Northern Arizona University has been strengthening its partnerships overseas to advance global learning among students and provide international opportunities for faculty.
Liz Grobsmith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, and Harvey Charles, vice provost for International Education, recently returned to Flagstaff after visiting Far East University in Seoul, South Korea. Ten months ago, NAU signed an exchange agreement with FEU.
Since that signing, Kee ll Lyu, president of Far East University, and eight professors have visited the Flagstaff campus. Kooros Mahmoudi, chair of Sociology and Social Work, and sociology professor Warren Lucas have been in Seoul to present a series of lectures. Students
from each university have had opportunities for exchange programs.
Under Lyu’s leadership, FEU has pursued an ambitious agenda for growth and development. It strives to offer all its courses in English in the next few years and has steadily added majors as its enrollment increases.
“NAU’s partnership with FEU is a significant one with a Korean university and has become what we regard as one among a few strategic partnerships in Asia,” Grobsmith said.
During their visit, Grobsmith and Charles discussed multiple strategies for student and faculty exchanges. They also explored arrangements for academic programs and closer integration between FEU and NAU academic programs.
FEU has invited NAU students receiving graduate degrees to apply for teaching positions.
“These relationships will serve to advance global learning among our students and provide our faculty with appropriate international experiences that will further enhance their skills and knowledge around global education,” Charles added.