A delegation from the Tanzanian government, working to establish the Tanzania Aerospace University, visited Korea Aerospace University (KAU) on Nov. 4, at 1 PM. The delegation, comprising 15 government and private-sector representatives, including the Permanent Secretary of Finance and Planning in the President’s Office, Juma Malik Akil, met with KAU President Hee-young Hurr, along with the university’s deans and distinguished professors, for discussions. The delegation toured campus facilities, including the A300 aircraft, the Aerospace Museum, the simulated air traffic control training room, and various research laboratories.

KAU has maintained ongoing cooperation with the Tanzanian government, working together to explore avenues for developing Tanzania’s aviation industry and training aviation professionals. This cooperation has included conferring an honorary doctorate on Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan when she visited Korea in June to attend the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit.

 With the recent agreement for Tanzania to receive USD 2.5 billion in concessional loans from Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), discussions between KAU and the Tanzanian government regarding the establishment of the Tanzania Aerospace University have gained remarkable momentum. The delegation’s visit to KAU was also aimed to set goals and directions for the project in preparation for the upcoming discussions on the disbursement plan for concessional loans from the Korean government.

President Hurr welcomed the delegation, expressing KAU’s commitment, saying, “We will actively cooperate in fostering the development of Tanzania’s aviation industry and training skilled professionals in a nation with immense potential for aviation industry growth.” He further stated, “I hope this visit will mark the beginning of Tanzania’s full-scale collaboration projects with the Korean government and KAU.”

 Permanent Secretary Juma Malik Akil responded, “The establishment of the aerospace university is a critical project among the initiatives that our government is pursuing, and the Tanzanian government looks forward to close collaboration with KAU to achieve this goal.”