SriLankan backs Asian Tech Institute
The International Aviation Academy of SriLankan Airlines has entered
into a broad ranging partnership with the Asian Institute of Technology,
a regional organization of higher education based in Thailand.The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Peter Hill, Chief
Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines, and Professor Said Irandoust,
President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), on the 27th of
July in Colombo.
“This partnership is an important milestone for the International
Aviation Academy, and we are certainly looking forward to a mutually
beneficial relationship. This 5-year agreement is only the beginning. We
expect to continuously enhance the relationship between the two
institutions and increase the level of co-operation in order to derive
the maximum possible benefits for the IAA, the AIT, and especially our
many students,” said Mr. Hill.
Prof. Irandoust said: “I expect this to be a fruitful relationship and
we will certainly do our best to make it a success. We look forward to
learning much from the IAA’s educational activities in aviation, and we
are confident that AIT can contribute to the goals of SriLankan
Airlines. The field of Aviation Studies offers huge potential, and both
AIT and IAA are regional and international institutions of higher
learning. It will certainly be a win-win situation for all of us.”
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Sunil Dissanayake, Head of Human Resources at SriLankan, said: “This
partnership offers exciting possibilities, especially for accrediting
the Aviation study programmes, leading to Diploma in Aviation
Management. I am certain there is quite a lot that the IAA and AIT can
learn from each other.”
SriLankan Airlines, with a long tradition as the leading aviation
industry training institution in Asia, recently launched the
International Aviation Academy in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. The IAA’s
objective is to cater to the manpower requirements of airlines,
airports, travel agents, and other aviation industry organizations
throughout Asia and beyond. It also aims to play a pivotal role in the
development of tertiary professional education in Sri Lanka and the
South Asian region, by providing large numbers of young men and women
with the necessary skills to embark on lucrative and successful careers
in the industry in their own countries and overseas.
The IAA has already entered into partnership with a number of
prestigious global institutions such as the International Air Transport
Association (IATA), City & Guilds, Edexcel International, the
Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), Chartered
Institute of Management Accountants of the United Kingdom (CIMA-UK), and
the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA). The IAA is also providing
training for member organizations of the Travel Agents’ Association of
Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators.
Recognized for its multinational, multi-cultural ethos, AIT operates as
a self-contained international community at its campus located 40 km (25
miles) north of Bangkok, and also operates satellite campuses in
Indonesia and Vietnam. AIT was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay
Award for International Understanding in 1989. With nearly 15,000 alumni
from 79 countries, AIT has a student body of almost 2,000 students from
47 nations, and 112 faculty from 22 countries.
SriLankan Airlines has also been nominated this year for a
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World Travel Award as Asia’s Leading Airline.
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