sector/regulation/article429340.ece