Glasgow engineer behind world’s largest civilian hospital ship awarded honorary doctorate
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – November 24, 2022 - A marine engineer instrumental in building and developing hospital ships that have transformed thousands of lives has been awarded an honorary doctorate by a Scottish university.
Jim Paterson, Marine Executive Consultant for international charity Mercy Ships, was recognized with a Doctor of Science by Glasgow Caledonian University [on November 23] for embodying the university’s Common Good mission in his field.
Jillian Watt, Director of the GCU Foundation and Alumni Relations, said: “It is wonderful for the University to be able to honor an alumnus who truly epitomizes our mission – for the Common Good. Throughout his career Jim has used his skills and expertise to help transform lives.”
Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to provide essential free surgical care, capacity building, and sustainable development to sub-Saharan Africa.
Jim joined Mercy Ships in 1987 as Chief Engineer onboard the first hospital ship, the Anastasis, living onboard with his family, before developing and leading the charity’s Marine Operations Department for over 20 years.
In 2020 he stepped down from the position of Senior Vice President of Marine Operations to focus full time on the completion of the the world’s first purpose-built hospital training ship, the Global Mercy™.
The 37,000 ton 174-meter-long hospital ship boasts 12 decks, spans over 30,000 square meters with space for up to 950 persons in port, including 641 live-in volunteer crew, recruited from around the globe with skills ranging from surgeons and teachers to cooks and electricians. The hospital onboard covers two decks and occupies 7,000 square metres, containing six operating theatres, almost 200 beds and a fully equipped radiology laboratory and training simulator room.
From correcting cleft lips and palates and congenital deformities to removing tumors and restoring eyesight, it is estimated that more than 150,000 lives will be changed on board the Global Mercy through surgery alone, over the vessel’s 50-year expected lifespan.
The ship will be the first step in Mercy Ships doubling the impact the charity has to deliver life-changing surgeries and training. It will begin service in Senegal early next year where the charity’s other ship, the Africa Mercy, has been serving throughout 2022. The Global Mercy will then serve in Sierra Leone.
Grandfather of six, Jim said: “From firsthand experience I have seen individual lives touched by the impact of surgical intervention and the tremendous influence that has on their families. For example, the grandpa who has had cataract surgery and can now see now no longer needs his grandchild to stay home to look after him and that child can now go to school.
“There is a multiplier effect from the training in so many different ways – those who are mentored on board: administrators, sterilizers, nurses, surgeons and more. At the same time, training is given ashore to healthcare providers, for example– how to safely resuscitate a baby.”
Jim grew up in the small village of Ringford in southwest Scotland.
He said: “My mother came from Glasgow, so we spent a lot of time visiting family there. We always went ‘doon the watter’ past the shipyards and I was fascinated as a small child. Some of my mother’s relatives were involved in ships in some shape or form so seafaring interested me.”
As an alumnus of the university, Jim trained as a marine engineer at Glasgow Caledonian University when it was Glasgow College of Technology.
His family moved to Texas in 1995 for Jim to work with Mercy Ships. Before joining Mercy Ships, Jim worked in ship management for ten years.
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