Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Continuously Designates Specialized Training Institutions for Aircraft Pilots and Maintenance Technicians
MOU with Renowned Domestic and International Organizations Including US Sierra Aviation
Establis
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Silla University, a ‘small but strong university (small and strong university),’ takes great pride in having an Aviation College as one of its colleges. It is the only aviation-specialized college in the southeastern region.
In 2018, the Department of Aviation was established with three majors: Aviation Operation, Aviation Maintenance, and Aviation Service, and the first freshmen were admitted in the 2019 academic year. This time, the Department of Air Traffic Logistics was newly established, and the department finally grew into a college.
From the 2021 academic year, freshmen will be admitted to four departments. The Aviation College’s admission quota is 130 students across four departments: Aviation Operation (25 students), Aviation Maintenance (35 students), Aviation Service (40 students), and Air Traffic Logistics (30 students).
In July last year, Silla University was designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as a specialized education institution in the field of aircraft piloting, and in December, it was designated as a specialized education institution for aircraft maintenance, establishing infrastructure for government-certified professional manpower training.
The specialized education institution for aircraft piloting must meet the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s standards regarding curriculum, teaching methods, personnel, facilities, and equipment for aviation pilot training systems to be designated. It is a mandatory gateway to be recognized as a safe and efficient educational institution.
Furthermore, the designation as a specialized education institution officially certifies that the institution meets training operation standards set by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regulations, including curriculum, instructor numbers and qualifications, and training evaluation methods. The designation acts as a catalyst for enhancing the educational quality of the Aviation College, making it easier for students to obtain private pilot licenses, instrument flight qualifications, and commercial pilot licenses.
The specialized education institution for aircraft maintenance must meet standards set by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regarding curriculum and hours, teaching methods, instructor personnel, aircraft ownership, and aviation engines and equipment training systems and infrastructure to be designated. Through this designation, students who complete the Aviation Maintenance major at the Aviation College can be exempted from the practical work portion of the second practical exam in the aircraft maintenance technician certification exam, making it easier to obtain the certification.
Silla University has also focused on industry-academia cooperation to enhance educational quality. In January last year, the university signed an aviation pilot training business agreement with Sierra Aviation, a world-class aviation pilot institution located in San Francisco, USA. It also established a foundation for global aviation manpower training through a business agreement with its main university in New York, which is world-class in aviation maintenance. Additionally, it has expanded students’ practical training, internships, and employment bases through MOUs with Korean Air, Air Busan, T’way Air, and the Aviation Job Employment Support Center.
According to the agreement with the U.S. aviation specialized education institution, students in the Department of Aviation Operation at Silla University’s Aviation College can receive flight training in the U.S. for 8 months to 1 year, depending on their personal wishes. Aviation College students can also learn English, Chinese, and Japanese through 2+2 dual degree and 3+1 exchange student programs, as well as short-term overseas training programs lasting 4 to 8 weeks.
Sierra Aviation allows students to obtain pilot licenses certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as aviation-related institutions of the Chinese government, facilitating employment not only at domestic airlines but also at foreign airlines.
Silla University has also accelerated the expansion of educational infrastructure on campus through focused investment. For simulated flight training using aviation simulators, it has introduced and operates the latest equipment, including the Red Bird, a product certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and manufactured in Austin, Texas, as well as the latest VR simulator products.
Additionally, it has facilities such as a mock-up for cabin crew training made with cabin equipment from the A320 aircraft and language practice rooms. It leads practical education by utilizing various aircraft engines and has introduced educational equipment such as the Cessna 172 aircraft, Air Force F5E fighter jets, and MD500 helicopters, building up its infrastructure.
Silla University currently owns six aircraft, including the Learjet, a symbol of business jet aircraft, and helicopters. In March, it completed an aircraft hangar and established an aircraft maintenance practice building, leading practical-oriented education programs to cultivate talent needed by airlines.
The faculty of the Aviation College consists of experts from the Air Force and renowned domestic and international airlines. In particular, the faculty of the Department of Aviation Maintenance are veterans with aircraft maintenance technician qualifications who have worked as senior researchers at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and have accumulated extensive field experience. The college has also recruited veteran pilots who served long in the Air Force and chief flight attendants with over 10 years of experience as professors to provide practical, specialized education.
The Aviation College operates its curriculum strictly in consultation with civilian airlines and continuously improves content through feedback from aviation experts each semester, focusing on job-centered education that can increase student satisfaction.
Professor Kim Jae-won of the Aviation College said, “The establishment of the Department of Air Traffic Logistics was promoted with the goal of producing logistics experts in Busan, the center of the so-called tri-port connecting air, sea, and land.” He added, “In line with the launch of the aviation-specialized college, we will develop various linked programs so that not only engineering students but also students in the humanities and social sciences can obtain aircraft maintenance technician and drone certifications and secure employment as flight attendants. This will enable the college to grow into a mecca for aviation professionals located in the southeastern region, known as the heart of Korea’s aviation industry.”
Seobu Busan, where Silla University is located, is the gateway airport of the southeastern region with Gimhae Airport and the national aviation industrial complex in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, making it the heart of the aerospace industry with an aerospace industry concentration exceeding 75%. Considering these conditions, Silla University’s Aviation College is expected to contribute to training specialized personnel who will lead not only Korea’s aviation research but also the global aviation industry through industry-government-academia cooperation with companies and related institutions.
Besides the Aviation College, Silla University boasts other popular departments. The College of Education, the only one among private universities in the Busan area, has produced numerous successful candidates for teacher certification exams and education experts.
Recently, it has gained popularity as a cradle for nurturing global educational talent, with graduates advancing as teachers through overseas employment programs. Health-related departments such as Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Dental Hygiene consistently record high competition rates during admissions due to excellent external evaluations and high employment rates.
In response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, Silla University has moved swiftly to pursue ‘student success’ through ‘artificial intelligence.’ It plans to welcome freshmen dreaming of ‘success’ from the 2021 academic year by establishing a Department of Artificial Intelligence in the College of Engineering.
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