Howard Community College, Setsunan University Sign Historic Academic Partnership
A delegation from Howard Community College, comprising faculty, senior leaders, and administrators, recently traveled to Neyegawa, Japan, to sign a memorandum of understanding with Setsunan University. The agreement memorializes student and faculty exchange for research, teaching, and training between the two institutions.
“I am grateful for the hard work of Prof. William Lowe for building a conversation with an international peer into a historic agreement for our campus community and our two nations,” said Daria J. Willis, President of Howard Community College. “This is truly a tribute to the innovation of our faculty and how they imagine the student experience to reflect our growth as a global campus.”
The agreement builds upon a 2021 international grant project, initially funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). More than 135 students participated in collaborative online international learning (COIL) projects with institutions in Denmark, Japan, Thailand, and Ecuador.
The inaugural program was co-directed by Mary Allen, Matt Van Hoose, Hanael Bianchi, Robin Bauer-Taylor, Rick Leith, Alejandro Muzzio, Amelia Yongue, and Yang Yu.
Lowe, along with Greg Fleisher, Tara Hart, Sandra Lee, Yulan Liu, and Hsien-Ann Meng led the 2022 cohort of the program.
Lombuso Khoza, Director of International Education, was part of the HCC delegation. Her office oversees study abroad and COIL programs under the guidance of Associate Vice President Candace dePass.
“I look forward to the collaboration and partnership with Setsunan University in supporting study abroad, COIL, and international education-related initiatives,” she said. “An initial faculty-led program to Japan is planned for the near future, along with faculty engagement in COIL and multidisciplinary activities. We are most appreciative of Dr. Willis' continued support in concert with Provost Shantay Grays and AVP dePass as we grow Dragons Abroad and internationalize the campus to ‘meet students where they dream.’”
“Students in my literature classes at HCC read and discussed the same set of Japanese and American short stories with students in courses at Setsunan taught by Dr. Sae Matsuda and Dr. Michael Herke,” said Lowe. “Students also got to know one another and learn about the campus and community life in Osaka and Columbia and in doing so engage in meaningful intercultural communication. In the summer of 2023, I visited Osaka and met with Dr. Matsuda and Dr. Herke and their students in person. During that visit, I had some initial conversations about opportunities for institutional collaboration between Setsunan and HCC with Dr. Curtis Chu, who at that time was serving as Setsunan's Director of International Education.”
“With the contributions of many at both institutions, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Setsunan and HCC grew out of those conversations. The MOU will create new opportunities for study abroad in Japan for HCC students as well as student and faculty exchanges between the two institutions.”
“We believe this is a great beginning to our global partnerships strategy,” Willis said. “We want to give students in our liberal arts, applied sciences, skilled trades, and continuing learning programs every opportunity to see themselves in great careers and great futures, and as citizens of a world growing closer every single day.”