From ports in Bangladesh to aerospace companies in Germany and France, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Professor Burak Chankaya, Ph.D., is exploring ways to leverage artificial intelligence in business and entrepreneurship applications and share that knowledge with students.
“We are entering the age of AI, which will change the way all businesses operate, from startups to large corporations,” said Kankaya, an associate professor in the Department of Decision Science and Analytics at the Worldwide College of Business. “Some students have a lot of anxiety about AI, and we want to help them become comfortable and literate with AI, especially in aerospace and aviation subject areas.”
Cankaya, who was recently selected for a three-year Fulbright Specialist Award, has seen first-hand how AI is positively impacting global business and logistics. He spent a month in Bangladesh working with three universities in the South Asian country on AI in Business Development and Entrepreneurship for the university’s Maritime Business and Logistics program.
“Bangladesh is built on river systems and its ports and naval systems are Bangladesh’s bloodline,” he said. “Its economy is built on ports, and ports have some unique challenges.”
Cankaya, who has industrial and research experience in the maritime sector, led a four-week initiative to integrate AI into port research, planning and operations at Bangladesh Maritime University (BMU) in September.
As part of his Fulbright, Cankaya led a four-week effort in September to incorporate AI into port research, planning and operations at Bangladesh Maritime University. (Photo: Dr. Black Chankaya)
“The program covered a wide range of activities, including modules on AI-driven business development, decision support systems, and idea proposal simulation,” said Cankaya, who has a background in aviation, aerospace, and maritime. “We also conducted practical development of machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies in vessel movements, which is a strategic skill for the future of the country.”
Additionally, he visited Bangladesh University of Technology and Bangladesh University of Aeronautics and Astronautics to discuss how AI can be used for aerospace applications such as avionics, aircraft maintenance, and flight safety simulation.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Chankaya said. “I will always cherish the memories of that trip, especially the lifelong friendships and camaraderie formed between Bangladeshi educational institutions and Embry-Riddle. This will be a lifelong partnership.”
Wanting to provide these global AI opportunities to Embry-Riddle students, Cankaya is launching AI Entrepreneurship in Aerospace, a new study abroad program in Germany and France for students at all Embry-Riddle campuses this summer. In partnership with aerospace companies such as Lufthansa and Airbus, students will take business classes and explore how European aerospace companies and startups are leveraging AI. As part of the program, there will also be an entrepreneurial project where students will design and propose an AI project.
Led by two faculty members from the Daytona Beach campus, the program includes just two weeks of travel, making it more feasible for working students than longer study abroad programs.
“We wanted to offer this as an opportunity to all students, including those working full time,” Cankaya said. “Both business and non-business students can present their AI entrepreneurship ideas and pitch them to international industry leaders.”
At Embry-Riddle, Cankaya is also working on integrating AI solutions into the classes he teaches, especially for students in analytics courses. As part of Worldwide Campus’ Academic Innovation Research Faculty Fellows Program, we are developing tools to support project-based learning using AI.
“Analysts do a lot of troubleshooting,” he said. “So we developed an AI bot to help students code and debug.”
Cankaya is also involved in several university research projects that use operations research, AI, and machine learning to improve crew planning, aviation safety, operations, and sustainability.
