Minnesota State University, Mankato, city and airport officials say their trip to China was a raging success that reached far beyond the original scope of the mission.
Minnesota State Mankato President Richard Davenport and a contingent of city and business leaders returned Monday from China after spending a week there meeting with government, business and university leaders.
Originally, the main goal of the trip was to shore up an agreement to train Chinese pilots at the Mankato airport through the university's aviation program. Davenport said he expects the first Chinese pilots to be in Mankato in about a year.
When they come they’ll primarily be trained to fly helicopters because of the Chinese government’s new commitment to safety for its citizens.
Driven by the massive loss of life in the wake of earthquakes that struck rural parts of China, the government has devised a plan to create a series of emergency rescue centers, each with about 20 helicopters, with about two or three pilots per helicopter. The rescue centers will also have a modern, fully staffed hospital. China estimates it will need 12,000 pilots for this.
They’re hoping, ultimately, to train roughly 150 of them per year at Minnesota State Mankato.
But the trip wasn’t limited to aviation. While there, the group also met with Renmin University, which is reportedly China’s third-ranked higher education institution.
This meeting resulted in a preliminary agreement to put together an exchange program which, if all goes well, could result in student exchanges by next summer. Students from Minnesota will be able to study in any program at the university, which operates in English.
The group also met with a group from a business called Insights Education International, which facilitates student exchanges. That group is lead by a Frank Mok, a graduate of Minnesota State Mankato. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Minnesota delegation and Insights to work together on exchange programs.
Curriculum is being prepared right now to teach helicopter training. Adjunct instructors proficient in helicopter flight will probably be added to the program. And if the number of pilots predicted for the program actually show up, Minnesota State Mankato may need to add faculty to the program.
For the complete Free Press story, click on http://mankatofreepress.com/bigstory/x373697200/China-trip-goes-beyond-pilot-training
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