Delegation travels to China to formalize NMC partnership with technical school
TRAVERSE CITY — Four Northwestern Michigan College leaders depart Sunday for a nine-day trip to China to formalize educational exchanges with a Chinese technical college.
NMC’s newest baccalaureate program major, Marine Technology, is the foundation for this partnership with Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute. Located in Kaifeng, China, YRCTI is a three-year technical school that provides academic training in support of large, river-based, hydroelectric facilities in China.
“The work done at YRCTI is a companion pathway to the training we provide at NMC. We are going there to formalize the mechanisms for exchange of students and faculty between NMC and YRCTI as well as to cooperatively build curriculum in support of bachelor’s degree completion for Chinese students who come to NMC to study,” said Hans VanSumeren, director of NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, which offers the Marine Technology major.
Also representing NMC on the trip are Marguerite Cotto, vice president for Lifelong and Professional Learning, Chris Weber, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Services, and Ed Bailey, director of the Technical Division. Weber, who speaks Mandarin, and Cotto previously visited YRCTI in 2014.
NMC officials will also investigate other programming collaborations, such as the new Engineering Technology degree. The group returns Nov. 10.
“NMC has made substantial investments in building our equipment, facilities and hiring the talent necessary to be a global provider of specialized training. We also see opportunity to engage NMC students in expertise developed at YRCTI,” Bailey said.
As part of its strategic goal to ensure that NMC learners are prepared for success in a global society and economy, NMC has been working to forge partnerships with multiple Chinese institutions since October 2012, when it hosted officials from six Chinese colleges as part of the American Association of Community Colleges Vocational Leadership Training.
Release date: October 26, 2015
For more information:
Hans VanSumeren, Director, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute
Northwestern Michigan College
hvansumeren@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1793