By Bill Robinson
Senior News Writer
RICHMOND —
For several years, Eastern Kentucky University has built alliances with several universities in Asia and Europe that facilitate regular exchanges of students and faculty as well as collaboration on research and program development.
A few joint-degree programs allow exchange students to obtain diplomas from EKU and a university in an Asian or European country.
To further expand its students’ horizons and open more doors for them in the global marketplace, the university intends to establish alliances with universities in South America and Africa, EKU President Doug Whitlock said.
Last week, Whitlock, along with Dr. Janna Vice, university provost; Dr. Neil Wright, director of EKU’s international education program; and Marc Whitt, associate vice president for public relations and marketing, visited universities in Belo Horizonte, Brazila and Sao Paulo, Brazil, to determine if educational alliances would be mutually beneficial. Two delegations from Brazilian universities visited EKU in recent weeks earlier.
For years, students from Brazil have attended EKU’s English language institute to improve their English language skills, and some have enrolled in the university’s regular program.
Whitlock said the Brazilian universities were regional institutions similar to EKU. Like EKU, one of them has programs in health sciences, aviation and bio-fuels research.
The president said students from EKU’s 22-county service region in southeastern Kentucky do not have as many opportunities for travel and study abroad as their counterparts in other regions of the United States.
“We owe it to our students to provide opportunities for international experiences — by sending our students abroad and having international students come here — because without that,” Whitlock said, “they will be at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace.”
Asked how he would respond to those who would question spending money on international travel when EKU has raised tuition and is expecting a $1.5 million reduction in state funding, he said, “We’ve got to look past this current financial difficulty and position this university and our state for the future.”
Bringing international students to EKU would boost tuition income, Whitlock said. Alliances and exchanges between universities also can lead to greater international trade opportunities for Kentucky businesses, he said.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
