Dr. Dimitrios Dalaklis joined WMU in the summer of 2014, upon completion of a twenty-six years distinguished career with the Hellenic Navy (HN). His expertise revolves around the extended Maritime Education and Training (MET) domain and especially the conduct of navigation (regulatory framework, techniques-associated best practices and related equipment), as well as maritime safety & security issues. Upon graduation from the Hellenic Naval Academy (HNA), he followed the normal career path of a naval officer by serving on-board various large warships of the Hellenic Fleet. After gaining experience as an Officer of the Watch (OOW), he qualified as a Navigator from both the Greek (H.N.) and the Royal Navy (R.N.) and has repeatedly dealt with navigation in confined waters. He has also fulfilled effectively many other duties related to naval operations, such as Operations Officer (Ops), Executive Officer (EO) and he has completed a Command tour at sea, being the Captain (CO) of H.S. NIKIFOROS. Dr. Dalaklis is a graduate of the Hellenic Navy's Command Staff College and after his graduation from the Hellenic Joint Warfare College he became the Head of the Navigation Simulator Department in the HNA.

Based upon his expertise, he has performed, coordinated and supervised many series of training involving the use of simulators, as well as on-board practical workout programs. The same applies to various educational and/or professional development activities. He is very familiar with high level educational activities and has served as the Director of Studies in the Hellenic Navy's Petty Officers Academy; subsequently, he was appointed as the STCW Director (Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping) of the Hellenic Fleet. Furthermore, as a (former) staff member of the Operations Evaluations Directorate, he has conducted numerous audits/inspections of vessels (QHSE activities). Apart from his service in the Hellenic Navy, he has maintained an intense academic activity. He has been lecturing in the HNA in many aspects of Navigation (Ship Handling, COLREG, Tides-Currents, Electronic Navigation -GNSSs, ECDIS, AIS, etc.) since 2005; from 2009 until being honorably discharged from active service he was holding the position of Senior Lecturer in Navigation (Applied Navigation and Pilotage-TMA 163). Additionally, during the years 2013 and 2014, he has served as an adjunct lecturer in the Hellenic National Defense College (HNDC) in the domains of Geopolitics and Maritime Security.

Dr. Dalaklis, an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute (NI) and a Member of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), holds a Bachelor in Maritime Sciences from the HNA. His postgraduate studies took place in the Naval Postgraduate School of the United States, during which he was awarded with two different Masters' degrees (MSc in Information technology Management, with distinction & Defense Analysis). He then conducted his PhD research at the University of the Aegean, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport. He is the author/co-author of many articles & studies in both the Greek and English language. His academic work includes the books (2008) "Electronic Navigation Equipment” and its new updated version (2016) "Electronic Navigation Equipment and Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS)”, as well as (2011) "Contemporary Sea Transport System and Piracy" and (2014) “GLOBAL GEOGRAPHY: The Key role of the Mediterranean in energy, maritime transport and environmental protection”, currently in use in various Greek higher education institutions.