The university acquired part of the funds for launching this specialisation from the National Research and Development Centre. It will be an undergraduate course.

Dominik Łazarz from the University of Information Technology and Management Press Office reminded in an interview with PAP that for many years the university had been conducting research on aviation market development in Poland and in the world, in particular the labour market in this industry.

"In this regard, the university is a leader on the Polish market. We respond to market signals, we talk with our business partners, aviation industry employees, as well as our Aviation Management graduates, who are already employed by various airlines, airports and airline industry companies. That is why we decided to develop new trade studies with a specialization in General Aviation" - emphasised Łazarz.

It will be an elite course. Only 30 first year students will be accepted, half of them Polish, the rest will be foreigners.

Studies will last six semesters (three years). Students will gain theoretical knowledge, but special emphasis will be placed on the acquisition of practical skills. Łazarz said that practical classes will be taught in cooperation with airlines.

As part of the studies, students will be able to obtain prestigious certificate issued by Aviation Research Corporation of Vancouver, Canada. The certificate confirms intermediate level competence in the use of ARCPort, which is an airport simulator.

"This certification gives the opportunity to work for one of over 80 international airports that use this software every day" - said Lazarus.

He added that the commercial cost of such a certificate is about 4 thousand dollars.

According to Serhiy Hontaruk, practitioner with international experience in the aviation industry and holder of IATA certificates, General Aviation studies are an excellent choice for aviation enthusiasts.

"Polish salaries are currently in the range of 3-3.5 thousand zlotys, but the market is still young. If you consider the West and specialists, the earnings can range from 4 thousand dollars for people entering the market to 7 thousand dollars for experienced specialists. Additional economic education will expand the range of possible jobs to companies specialising in auditing, human resources management and economic and financial analysis"- rated Hontaruk.

Łazarz noted that the flights classified as General Aviation constitute the majority of air traffic in the world, and they are carried out by more than 360 thousand aircrafts. "This category does not include scheduled or charter flights. In the US there are only 500 airports, at which air traffic takes place according to flight schedules, while more than 5 thousand airports handle General Aviation flights" - said Łazarz.

The university submitted a proposal for launching new studies to the National Centre for Research and Development in the competition for the internationalisation of Polish higher education. A total of 177 university proposals were submitted, of which 62 received funding.

The project of Rzeszów university entitled "Start a career. International General Aviation Studies" was ranked in the 6th place. It was the only proposal of an university in Podkarpacie that received funding.

According to Łazarz, launching General Aviation studies will contribute to the development of the Podkarpacie region and the whole country, as the international nature of the program will attract young people from all over the country and from abroad.

Hontaruk noted that the university\'s experience in aviation courses in the English language is a huge advantage of the General Aviation course.

From the academic year 2010/2011, the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow offers another English-language specialisation in the area of aviation - Aviation Management. It is the only such course in Poland and one of the few in Europe. It was launched with the EU funds within the framework of the project "On wings to career - study Aviation Management".

An important part of these studies are practical classes taught by international aviation industry experts, as well as practices in airlines. Classes are taught in English by international experts in the field of aviation management, including specialists from Germany, Canada and the UK. The program lasts six semesters, during which special emphasis is out on practicality of ongoing activities. Industry partner of the course is Lufthansa.

Graduates of this specialization have the chance to work for the airline industry almost all over the world, for example in various departments at airports, as well as in companies that charter planes or offer air transport of goods.

The University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow was established in 1996. It offers 21 majors (more than 70 specializations), including seven English-language courses, and educates approx. six thousand students, including nearly 1.7 thousand from abroad. Students have access to more than 70 modern laboratories.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

api/ zan/ mrt/

tr. RL