Gannon University Expands Its International Reach
Posted: February 14, 2014Gannon University has signed two new international exchange
agreements: one with Marie Curie-Sklodowksa University (UMCS) in
Lublin, Poland (a sister city of Erie), and a second with
Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrück,
Germany.
These agreements aim to fulfill the University's mission of
preparing students to be global citizens through programs grounded
in the liberal arts and sciences and professional
specializations.
Partnering with strong European universities known for their
excellence in teaching and research gives students and faculty
unparalleled cultural and academic opportunities. Gannon
University's College of Engineering and Business will be
spearheading the initial cooperative efforts. The recent
harmonization of European university degrees with U.S. bachelor's
and master's degrees, and the growing offering of courses taught in
English (especially business and engineering courses) at European
universities allow students and faculty to move seamlessly across
these two continents' systems of higher education.
Dr. W.L. Scheller II, Dean of the College of Engineering &
Business, and Dr. Bruce Kibler, a faculty member in the Dahlkemper
School of Business, travelled to Lublin, Poland and Osnabrück,
Germany to sign these agreements on behalf of Gannon University.
Germany is viewed as a focus for Gannon's internationalization
efforts due the high level of internationalization already present
in the German educational system (many German programs require
students to spend at least one semester abroad) as well as its
strong engineering focus, the rich offering of courses taught in
English and the safe atmosphere for students.
These agreements are part of a strategic initiative in building
a worldview for students and faculty via intensive interaction with
partner universities in other countries. This brings to four the
number of agreements reached by Gannon University with
international partner institutions this year. In March, agreements
were signed with Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland, and
the University of Osnabrück (a more research based institution in
the same city) in Germany. These agreements solidify a European
presence for Gannon, which has already established relationships in
the Middle East (Jordan), Southeast Asia (Thailand), and
Australia.
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University was founded in 1944 and has a
current enrollment in excess of 35,000 students and a faculty of
more than 1,800. Lublin is well known as Erie's sister city in
Poland.
Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1971
and has a current enrollment of 11,200 students, including 700
international students from more than 85 countries. A faculty of
460 teaches in 91 programs (64 bachelor's and 27 master's programs
including MBA).