Airbus-TUSAS Aviation Vocational School to Be Opened in Kahramanmaraş
Under the coordination of the Council of Higher Education, an agreement
was signed to establish the Airbus-TUSAS Aviation Vocational School at
Kahramanmaraş İstiklal University.
October 18, 2023 / Ankara
Under the coordination of the Council of Higher Education, Airbus and
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) will open an Aviation Vocational School
at Kahramanmaraş İstiklal University.
The "Signing Ceremony of the Agreement for the Establishment and
Construction of Airbus-TUSAS Aviation Vocational School at Kahramanmaraş
İstiklal University" was held at TAI. The ceremony was attended by Prof.
Metin Topcuoğlu, CoHE Deputy President, Prof. Naci Gündoğan and Prof. Erol
Arcaklıoğlu, CoHE Executive Board Members, Prof. Rafet Bozdoğan, Chairman
of the Board of Directors at TAI, Prof. Temel Kotil, General Manager of
TAI, Wouter Van Wersch, Airbus Executive Vice President and Head of
European Region and Sales, and other officials.
In his speech at the ceremony, CoHE Deputy President Prof. Metin Topcuoğlu
recalled the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6 and said,
"It is extremely meaningful for all of us to be here today on the occasion
of such an important ceremony."
He talked about the aftermath of the earthquakes and the efforts carried
out, and said that the Council took all measures to ensure that education
and training activities could continue in the smoothest way possible right
from the first moment.
Topcuoğlu noted that immediately after the earthquakes, the Council
determined the studies of higher education institutions in the earthquake
zone for the defense industry sector. "As a result of these assessments,
the support that the defense industry sector could provide to the
universities in the earthquake zone and the possible contributions of
universities to the sector were determined and the results of these studies
were conveyed to the Defence Industry Agency," he said.
Topcuoglu emphasized that the support provided by the defence industry
sector to the provinces and universities in the earthquake zone was
extremely significant, and said: "TAI is one of the institutions providing
the greatest support to the earthquake zone. The Aircraft Parts Production
Facility opened by TAI in Türkoğlu, Kahramanmaraş, and the Software and
Informatics Laboratory established at Fırat University stand out as
invaluable services."
He stated that important steps had been taken recently to improve the
cooperation between CoHE and TAI, adding that the cooperation between CoHE
and TAI would continue to increase in the upcoming period.
"Machinery, metallurgy and aircraft technology programs will be opened
in the first phase"
He said that one of the biggest supports given to the universities in the
earthquake zone to date would be the establishment of the Airbus-TUSAŞ
Aviation Vocational School at Kahramanmaraş İstiklal University.
"The Council of Higher Education finalized the approval process of this
vocational school. The fact that such an important educational investment
is being made in a university in an earthquake zone will be an important
source of morale and motivation for both our region and our country.
Considering the fields of activity and institutional nature of TAI, the
programs to be opened in the vocational school will be determined in
coordination with Kahramanmaraş İstiklal University and TAI in a way to
prioritize the needs of the manufacturing industry sector, especially the
aviation and space industry. The approval of these programs will be carried
out by the Council of Higher Education. The programs to be opened in the
first phase are determined as machinery, metallurgy and aircraft
technology. These are the prominent programs in terms of training qualified
technical staff needed by the defense industry and aviation sectors. It is
with certainty that the qualified manpower to be trained here will give a
separate impetus to the great progress our country has made in these
sectors in recent years."
Topcuoğlu noted that the necessary land allocations were made for the
Vocational School on the Karacasu Campus at Kahramanmaraş İstiklal
University and that the architectural project drawing was in progress. He
emphasized that the Vocational School, which would have a closed area of
7,260 square meters when completed, would have all the necessary
infrastructure and technical facilities for
high-quality education and said, "As the Council of Higher Education, we
act with an understanding that prioritizes quality in education,
university-industry cooperation and the strategic goals of our country. When
the AIRBUS-TUSAŞ Aviation Vocational School is completed, an invaluable
educational institution that responds to all these priorities will emerge."
After the speeches, the parties signed the Agreement for the Establishment
and Construction of Airbus-TUSAS Aviation Vocational School at
Kahramanmaraş İstiklal University.