A short history of seminars on "recent research and design progress in aeronautical engineering and its influence on education"

Abstract

The aeronautical sciences and aerospace industry are by nature international. Coming from this thesis, we decided in 1994 to organise an international meeting, further called the Seminar, devoted to “RECENT RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROGRESS IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION”. The objective of that first Seminar and following ones was to organise a multinational forum for discussion and interchange of aeronautical issues and subjects, focusing on their influence on university education. Other goals included promoting international co-operation in the study of the problems in aeronautical science and technology in which there was a common interest and facilitating personal contacts between scientists, university lecturers, and industrial engineers. Our area of interest was aeronautical technology, as it is widely understood. The special focus of our Seminars was concentrated on Aircraft Design, Aircraft Oriented Aerodynamics, Flight Dynamics, Helicopter Dynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Materials and Structures, Control and Flight Tests. All these topics and their influence on the teaching process at a technical university were considered — what we believe is a specific feature of our Seminars. We notice a mutual influence between contemporary research and education; it is impossible to deliver a modern university lecture without conducting one’s own serious research or design, and it is almost impossible to become a serious, successful researcher or designer without being a graduate of a good, contemporary university. The other specific feature of our Seminars is a student session. An international jury of professors and deans from aerospace faculties all over the world observes the sessions and awarded the best student papers diplomas (sometimes with small prizes contributed by different institutions). We believe that the student sessions promote personal contacts between students and foreign lecturers and encourage students to work harder in the future. For all of us, it is the promise of a new generation of engineers, designers and scientists.

First published online: 14 Oct 2010