Cooperation Agreement on European Project in Aviation Signed

The Cooperation Agreement on European Scientific Research Project in Aviation (KAAT – Knowledge Alliance in Air Transport) was signed today at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences by the partners from Croatia: the Dean of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences Prof. Tomislav Josip Mlinarić, PhD, the Director General of Croatia Control Vlado Bagarić, the President of the Management Board & CEO of Croatia Airlines Jasmin Bajić, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aeronautical Technical Center Ivica Grebenar.
 
That is the first occasion on which leading companies in Croatian aviation industry cooperate actively with the academic institutions in a significant European project to promote innovation in higher education.
 
The goal of the project for 6 partners is to develop a new curriculum and a dual study program by applying innovation in teaching and learning, while simultaneously strengthening the collaboration between the academic world and industry.
 
CCL’s Director General used the opportunity to announce the establishment of the Croatian Institute of Aviation – an institution for the complete training of air traffic controllers and other aeronautical personnel for CCL’s needs and offer its services at the market, in collaboration with the academe. He also pointed out that CCL would grant a scholarship for a certain number of students of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, and that CCL wanted to be included in the selection process to ensure that those studying to become air traffic controllers actually could do the job.
 
The KAAT project is part of ERASMUS+ KA2 (Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices), the aim of which is to enhance the capacity for innovation in Europe and stimulate innovation in higher education. The project manager is the Politehnica University of Bucharest, and along the Croatian partners, there are in total 6 universities and 17 companies from the aviation industry and aeronautics included in the project, namely from Portugal, France, Italy, Slovakia, and Romania. The project started on January 1, 2018, and it will run for 36 months. The value of the project amounts to 1 million euro.
 
The result of the project will be a proposal of a dual study program aligned with the change of requirements of the society and economy, with the requirements of the labor market in the field of aviation in mind, as well as enhanced possibilities for (self)employment and entrepreneurship. In addition, the study program will be adjusted to the needs of labor market in line with the Croatian Qualifications Framework with defined occupational standards and qualifications, and extend the cooperation with other domestic and foreign institutions and organizations in the field of aviation.