Safe Bulkers Inc., listed on the New York Stock Exchange and led by Cypriot CEO Polys V. Hajioannou, has extended the application deadline for its 5th Annual Scholarship Programme for the academic year 2025–2026 to September 8. 

The initiative, part of the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy, is aimed at Cypriot and Greek citizens settled in Cyprus who wish to pursue careers in the maritime sector. According to the announcement, ten scholarships worth €10,000 each will be awarded. 

The programme is open to students graduating from Lyceums in Cyprus as well as those already attending universities in Greece, the United Kingdom and abroad.  

Awards will be determined on academic merit and financial need, with studies limited to shipping and technology-related fields. 

Eligible subjects include naval architecture, marine, mechanical or electrical engineering, electronic, computer or automation engineering, computer science, cyber security, artificial intelligence and data science analytics, shipping law, and MSc programmes in shipping trade and finance. 

Applicants must also meet minimum academic standards. High school graduates need both a certificate of acceptance from a relevant university and a school leaving certificate of at least 18 out of 20, or A-levels in mathematics or physics with a minimum grade of B. 

For university students, UK applicants must maintain an annual average above 60 per cent or hold a 2.1 classification, while Greek polytechnic students must achieve an annual average of at least 6.5.  

Candidates applying for UK Master’s degrees must have either a Greek polytechnic degree with a grade of 7.5 or a UK university degree of 2.1. Students from other foreign universities must demonstrate a yearly average of “Very Good” or higher. 

Beyond academic results, social criteria such as family or marital status and family income will also be considered.  

Applications must be submitted electronically through safebulkers.com/scholarships25, with supporting documents to follow before the start of the academic year if not immediately available.  

Final approval, however, will only be granted once the full set of documents is received by the deadline. 

The new call follows last year’s ceremony, held on October 22, 2024, at the company’s headquarters in Limassol, where ten scholarships of €10,000 each were awarded.

Four of the recipients were young women, reflecting efforts to promote gender balance in the industry.

Eight of the scholarships supported undergraduate studies at leading institutions including the National Technical University of Athens, the University of Cambridge, Newcastle University, Eindhoven University of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  

Two were granted for postgraduate programmes at the University of Southampton and the Technical University of Munich. 

The event was attended by Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis, Education Ministry representative Zoe Polydorou, Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis and Athanasios Athanasiou, Principal of Mitsis Commercial School in Lemithou. 

Hajioannou told attendees that the company was proud to award scholarships to “ten outstanding young people” and to actively support the younger generation of Cyprus in their pursuit of maritime careers. 

He noted with particular satisfaction the recognition of four women studying science, saying the company was “promoting more gender balance and supporting women’s empowerment within our industry.” 

“These young people are the future of Cyprus shipping, and we are next to them,” he said, adding that Safe Bulkers aims to encourage young people to consider rewarding careers in shipping by nurturing awareness of its opportunities and benefits. 

He concluded by saying that building “a larger pool of highly qualified young talents” is both a strategic priority and a competitive advantage for Cyprus, helping to attract international shipping business and expand the island’s maritime cluster.