On the afternoon of December 12, the Second International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Global Summit commenced in Shenzhen. Its co-organizers include Beihang University, ICAO, Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
At the summit
The three-day summit aimed to facilitate the cooperation and coordinated development of aviation education around the world, to attract, educate and train the next generation of aviation professionals, and to promote the sustainable development of global aviation industry. It was attended by nearly 1,000 representatives from 82 countries and regions, including domestic and foreign government aviation officials, delegates from world-renowned institutions of higher education, training agencies and industry leaders in the aviation field, and young aviation professionals.
At the summit
At the opening ceremony, Cao Shumin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Beihang University, introduced the training of aviation talents at Beihang University. According to her, Beihang has been working closely with world-famous universities and aviation enterprises to train high-level aviation professionals who can satisfy the developmental needs of the aviation industry. It will continue this effort with the great support from ICAO.
Secretary Cao spoke at the opening ceremony
The summit included six panels: fast forward to the future, employer challenges now and in the future, women in aviation now and in the future, innovations and solutions to address NGAP challenges, setting up a national NGAP strategy, and the way forward.
Vice President Huang Haijun delivered a speech analyzing the future trends in global aviation industry and qualifications for the next generation of aviation professionals, introducing in particular the educational principles of Beihang University and its innovative practices in training such professionals. Prof. Wen Dongsheng, Dean of the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering and the School of General Engineering, spoke at the panel of “the way forward” about the approaches adopted to train internationalized and innovative talents in these schools.
Vice President Huang gave a speech
Prof. Wen delivered an address
During the summit, Secretary Cao also had a meeting with Dr. Liu Fang, Secretary General of ICAO. They fully exchanged ideas and reached a consensus on the promotion of Beihang-ICAO cooperationin talent training and scientific research. After the meeting, Prof. Fan Ying, Dean of the School of Economics and Management, and James Wan, Deputy Director of Information Management and General Administrative Services of ICAO, signed the Working Plan of Beihang-ICAO Research Project of Big Data-Driven Aviation Economics and Management on behalf of the two sides.
Secretary Cao talked with Secretary General Liu
Prof. Fan and Mr. Wan signed the working plan on behalf of Beihang and ICAO respectively
A series of special activities also took place during the summit, including the Model ICAO Forum, the Aviation University Forum and so on. On behalf of the organizers, Vice President Huang delivered an opening speech on Aviation University Forum, where leaders and experts from over 40 universities that offer aviation-related programs around the world had deep discussions about the training of next-generation aviation professionals and agreed on the establishment of the International Association of Aviation and Aerospace Education.
The founding of the International Association of Aviation and Aerospace Education was officially announced on the morning of December 13. The association was initiated by Beihang University, McGill University, Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. At the signing ceremony, over 30 educational institutions in aeronautics, astronautics and civil aviation signed the statement to join the association on the scene, and six aviation-related associations or organizations stated their support for the establishment and future development of the association. In addition, 23 international educational agencies and academic organizations sent letters to support the founding of the association during the summit.
A group photo of the attendees at the signing ceremony
180 undergraduates from all over the world took part in the Model ICAO Forum. During the three-day summit, these participants conducted research and discussions of the critical issues faced by ICAO and air transportation industry, offering solutions to some relevant aviation cases. 23 Beihang students were selected to participate in the forum, including 13 international exchange students.
At the Model ICAO Forum
Due to the rapid development of global air transportation, the need for aviation professionals grows with each passing day. Accordingly, ICAO started the NGAP program in 2009, aiming to promote the cooperation and coordination between the international civil aviation community and the education community, and to attract, educate and facilitate the development of next-generation aviation professionals. In 2016, ICAO listed the program as a key part and emphasis of the sustainable development plan of the United Nations. In November 2017, the first ICAO NGAP Global Summit was held in Montreal, Canada.
Reported by Gao Yuan
Reviewed by Lvu Ying
Edited by Jia Aiping
Translated by Li Mingzhu
