SHANGHAI - Asia Cruise Academy, China's first of the kind, was unveiled in the city on Wednesday in a bid to train talents for the country's cruise industry.

The academy, also Asia's first, is a result of cooperation made by Shanghai Maritime University (SMU), British Seatrade Group and the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd.

The SMU academy will turn into a base in China as well as in Asia to train graduates with bachelor's and master's degrees in cruise management, said Huang Youfang, president of SMU.

Courses for the academy include cruise building, cruise trading, cruise company management, cruise shipping management, cruise hotel management, cruise terminal management, and cruise financing and insurance.

Huang said the academy will also open EMBA and MBA courses as well as training classes.

"Cruise economy, part of the city's tourism industry, will be a strong stimulus to its effort to become an international shipping center," said Yin Jie, deputy director of the Shanghai Education Commission.

Yin said the cruise industry is a complicated industrial link involving the operation of cruise companies and cruise terminals as well as cruise tickets sales.

"Therefore, it is quite necessary to train medium- and high-level talents for it," he said.

The three parties have signed an agreement with SMU providing a training venue, designing courses, enrolling students and engaging teachers from home and abroad.

British Seatrade Group is required to provide English textbooks in the original for the academy, send experienced teachers to give students lessons and help SMU compile teaching materials on cruise to suit the Asian market.

Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd will help design courses, provide Chinese teachers, invite experts to give lectures and offer internship chances.