MONA LKISA, ex KUNGSHOLM, Gets New Lease of Life

KUNGSHOLM Becomes The Scholar Ship

1960's Clyde-built Vessel Gets New Lease of Life

The Scholar Ship today announced the lease of a 29,000-ton ocean liner that will become the first oceangoing education program developed specifically for an international student body. The application deadline for the September voyage is April 30.

The Scholar Ship will transform the 660-foot (201 meters) MONA LISA to accommodate 600 undergraduate and graduate students in a multicultural academic and living environment. The ship will be re-named The Scholar Ship. It has 389 staterooms that can accommodate 778 students and faculty, as well as 416 crew members. The Scholar Ship program receives financial and operational support from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The MONA LISA is the ex KUNGSHOLM built by the famous John Brown Clydebank shipyard in 1966 for Swedish America Lines. In her long career she has been a P&O ship operating as SEA PRINCESS and then as VICTORIA. In 2000 she appeared with a Union Castle funnel whilst on charter for the centenary revival of that famous line. Latterly she operated as the MONA LISA, owned by Leonardo Shipping.

The Scholar Ship will make its maiden voyage in September 2007 from Piraeus (Athens), Greece and sail westward on a compelling itinerary that includes stops in Lisbon, Portugal; Panama City, Panama; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Papeete, Tahiti; Suva, Fiji; Sydney, Australia; Shanghai, China; and Okinawa and Kobe, Japan. In addition to the program’s extensive onboard curriculum, each port of call provides a distinct educational platform from which students engage in academic field study, shore excursions, and independent travel.

“Finding a vessel we could transform into an oceangoing campus was a unique challenge,” said Michael Bonner, chief operating officer of The Scholar Ship. “We wanted a ship with ample public space, expansive outdoor deck areas, comfortable staterooms, and appropriately sized rooms to conduct classes. After nearly a year of reviewing dozens of alternatives, we found a vessel that is ideally suited for our program. It is a classic ocean liner with a deep-draft hull, spacious rooms and decks designed specifically for longer global voyages.”

Seven high-standing international universities have collaborated on the development of The Scholar Ship’s rigorous onboard and port programs. The Scholar Ship’s Consortium of Academic Stewards includes the University of California, Berkeley (United States), Macquarie University (Australia), Fudan University (China), Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), Al Akhawayn University (Morocco), University of Ghana (Sub-Saharan Africa), and Cardiff University (United Kingdom.

“The Scholar Ship’s student diversity is distinctive among shipboard study programs,” said Dr. Joseph Olander, president of The Scholar Ship and a prolific author and esteemed university president in the U.S. and abroad. “Of the students requesting applications, the Americas represent 36 percent of student interest, Europe/Middle East/Africa - 44 percent and Asia Pacific - 20 percent. The faculty and onboard staff are similarly diverse.”

"The response from such a broad group of students has been impressive,” said Olander. “Our distinctive education abroad model is catching on, in part because we provide a unique approach to immerse students in a multicultural environment that would be virtually impossible to create anywhere else."

Program fees are approximately USD 20,000 per semester. A two-million dollar scholarship fund has been established for the 2007/2008 academic year to broaden the availability of this program to students from diverse backgrounds. Scholarships will be awarded based on academic merit and economic need.

For additional information, visit www.TheScholarShip.com, or email Study@TheScholarShip.com.

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