CCID PartnerFind

CCID PartnerFind allows members to search for potential institutional partners based on a variety of fields including; enrollment, study abroad programs, co-curricular activities, English language programs, countries of engagement, and much more.

Non-members may purchase a customized CCIDPartnerFind report to connect with colleges for potential partnership development. Contact us for more information at  info@ccidinc.org or +1 281.290.2909.

Success Stories

 

The Global Education Network

Kirkwood Community College is a member of the Global Education Network. The Global Education Network (GEN) provides a variety of study abroad options, work and collaborative project opportunities for students, exposing them to the global market. GEN provides students with innovative international learning experiences to help them gain employment on any continent.  The four premiere institutions that comprise GEN are Box Hill Institute (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), Institute of Technical Education (Singapore), Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA) and SAIT Polytechnic (Calgary, Alberta, Canada).

This summer Kirkwood hosted the very unique GEN Project Management Global Learning Program for 3 weeks on the Kirkwood Campus in Cedar Rapids, IA.  The GEN group arrived on Saturday, July 9th and departed on July 30th. The group consisted of a total of 23 students/faculty.

ITE Singapore sent 8, SAIT Canada sent 5 and Box Hill Institute sent 3. There were also 5 Kirkwood students participating. The course was team-taught by two Kirkwood Business faculty, Marilee Feldman and Sandy O\'Brien.

The students participated in a 3-week seminar course that focused on Project Management concepts directly linked to one of the largest events in the Midwest, the Great Jones County Fair, in Monticello Iowa.  The two faculty leaders delivered some relevant project management content to the group and divided the group into several multicultural teams focused on different aspects of the Fair. They worked in teams to research the ins and outs of the Great Jones County Fair. Students analyzed attendee data, interviewed attendees and consulted with the organizers of the fair.  The groups learned project management concepts, participated and observed directly several Fair events, and got to know each other\'s cultures and cultural perspectives on a very meaningful level.

GEN Global Learning Programs allow for an amazing study abroad exchange experience for GEN participants. The group also visited cultural sites around Cedar Rapids and Chicago as part of the program.

This project management program involves all four college\'s faculty meeting virtually prior to the experience to plan the itinerary and set expectations. Next year the program will move to Calgary where a whole new group of GEN students will have the opportunity to take on a Canadian project from a multicultural viewpoint! GEN also offers Global Learning Programs in other disciplines such as Design Thinking.

Tacoma Community College Partners with Japanese Institution

Tacoma and Kitakyushu, Japan, have been sister cities since 1959. Through this mutual relationship, Tacoma Community College (TCC) has offered a special short-term study program for students from our partner institution in Kitakyushu for the last 8 years.

This past October, the Third Asia Future Conference was held in Kitakyushu, which brought together educators and students from all over Asia around the theme of \"Environment and Coexistence\". A delegation of TCC faculty and staff participated in the conference and also visited the partner university.

Professor Kristen Harrison, Dr. Ralph Hitz and Dr. Shaun Henderson from the department of Science and Engineering at TCC presented \"Citizen Science Research in Non-Science Major Classes at Tacoma Community College.\" This presentation was about four community-based environmental science projects that our students contribute to every quarter at TCC. It sparked a lively discussion about active learning with the other presenters in our session.

The conference also allowed the TCC delegation to explore the area of Kitakyushu through all-day study tours. Among the attractions visited were Akiyoshidai Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Asia, Tokoji Buddhist Temple built in 1691, and the samurai estates of old town Hagi. In particular, Dr. Henderson highlighted the environmentally friendly buildings and communities of Kitakyushu including the Toto museum, the Environment museum, the Natural History museum and the Hagashida smart-community experimental area.

After the conference closed, the TCC delegation met with professors from the university, first at the main campus and then at the satellite STEM campus. The purpose of these meetings were for researchers to share their work in the fields of environmental and botanical sciences. Administrators also discussed opportunities for study abroad programs and faculty exchanges.

In addition to the conference activities, TCC International Programs Office staff member, Namiko Bagirimvano, was able to facilitate a pre-departure orientation for future students who will be attending TCC in Spring 2017. A dinner event was also held for TCC alumni in order to continue cultivating relationships with the campus and students.

The TCC delegation feels incredibly lucky to have gone on this memorable trip. A hopeful outcome for the next several years is to bring TCC students to Kitakyushu for a cultural immersion trip or as part of an environmental studies course that compares the cities of Tacoma and Kitakyushu. In the meantime, we reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation for the continuous improvement of student services and program offerings