Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), the parent organization of Dubai South, has signed an agreement with the UK-based University of South Wales to set up an aviation academy.

The USW Aviation Academy will be the region’s first specialist campus facility offering advanced aerospace engineering education at Dubai South, a statement said.

Central to the agreement is the delivery of the build-to-suit campus facility by Dubai South to USW over a two-phase period, it added.

Scheduled to launch its first class in 2017, the academy will subsequently expand its facilities to include offices, classrooms, laboratories, workshops and aircraft hangar, as well as access to social and residential amenities at Dubai South.

The agreement was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Professor John Andrews, the Pro Chancellor of the University of South Wales.

Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “We are witnessing the start of a critical chapter in Dubai’s journey to become the aviation capital of the world. A fundamental part of the aerospace super system that we building is the gathering of several leading, international institutions at Dubai South – organisations that can offer specialized vocational education”

“Today’s memorandum of understanding with University of South Wales – an established leader in the world of aerospace education – is a vital step towards achieving that essential dimension.”

Professor Julie Lydon OBE, Vice Chancellor of the University of South Wales, added: “This is an important step in developing the long term relationship between the University of South Wales, one of Britain’s major higher education institutions, and the growing economic force of Dubai.”

The under-graduate and post-graduate courses to be introduced by the USW Aviation Academy at Dubai South will feature European Aviation Safety Agency certified training programs, including degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Management.