Cho Ki-Hung, President of Pyeongtaek University, and Sister Carol Jean Vale, Ph.D., President of Chestnut Hill College, agree to a partnership between the schools. (Photo by Linda Johnson)

by Sue Ann Rybak

Chestnut Hill College has announced that it has partnered with several international universities to provide its students with an opportunity to gain a more global perspective.

Trachanda Brown, director of Chestnut Hill College's new Global Education Office, said that as the world becomes increasingly global, companies seek employees that understand other cultures and are able to communicate effectively in the real world.

“We wanted to create unique global initiatives tailored to our campus, our community and their experiences,” said Brown, who previously served as director of the college's International Student Services and will now oversee the school's new global initiatives and partnerships.

Brown said the college has signed Global Exchange Program agreements with Catholic University of Oporto in Portugal, Universidad de Autonomadel Estado de Higalo in Mexico, Universidad Catolica de las Santisima Concepcion in Chile, Groupe IBS in France, Cesine Business School in Spain, Business Academy Aarhus in Denmark, Pyeongtaek University in South Korea and Howest University College West Flanders in Belgium.

Brown added that the college is currently in the process of establishing partnerships with institutions in Peru and the United Kingdom. The college has also partnered with the Mainline Chinese Cultural Center and ABD International to provide more quality support services and to streamline the enrollment process for matriculating Chinese students.

“Basically, we are creating branch campuses for our students all around the world,” Brown said. “Students will pay Chestnut Hill College tuition and then they pay room and board at institutions abroad.”

Brown said students' credits are automatically accepted and students still qualify for financial aid “so it's a very affordable option.”

“It's almost imperative that no matter what industry you end up working in you are going to come across people from other cultures, and you need to know how to communicate effectively with people from diverse economic, educational, ethnic and social backgrounds,” she said.

Brown said students who study abroad learn skills that can't be taught in the classroom.

In addition to expanding its abroad program, the college is partnering with Foreign Language Schools International (FLSI), the largest, privately-owned English-as-a-second language (ESL) network in the United States.

“The partnership will simplify the enrollment process for students with ESL needs at the college, encouraging international students to study at Chestnut Hill College and support the growing international student population,” she said.

Brown said the college will continue to encourage service learning opportunities abroad and work to provide students with a global view of diversity so “that their worldview is but one of many."