The Institute of International Civil Aviation Holds Its 4th Council Meeting
On the afternoon of 23 October 2026, the 4th Council Meeting of the Institute of International Civil Aviation was held in Meeting Room 203 of Haoran Building. Relevant personnel from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, COMAC, and the Institute of International Civil Aviation attended the meeting. The meeting reported on the 2026 research project approval status, the situation of MIB students in the civil aviation track, and the progress of special activities; listened to a report on the progress of the Chinese Government Civil Aviation Scholarship programme established by the Ministry of Education and the Civil Aviation Administration of China; and discussed suggestions for optimising the institute's operating mechanisms.
Research Projects Approved and Mechanisms Continuously Optimised
A total of 8 research projects were approved for 2026, covering three major directions: overseas market expansion, international supply chain management, and aviation intelligent digitalisation, with a total value of 4 million yuan, with COMAC and SJTU each contributing 2 million yuan. The approval process has now been completed, and the projects will be formally launched after the two sides sign the agreements. The 2025 projects have entered the closing cycle and will be completed within the year.
In response to the difficulty of centralised project application and approval, the approach will be changed in future to "aligning each project as it matures", with no further mandatory centralised signing to make up the total amount. Project review will reduce the weight of expert panel evaluation, and whether the relevant COMAC demand department accepts the project will become the core criterion for approval and review. At the same time, compliance training and liaison for professors participating from outside the institute will be strengthened, to address differences in fund management rules and the heavy workload of reimbursement.
MIB Enrollment Expanded and International Cooperation Steadily Advanced
MIB enrollment in the international civil aviation track has made considerable progress compared with the first year, with the number of countries increasing from 2 to 5, a significant increase in applications and admissions, and a lower student attrition rate. The college has held two Smart Aviation Frontier Forums to build momentum for enrollment and course promotion, enhancing the project's international brand influence.
To ease the pressure on COMAC to recruit 25 international students independently, the Ministry of Education and the Civil Aviation Administration of China have finalised cooperation arrangements and will assist with recruitment through the CAAC's Belt and Road platform. The Ministry of Education scholarship mainly subsidises living costs and insurance, while tuition and accommodation fees are borne by COMAC; the programme lasts two years, but COMAC prefers students to return to their original organisations after the first year. Regarding the second-year internship requirement, COMAC's Marketing Center considers that it involves security and confidentiality issues and doubled costs, and that the input-output ratio needs further assessment.
Exploring a Combined Degree and Non-Degree Education Model
To expand international influence, the plan is to adopt a combined degree and non-degree model, using short-term training courses and a Summer Program to lower the time and cost thresholds and channel participants into the degree programme. Study tour locations should prioritise cost-effectiveness and appeal, with preference given to first-tier Chinese cities or places such as Guangzhou. Overseas partner institutions will adhere to high standards and international quality, avoiding comprehensive cooperation with institutions that are ranked too low or whose specialisms do not match, so as to ensure course quality and brand positioning.
Operating Mechanisms Optimised and Lead Responsibilities Clarified
Drawing on two years of operating experience, the meeting updated the "Working Charter of the Institute of International Civil Aviation", further clarifying the responsibilities of the Council, the Task Committee, the Executive Dean, and the Business Committee, and strengthening the principal role of the Council Office (the dedicated team). It was made clear that COMAC's Marketing Center and COMAC Academy will take the lead and provide resource support in business areas such as research projects and forum organisation, forming a two-wheel-drive coordination mechanism: projects, themes, and forums are led by COMAC's Marketing Center, while degree programmes are the responsibility of COMAC Academy. During the transition period, Mr Tang will continue to serve as Executive Dean and lead the relevant work, with a formal handover to follow in line with the position adjustments of President Tan and others.
Follow-Up Priorities Deployed
The meeting deployed follow-up work: based on the annual enrollment plan of 25 students, the estimated funding input for the next five years (125 students in total) is about 40 million yuan, requiring annual expenditure of 8 to 8.7 million yuan; this must be reported to company leadership and the finance department as soon as possible to ensure next year's budget can be launched smoothly; a list of domestic teachers in the relevant professional fields should be compiled as soon as possible to prepare for course design and textbook development, and the original "International Civil Aviation" programme name will add elements such as "smart" or "digital and intelligent"; COMAC should be contacted as soon as possible to translate the cooperation consensus into a framework agreement, clarifying funding, class size, and the ratio of domestic to international students, and, after SJTU completes its discipline filing, the CAAC should be approached to seek demonstration projects and specific enrollment quotas; an international civil aviation forum is planned for June next year, and the time, format, and core themes should be determined as soon as possible, with external promotion and expert invitations carried out.
The meeting also clarified pending items including compiling a list of domestic experts in civil aviation professional fields, adjusting the direction of the programme name, promoting the translation of the cooperation consensus into a framework agreement, seeking CAAC demonstration quotas and enrollment numbers, determining the arrangements for the international civil aviation forum in June next year, and reporting the funding estimate and launching next year's budget work.