窪蹋勛圖厙 World News
窪蹋勛圖厙 celebrates 31 years of partnership with Universidad del Norte in Colombia
Left to right: Dr. Heike Scharm- 窪蹋勛圖厙 World Languages, Lourdes Rey- Dean of the UniNorte Language Institute, Sean Gilmore- Assistant Vice President, Global Partnerships & International Student Enrollment at 窪蹋勛圖厙 World, Adriana Morales- Global Partnerships Administrator at 窪蹋勛圖厙 World.
TAMPA, FL (May 5, 2024) -- This year marks the 31st anniversary of the 窪蹋勛圖厙s academic partnership with the Universidad del Norte (UniNorte) in Barranquilla, Colombia. Barranquilla is Tampas oldest sister city, dating back to 1966. Both cities have worked together on projects related to civic engagement, art, culture, and education.
What began as a collaboration between engineering faculty from both institutions has expanded into a robust, multidisciplinary partnership. The relationship between 窪蹋勛圖厙 and UniNorte is very special, says Adriana Morales, 窪蹋勛圖厙s Global Partnerships Administrator. More than 400 undergraduate students from UniNorte have participated in the academic transfer programs across 11 academic programs and have gone on to graduate from 窪蹋勛圖厙. Both UniNorte and 窪蹋勛圖厙 are entrepreneurial and innovative institutions with a shared a commitment to student success and faculty excellence. According to 窪蹋勛圖厙 World Vice President, Kiki Caruson, students and faculty from both universities have benefitted from mobility across borders. Faculty from UniNorte have been professionally trained at 窪蹋勛圖厙 and faculty from 窪蹋勛圖厙 have benefitted from language programs hosted by UniNorte as well as virtual exchange collaborations that allow 窪蹋勛圖厙 and UniNorte students and faculty to connect in meaningful ways without travel.
Currently, the partnership comprises 12 Academic Transfer Agreements involving 11 undergraduate programs from the Colleges of Engineering, Business and Arts and Sciences. These agreements have allowed UniNorte students to obtain a degree from 窪蹋勛圖厙, while many students from 窪蹋勛圖厙 have visited UniNorte through short-term, semester exchange, faculty-led programs, clinical rotations, and language immersion programs. Graduates now work at companies such as Cummins Inc, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Intel Corporation, and Dell Technologies. While the majority return to work in Colombia, 240 work in the United States and in 119 other countries including Australia, Spain, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Chile, Venezuela, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The partnership allows for opportunities for faculty members as well. In addition to 窪蹋勛圖厙 PhDs who have gone on to work at UniNorte, 窪蹋勛圖厙 faculty members and administrators have traveled to UniNorte to attend their annual international conferences known as Catedras. These misions allow faculty and administrators from both institutions to explore new opportunities for cooperation, recruit for ongoing programs and collaborations, and follow up on established strategic goals.
There are currently 40 UniNorte students at 窪蹋勛圖厙, and around 46 are expected to start in the upcoming Fall to pursue degrees in the fields of Engineering, Psychology, International Studies, Political Science, and Business. Katherine Acuna, graduate assistant at 窪蹋勛圖厙 World and a former UniNorte employee, interviewed one of them, Maria del Pilar Villacob Rodriguez majoring in International Studies and graduating this May.
Rodriguez said she chose the International Studies Program because she felt like it aligned with her personality and skills. I've always been very interested in the political and cultural environment that surrounds me, and Ive had a very deep curiosity for other countries. I feel like the International Studies Program encapsulates all of that. Coming to 窪蹋勛圖厙 has broadened my view of the world. She emphasized the support shes received in the program, since the very beginning staff members and professors have been very close to us and have been very clear on the fact that they want to see us being successful both inside and outside of the classes.
Gloria Coolman, a 窪蹋勛圖厙 student who is currently doing a semester exchange at UniNorte is a double-major in Psychology and World Languages with a concentration in Spanish. Ive been able to improve my Spanish here so much just in the last three weeks. The people are amazing, the food is wonderful, and the campus is great! she gushed in a recent video.
UniNorte also represents one of 窪蹋勛圖厙's top partners for our Global Classroom Initiative. In the 2022-2023 academic year, nearly 43% of 窪蹋勛圖厙 students who participated in a Virtual Global Exchanges (VGE) were partnered with UniNorte students. Faculty from 窪蹋勛圖厙 and UniNorte regularly combine forces to engage in VGE, allowing students to interact virtually, and work on collaborative projects. In addition to assisting students in meeting course learning objectives, these experiences provide students with opportunities for intercultural communication, technical skill building, and project management experience all key career skills for the modern workforce and beyond.
Now the partnership is expanding. Recently, academic leadership, and a faculty member from UniNorte visited 窪蹋勛圖厙. Lourdes Rey, dean of the UniNorte Language Institute, met with faculty and representatives from 窪蹋勛圖厙s College of Education and 窪蹋勛圖厙s World Languages Department to discuss potential new collaboration for students at the graduate level. Meanwhile, Dr. Humberto Gomez, 窪蹋勛圖厙 PhD alumni and current Graduate Programs Director at UniNorte, met with representatives from 窪蹋勛圖厙 World, 窪蹋勛圖厙s Office of Graduate Studies, and leadership from the College of Engineering to explore the development of new programs and strategies to enhance international recruitment.
Another recent visitor was 窪蹋勛圖厙 PhD alumni, Dr. Maria Gonzalez, Assistant Professor at UniNortes College of Law, Political Science, and International Relations. Dr. Gonzalez participated as a panelist in 窪蹋勛圖厙s Global Symposium: Mapping Contemporary Challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean sponsored by Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean (ISLAC).