Joins with Hawkeye Community College, UNI and two Brazil universities for student, faculty exchanges
Kirkwood Community College has formed another partnership with transcontinental reach. Kirkwood, Hawkeye Community College and The University of Northern Iowa have formed a business and agriculture partnership with two universities in Brazil.
The five schools have launched the Iowa-Midwest Brazil Exchange in Business and Agriculture Program. The program has received a nearly $230,000, four-year grant from the U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program. Funds come from the U.S. Department of Education under its Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE).
The two Brazilian universities involved are Universidade de Brasilia and Universidade Federal de Goias. At Kirkwood the educational focus will be on agricultural technology and methods, with eight students from the U.S. and eight Brazilians students in visiting programs each year.
Kirkwood International Programs Director Dawn Wood said the program is the “latest partnership in a rich global tradition” at the Cedar Rapids college. “We have welcomed more than 500 students to Kirkwood from more than 80 nations this fall. This is a great project that links our leading Ag Science department with the expertise of Hawkeye, UNI and Brazilian educators, too. We expect it to yield positive results for both our countries,” Wood added.
Officials say the program will focus on curriculum, student and faculty exchanges, and technology-based distance learning, among other efforts. Iowa students will have the opportunity to study in Brazil for various lengths of time, up to a semester. The Iowa colleges will also welcome visiting students from Brazil as part of the cooperative program. Grant funds will provide stipends up to $3,500 for the student and faculty exchanges.
More information is available at the following Web site:
http://www.cba.uni.edu/fipse-brazil/