Dr. Renis Auma Ojwala is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmö, Sweden, where her research focuses on advancing crew sustainability, gender equality, and diversity in the maritime sector. She holds a PhD in Maritime Affairs from WMU; an MSc in Limnology and Wetland Management through the joint programme in BOKU University - Austria, Egerton University - Kenya, and UNESCO-IHE Delft - the Netherlands; and a BSc in Applied Aquatic Science from Egerton University, Kenya. Her interdisciplinary background bridges aquatic sciences, maritime affairs, and ocean governance, enabling her to develop evidence-based solutions to global maritime and ocean sustainability challenges.
As a WMU alumna, Renis has established herself as a leading researcher and advocate for gender equality in the maritime and ocean sectors. She has contributed to several international projects and initiatives, including the Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development project, where she contributed to the implementation of the project and the development of the Gender Strategic and Action Plan: Towards Gender Equality in Ocean Science and Governance. She is also a member of the Ocean Decade Gender Expert Working Group (GEWG) under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), where she has contributed to the writing of the Ocean Decade Gender Action Plan.
Renis served as a member of the writing team for the Third World Ocean Assessment Report (WOAIII), launched on 8 June 2026, and continues to contribute as a Pool of Experts member. She recently completed the two-year Deep Dives Project, funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, which focused on advancing seafarer sustainability and digital skills in maritime education and training. She previously served as Co-chair of the UN Ocean Decade Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Team. She currently contributes to the SMART-C Women project, supporting the development of maritime sectoral plans in Asian and Pacific countries that strengthen women’s leadership and participation in the digitalization and decarbonization of the maritime sector.
Her research spans crew sustainability, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, ocean governance, fisheries, maritime education and training, and maritime policy, with a particular focus on Africa and other developing regions. She has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, technical reports, and policy publications, translating research into practical recommendations that inform policy and institutional change. Through her scholarship and international collaborations, she continues to shape inclusive maritime and ocean policies and strengthen capacity for a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable global maritime sector.
Dr. Renis Auma Ojwala is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmö, Sweden, where her research focuses on advancing crew sustainability, gender equality, and diversity in the maritime sector. She holds a PhD in Maritime Affairs from WMU; an MSc in Limnology and Wetland Management through the joint programme in BOKU University - Austria, Egerton University - Kenya, and UNESCO-IHE Delft - the Netherlands; and a BSc in Applied Aquatic Science from Egerton University, Kenya. Her interdisciplinary background bridges aquatic sciences, maritime affairs, and ocean governance, enabling her to develop evidence-based solutions to global maritime and ocean sustainability challenges.
As a WMU alumna, Renis has established herself as a leading researcher and advocate for gender equality in the maritime and ocean sectors. She has contributed to several international projects and initiatives, including the Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development project, where she contributed to the implementation of the project and the development of the Gender Strategic and Action Plan: Towards Gender Equality in Ocean Science and Governance. She is also a member of the Ocean Decade Gender Expert Working Group (GEWG) under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), where she has contributed to the writing of the Ocean Decade Gender Action Plan.
Renis served as a member of the writing team for the Third World Ocean Assessment Report (WOAIII), launched on 8 June 2026, and continues to contribute as a Pool of Experts member. She recently completed the two-year Deep Dives Project, funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, which focused on advancing seafarer sustainability and digital skills in maritime education and training. She previously served as Co-chair of the UN Ocean Decade Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Team. She currently contributes to the SMART-C Women project, supporting the development of maritime sectoral plans in Asian and Pacific countries that strengthen women’s leadership and participation in the digitalization and decarbonization of the maritime sector.
Her research spans crew sustainability, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, ocean governance, fisheries, maritime education and training, and maritime policy, with a particular focus on Africa and other developing regions. She has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, technical reports, and policy publications, translating research into practical recommendations that inform policy and institutional change. Through her scholarship and international collaborations, she continues to shape inclusive maritime and ocean policies and strengthen capacity for a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable global maritime sector.
