The course is composed of three interrelated parts:

The market environment of seaports: this part focuses on key developments in global supply chains, shipping, terminal operations and inland transportation that have an impact on the functional and spatial development of seaports. It serves as a market-oriented theme setting for the parts on port management and port policy.

Port management: this part zooms in on all managerial aspects of ports including strategic issues (port strategy and port planning) and more operational issues (terminal management). The lectures in this part typically addressthe following topics: port and port system development; port planning (process, financing, forecasting, port project evaluation, stakeholders relations management); port  governance and port management systems; inter-port and intra-port competition and entry and exit barriers in the port industry; cluster management of seaport areas; concession agreements; port labor systems; current issues in terminal management (terminal performance, port capacity, port costs).

Port policy: this part deals with the principles of port policy and its relationship with other policy domains. Lectures in this part address the following issues: 1) The 'what', 'hwy' and 'who' of public involvement in seaports. 2) European port policy: principles, history, current status and future perspectives. 3) Perspectives from abroad: port policy in China, in Singapore, in Korea, in Canada and in the USA.