Faculty members Karen Webber and Rob Toutkoushian visited the University of West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad in June. The visit included an overview of UWI programs in tertiary education. IHE faculty provided comments on key features of graduate level programs of higher education in the U.S. Webber also made a formal presentation on “Issues to Consider for Online and Distance Learning.” Toutkoushian conducted a workshop on the topic of national strategies for financing higher education. It included an overview of general models for financing higher education, details on how it is done in the U.S., and then a discussion of how it is done in Trinidad. He repeated the presentation as part of a seminar for Croatian administrators and faculty who visited UGA in February representing the Higher Education Initiative for Southeastern Europe (HEISEE). The latter is part of an ongoing effort on behalf of Ed Simpson, distinguished public service fellow emeritus, who has made several trips to the University of Rijeka over the past year to assist in the development of a master’s program in higher education management and governance. This program, designed to build administrative capacity, is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Embassy. Institute faculty, who supplied syllabi for the proposal, will teach particular segments once it is established. A student exchange program is also a hopeful development through HEISEE. In June, Libby Morris served on a panel and also presented a paper entitled “U.S. Research Universities in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities” at a conference delivered by the International Festival of Business in association with the University of Liverpool in England. The conference examined future challenges in higher education including internationalization, access, and participation and research. “We have a partnership with the IFB and the University of Liverpool and are hopeful for future collaborations with students and faculty,” Morris said. Type of News/Audience: 2014 IHE Report
