Since 1992, Hercules Haralambides is Professor of Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL), having taught at 9 universities (and in 7 different countries), most prominent of which being Erasmus University Rotterdam (his principal appointment for 26 years), National University of Singapore, and Singapore Management University. Currently, he is “Distinguished Chair Professor” at Dalian Maritime University (China), Visiting Professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and affiliated researcher with the Sorbonne Center for Economics – Sorbonne University. Hercules is the founder of the Erasmus Center for Maritime Economics and Logistics (MEL) (www.maritimeeconomics.comOpens external) and also the founding (and current) Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly journal Maritime Economics & Logistics (MEL), published by Springer-Palgrave-Macmillan (www.palgrave.com/41278Opens external) for the last 25 years. He has written and published over 300 scientific papers, books, reports and articles in the wider area of ports, maritime transport and logistics and has consulted governments, international organizations and private companies all over the world including, for a number of years, the European Commission. In the period 2011-2015 Professor Haralambides was President of the Italian port of Brindisi. In 2008, he was decorated with the Golden Cross of the Order of the Phoenix, by the President of the Hellenic Republic.