Australian Maritime College (AMC) student Ethan White has completed the prestigious Lürssen Foundation Scholarship Programme, run by one of the world’s leading superyacht builders, after becoming the first Australian, and the first person from outside Europe, selected for the programme.
The six-month scholarship saw the Maritime Engineering (Naval Architecture) student undertake industry placements and research in Croatia, Germany and the United States before presenting his findings to Lürssen and Foundation representatives in Bremen, north-west Germany.
For Ethan, who grew up around boats in Cairns before moving to Tasmania to study at AMC, the experience opened his eyes to where a career in maritime engineering could lead.
“Before the programme, my ambitions were mostly shaped by the Australian maritime industry,” Ethan said.
“Having seen the European industry firsthand, I now have a much clearer picture of the international opportunities open to AMC graduates.”
At the University of Connecticut, Ethan worked with fellow scholar Thomas Oliver on machine-learning-based hull-form optimisation, exploring how new technologies could improve efficiency and predict vessel performance earlier in the design process.
The German shipyard visits gave him an equally valuable perspective on the scale of international yacht building.
“Growing up around boats in Cairns and then working inside the company behind some of the largest yachts in the world is still hard to fully process,” Ethan said.
“The biggest lesson was the gap between learning engineering in a classroom and seeing it applied inside a major international shipbuilding organisation.
“Beyond the technical side, the programme made me far more independent and professionally mature.”
Associate Professor Hossein Enshaei, Director of the National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics, said Ethan had represented AMC with distinction.
“Ethan embraced every aspect of this opportunity, from international research and industry experience to presenting his work in Germany,” Associate Professor Enshaei said.
“His achievement shows where technical knowledge, curiosity and the confidence to put yourself forward can lead.”
Ethan hopes his experience encourages other students to pursue opportunities even when they do not feel fully prepared.
“What I’ve always backed is my ability to communicate, put myself forward and take opportunities when they come up. Soft skills like that can take you a long way,” he said.
“Don’t wait until you feel ready. I nearly waited. Take the risk.”
