Korea Aerospace University. Korea Aerospace University (KAU, ) is a private university located in Goyang, South Korea, specializing in aviation and aerospace studies. Established in 1952, KAU has grown to become a leading institution in the fields of aerospace engineering, aviation management, and air transportation. KAU offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, focusing on areas such as aircraft systems, avionics, space engineering, and airport management. The university is known for its strong industry connections, providing students with practical experience through internships, research opportunities, and partnerships with major aerospace companies.

History

Beginnings (1950s–1960s) 
Korea Aerospace University was established as a national school on June 16, 1952. During the Korean War, under the Charter for Transport School, which was granted by the Ministry of Transportation (currently the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs) to develop a civil aviation industry. The university primarily started as a two-year course school, solely with three departments: Department of Flight Operation, Department of Aircraft Power, and Department of Telecommunication Engineering. 

After the War, the campus moved to Seoul in 1962, then to Goyang City, Gyeonggi-do in 1963, where it stands today. The school buildings were constructed, including the Hangar, the Flight Training Center and the Electronics & Telecommunication Building. Several institutes such as the Central Library, the Maintenance Factory, the Wireless Lab, the Aviation Research Institute, the Training School for Aviation Tech were also opened.

Expansion (1970s–1990s) 

In 1979, the university was taken over by Jungseok Foundation, established by Hanjin Group and it transitioned into a private university.

Through the modifications on quota and name, the establishment of schools, departments and graduate schools were finalized. Auxiliary organizations and institutes were reorganized (see "Centers and institutes").

Furthermore, the Liberal Arts Building, Central Library, the Aviation Control Center, the Mechanical Engineering Building and the Flight Operation Building were opened in the 1970s; the Student's Hall, the Science Building, the Mechanical Engineering Building and the Electronic Engineering Building were constructed in 1990s.

Development (2000s-present) 

Following a period of consolidation, the university pivoted its efforts toward ensuring internal stability since the early 2000s. Key infrastructures like the Central Library, the Center for Technical Assistance to Small and Medium-sized Industries, the KAU Aerospace Center/Museum, and the New Administrative Building were established. The Library and the Student's Hall were also expanded. In 2006, the university distinguished itself by developing and launching the CubeSat microsatellite, a first among Korean universities.

Pioneering research breakthroughs were realized in the domain of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), with the university achieving the first autonomous formation flight of UAV and the first solar-powered UAV flight for 12 continuous hours in Korea.

In 2007, the institution underwent a significant rebranding, changing its name from Hankuk Aviation University to Korea Aerospace University. Concurrently, it began to enhance its capabilities by creating international connections. It received AABI (Aviation Accreditation Board International) certification in various areas including flight education, aviation management, air traffic management, and air transportation systems. It also signed MOUs and cooperation agreements with internationally recognized institutions such as the University of Southern California, Drexel University, Oregon State University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and entered into a joint development agreement with General Electric.

Covering a broad spectrum of aerospace fields like Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer Engineering, Air Transportation and Logistics, Aeronautical Science & Flight Operation, and Air and Space Law, the university has been appointed to spearhead several national initiatives and collaborative research endeavors with global industry leaders like GE, Airbus, PLANSEE since 2009.

Research activities 
 CDSRC (the Defense Specialized University Research Center), 2011–
 Maritime Transport Education Project, 2011–
 GSRC (Global Surveillance Research Center), 2010–
 Logistics Specialized Education Project, 2010–
 Seoul Accord Activation Center, 2010–
 Industrial Technology Development Project, 2010–
 WPM (World Premier Materials Project), 2010–
 The Korea Electric Vehicle and Transportation Safety Convergence System Research Consortium, 2010–
 Haneul Project (for Aerospace Engineers and Global Aviation Experts), 2009–
 Seven NSLs (National Space Laboratory) and three NRLs (National Research Laboratory), 2008–

Organization

Undergraduate 
College of Engineering
School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Aircraft System Engineering
School of Electronics, Telecommunication & Computer Engineering
Electronic and Avionics Engineering
Information and Telecommunication Engineering
Software Engineering
Department of Materials Engineering
College of Aviation and Management
School of Air Transportation and Logistics
Air Transportation
Logistics 
Air and Space Law
Department of Aeronautical Science and Flight Operations
School of Business
Business Administration
Global Aviation Management
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of General Studies
Department of English

Graduate 
Graduate School	
Master's Course
Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Space Technology
Materials Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Telecommunication & Information Engineering
Computer Engineering
Aviation Management
Air Transport, Transportation and Logistics
Business Administration
English
Air & space Law
Doctor's Course
Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
Space Technology
Materials Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Telecommunication & Information Engineering
Computer Engineering
Aviation Management
Air Transport, Transportation and Logistics
Business Administration
English
Graduate School of Aviation & Management
Aviation Industry Group(Master)
Techno-Management
Air Transport, Transportation and Logistics
Air & space Law
Aviation Management
Business Administration Group(Master)
Business Administration
Airline Management
Tourism Management
Advanced Management Program

Laboratories 

School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Micro & Nano Heat Transfer Laboratory
Rocket Propulsion Laboratory	
Space System Research Laboratory
Welding Laboratory
Fluid Power Control Laboratory
Applied Aerodynamic Laboratory
Spacecraft Control Laboratory
System Design Optimization Laboratory
School of Electronics, Telecommunication & Computer Engineering
Logic Circuit Laboratory
Data Mining Laboratory
Radar Signal Processing Laboratory
Parallel & Distributed Processing Laboratory
Applied Network Research Laboratory
Navigation & Information Systems Laboratory
Mobile Communication Laboratory
NGN Laboratory
RF Circuit Laboratory	
Silicon Graphics Laboratory
School of Air Transport, Transportation and Logistics
Ubiquitous Technology Application Research Center

Centers and institutes 

Global Aviation Training Institute (GATI)
Institute of International Culture and Education
KAU Aerospace Museum
Central Library
R&D Residence Complex
Computing Center
Air Traffic Control Station
University Newspaper
University Broadcasting Station
University Press Office
Research Institute of Aerospace Engineering and Technology
Aerospace and Aviation Electronics Research Center
Institute for Community Research
Institute for Aircraft Safety and System Management
Institute for Aviation Industry, Policy and Law
Student Counseling Center
Institute for Business Studies
Institute for Humanities and Natural Science
Center for Technical Assistance to Small and Medium-sized Industries
IT Research Center
Institute of Transportation and Logistics
Research Center for Internet Information Retrieval
Advanced Broadcasting Media Technology Research Center
Ubiquitous Technology Application Research Center (UTAC)
KAU Research Center for Robotics
Information Protection Research
Innovating Engineering Education Center
Innovating Aviation and Management Education Center
Center for Teaching and Learning

References

External links 
 Korea Aerospace University (English)
 Korea Aerospace University (Korean)

Aerospace University
Private universities and colleges in South Korea
Aerospace
Goyang
Aviation schools in South Korea
1952 establishments in South Korea
Universities and colleges established in 1952