To increase skilled manpower in aviation and space, the country’s first aviation and aerospace University is being established in Ashkona in the capital. Preparations are underway for the university to be named Bangabandhu Aviation and Aerospace University. While the ministry of aviation and tourism recommended appointing a public university teacher with 20 years’ experience as VC, the air force wants an expert on aerospace and aviation to be selected for the top post.
Deputy-secretary of secondary and higher secondary education, Zinnat Rehana, says: “several proposals are being assessed at the moment.”
On Feb 2017, the prime minister gave a police approval to the plan and, in April the same year, UGC was asked to formulate a draft law for the establishment of the university.
On 11 Jul, 2017, the draft was submitted. Initially, the proposal suggested the appointment of a person from a public university with 20 years’ experience, which was opposed by the air force who wanted a specialist on the issue.
The proposal further states that since aviation and aerospace are sensitive and complex issues, only people with experience in these fields should be appointed.
Such an approach has been followed at Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University law and for similar specialised institutions in other countries.
The civil aviation authority has allocated 12 acres of land for the establishment of the university and the institution will be ready by 2025 with the aim of making it into a leading aerospace university by 2030.
Initially, a total of ten faculties will be introduced. Already, an international level curriculum has been formulated for graduate and post graduate programmes.