The first two days were divided between Estonian (Allan Nõmmik, Kristjan Roosipõld, Viktor Trasberg) and Portuguese lecturers (Rui Quadros, Pedro Reis, Luis Santos and Virgilio Belo). Teaching topics focused on areas like airlines, airports, business aviation and air traffic management, especially in the context of the current situation in aviation and post-COVID-19, as well as human factors and safety management (from the same perspective). Views on the situation were reflected by both countries.
The third day was left for students to work in mixed groups. The aim of the exercise was to discuss given topics and help students form their position in certain questions. All thematic groups were supervised by the lecturers. The project reached the final on a fourth day with flying colors – all groups presented their results. Gete Suurraid, a second year Air Traffic Management student from Estonia said: “This kind of project is great, because witnessing different approaches, meeting lecturers from various cultural and business backgrounds, and working on the same project with other students have really broadened my horizons and given me a truly valuable experience.”
In conclusion, both students and lecturers benefited from this initiative – they found the time to participate during these difficult times and tested their limits, combining regular teaching and virtual mobility activities.
It is important to utilise all possible opportunities to continue international cooperation and to not encapsulate, which might be easy nowadays. The current situation has had at least one good impact and this is the developing cooperation between the Estonian Aviation Academy and Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências. Before the COVID-19 pandemic we were not excessively active partners, but difficulties unite us!
Our sincere thanks to everyone for participating!
Karine Mandel
Head of External Relations and Marketing Department