Kent State University's partnership with Rwanda to train the next generation of pilots was recently featured on News 5 Cleveland.
Five students were selected from 2,600 applicants in Rwanda to train as pilots at Kent State as part of a new partnership with RwandAir, the country's state-owned airline. Once the students graduate, they will be ready to begin flying and training with the carrier.
Maureen R. McFarland, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, told News 5 Cleveland that the need for pilots across the continent is significant.
"They don't have the training infrastructure that we have in the United States," McFarland told News 5 Cleveland. "Many of those countries might be able to produce 300 to 400 pilots a year. They need 24,000 pilots over the next 20 years."
The partnership is part of a broader and growing relationship between Kent State and Rwanda. The university is also in the process of rolling out a proposed campus in Rwanda, which would offer degrees in fashion design and fashion merchandising.
Roughly 70 students from Rwanda are currently enrolled at Kent State.