Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | The Korea Aerospace University (KAU) is partnering with the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan to launch a full-scale initiative to train the specialized workforce that will lead the aviation industry of Uzbekistan.

On September 15 this year, the KAU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov, agreeing to elevate the aviation education cooperation between Korea and Uzbekistan to a government-level project.

Minister Makhkamov, who visited the university on September 12 to discuss cooperation on aviation education and pilot training with President Heo Hee-young, returned just three days later to personally sign the agreement.

The significance of this agreement lies in the direct participation of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport--moving beyond the previous university-to-university cooperation model--thereby establishing a foundation for administrative and institutional support at the government level.

The Korea Aerospace University has previously been collaborating with the Tashkent State Transport University (TSTU) on establishing new academic departments and training specialists in fields such as piloting, air traffic control, maintenance, and logistics.

With this agreement, the scope of cooperation is expected to expand to include other major national universities in Uzbekistan. The two sides agreed to pursue initiatives including the operation of joint and dual degree programs (such as the 2+2 bachelor’s and 1+1 master’s tracks), the joint development of curricula meeting International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, faculty and student exchanges, and technical consultation on practical training infrastructure like flight simulators.

The agreement will move immediately into the implementation phase rather than remaining merely a statement of intent. Upon signing the agreement, Korea Aerospace University and the Uzbekistan Ministry of Transport decided to form a dedicated working-level task force (TF) comprising experts from both nations.
The TF plans to formulate detailed implementation plans--covering curricula, degree systems, practical training infrastructure, and personnel exchanges necessary for training aviation professionals--and launch specific projects.

Cooperation will focus particularly on establishing a specialized aviation training system aligned with international standards, thereby laying the groundwork for Uzbekistan to independently and reliably train pilots and other aviation professionals.

This MOU builds upon the aviation education cooperation that Korea Aerospace University and Uzbekistan have been developing in stages over the past three years.

Cooperation between the two sides began in earnest in March 2023, when an aviation cooperation delegation from the Office of the President of Uzbekistan visited Korea Aerospace University and signed agreements with TSTU and the Uzbekistan Air Force Academy.

Korea Aerospace University launched a "1+2+1" dual degree program in Aviation Operations with TSTU, starting in the second semester of the 2025 academic year.

In April of this year, President Heo Hee-young visited Uzbekistan and proposed a phased cooperation plan for training aviation personnel to Minister of Transport Makhkamov. Subsequently, the university expanded its local educational cooperation by signing a 2+2 dual-degree agreement in Aviation Management and Aviation Traffic & Logistics with TSTU, as well as a 2+2 dual-degree agreement in Aviation Management with Bukhara Innovation Medical University (BIMU).

the Korea Aerospace University plans to leverage its 40 years of pilot training experience--accumulated since the establishment of its Flight Training Center in 1986--and its domestic and international flight training infrastructure to help train aviation personnel in Uzbekistan.

The initiative aims to support the development of professionals across Uzbekistan’s entire aviation industry--including air traffic control, maintenance, and logistics, in addition to pilot training--by utilizing existing educational infrastructure such as the Jeju, Jeongseok, and Uljin Flight Training Centers and the Sanford Flight Training Center in the U.S.

This agreement elevates the cooperation between KAU and Uzbekistan from simple academic exchanges to a collaborative system for aviation talent development that links government and university sectors.
If future plans--such as joint and dual-degree programs, curricula based on international standards, flight training, and the establishment of practical training infrastructure--are successfully realized, the partnership is expected to evolve into a new model of international educational cooperation that connects Korea’s aviation education expertise with talent development in Central Asia.

By Publisher-Chairman Lee Jon-Yong with Special Feature Editor Andy Hyun