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ICAO secretary general, Dr. Fang Liu, and the president of the University of Waterloo, Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Nov. 6 supporting a new joint educational program.
The first initiative under the new agreement will be the launch of an e-learning course at the upcoming ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Global Summit, on the fundamentals of the air transport system.
Stressing the importance of making more and more young people aware of the diverse career opportunities in air transport globally, especially in light of forecast sectoral growth, Liu emphasized that the new partnership represents an important additional step toward addressing future shortages of highly-skilled aviation personnel.
“Providing greater access to affordable quality training is key to attracting, educating and retaining the next generation of skilled aviation professionals,” Liu highlighted. “ICAO is undertaking an extensive range of activities in aid of raising awareness on these issues, and to improve aviation training access and quality under our NGAP and Global Aviation Training/Trainair Plus programs. I am encouraged this new partnership is coinciding with our inaugural NGAP Summit this November, and we will look forward to reviewing its results.”
Geared for aspiring aviation professionals as well as professionals transitioning into aviation, the new ICAO/Waterloo course will contain nine modules covering air law, aircraft, operations, navigation, airports, security, environment, accidents and safety. Trainees will have the option to complete the course (with no exam) free of charge, or to pay the exam fee and complete the exam to earn the course certificate.
“The aviation program at Waterloo is only 10 years old, yet it has quickly become the leading program of its kind in the country. I am proud that our faculty and students will help establish the next generation of professionals to fulfil global needs and demand,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “I’m excited for the future of aviation at Waterloo, and [I’m] pleased to see this partnership with a special agency of the United Nations flourish.”
The ICAO NGAP Global Summit is being convened by ICAO at its Montreal headquarters from Nov. 27 to 28, 2017, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
It will provide a unique opportunity to unite the aviation, education and labour sectors in order to develop strategies and actions to engage and retain the next generation of skilled aviation professionals. As part of the Summit, ICAO is also organizing a special model ICAO forum, speed networking sessions, and a career and networking exhibition for student participants.
