Warner Robins, Ga. – In May, Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with ZBC, a technical college in Denmark. The agreement is set to maximize international learning opportunities for faculty and staff at both institutions.
Jan Bagge, vice president of ZBC, Andrea Griner, CGTC vice president for Economic Development, Jeff Scruggs, CGTC executive vice president, and Michael Kaas-Andersen, ZBC president gather, at ZBC’s Roskilde Campus for a signing of the agreement.
The signing came as a part of a Danish grant-funded project that invited Jeff Scruggs, executive vice president for CGTC, Andrea Griner, vice president for Economic Development and JoBen Rivera-Thompson, director of Marketing and Public Relations and International Outreach to visit and explore programs at ZBC, while also presenting to students and staff of Nursing, Early Childhood, and Cybersecurity programs on topics of workforce development, international service learning, child development centers, and the mission of the College.
“What this agreement establishes is a broad collaboration between both institutions where through exchange and collaborative projects, students, faculty, and staff will enhance their global competency in a variety of disciplines,” Scruggs said. “There is so much to learn from each other in terms of education and culture and we look forward to exploring more opportunities for collaboration as projects develop under this agreement.”
Scruggs and Griner signed the agreement at ZBC’s Roskilde Campus alongside Michael Kaas-Andersen, ZBC president, and vice president, Jan Bagge.
“It’s our intention to continue the long-standing diplomatic connection between Georgia and Denmark with a strong partner like CGTC, as we look at innovative steps in education and workforce training together,” said, Ivan Kousholt, head of International Affairs at ZBC. “This will be of great benefit to both central Georgia and greater Copenhagen.”
The relationship between ZBC and CGTC has been fostered through the Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), a professional international education advocacy organization, of which both institutions are members. CGTC’s visit to Denmark in May reciprocated a visit made by ZBC to CGTC in February, where ZBC representatives were met by Honorary Danish Consul in Macon, Christopher N. Smith. Smith joined to put these types of partnerships into a greater diplomatic context.
“At CCID we had the opportunity to hear about the amazing work that Central Georgia Tech College is doing through their service learning programs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” said Kousholt. “This sparked our curiosity and led to an inspiring visit at the college. It was clear to us that we could work together on innovative ideas in health care, food and technology/manufacturing.”
Future collaboration could include visits from ZBC faculty and students in Culinary Arts, Cybersecurity, Automotive, Early Childhood Care, and Education for credit and non-credit learning opportunities.
CGTC’s Office of Global Initiatives will explore opportunities for students to study abroad in Nursing, Automotive, Cybersecurity, Industrial Systems, and Early Childhood Care and Education. Professional development and continuing education opportunities for faculty, staff, and community are also part of the discussions for future collaboration.
The CGTC Office of Global Initiatives directs the development and implementation of new educational and training partnership opportunities beyond the border of the United States. Created in 2013, the Office follows the Technical College System of Georgia’s lead to expand the educational reach of technical colleges beyond Georgia and fulfill its mission to recruit and grow a globally competitive workforce through education, training, and career services for Georgia’s citizens, employers, and communities.
For more information visit, www.centralgatech.edu/global
About Central Georgia Technical College
As one of the largest two-year colleges in the state, CGTC operates three campuses and five centers
throughout central Georgia, serving more than 30,000 individuals annually. CGTC is focused on connecting graduates to careers by offering quality education services, assuring a well -qualified workforce to support a healthy local economy. CGTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For more information about CGTC, visit www.centralgatech.edu. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/centralgatech), Twitter (@CGTC), and Instagram (@centralgatech).