This week, St. Edward’s University will honor two of our international partner institutions — Fachhochschule Koblenz in Koblenz, Germany and Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland — with tree-planting ceremonies. If you’d like to participate in these ceremonies, they will take place on the lawn between Mary Moody Northen Theatre and East Hall.

Fachhochschule Koblenz in Koblenz, Germany
Tuesday, March 9
11:30 a.m.
 
Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland
Thursday, March 11
9 a.m.

As the director of International Education at St. Edward’s, I am excited to celebrate our relationships with these institutions and their contributions to our campus. The trees we are planting this week stand as visual symbols of these partnerships and the opportunities they afford St. Edward’s students.

These partnerships not only provide study abroad opportunities for students at St. Edward’s, but bring international students to our campus for semester or yearlong study. Faculty members also benefit from short-term exchange activities, conducting joint research with professors from partner institutions and carrying out academic programs in collaboration with their international counterparts.

The exchange partnership between St. Edward’s University and the Fachhochschule Koblenz (University of Applied Sciences) mirrors the sister city relationship between Austin and Koblenz that began in 1994. Over the past 16 years, nearly 60 students from both universities have studied abroad through this exchange partnership.

Queen Margaret University is one of St. Edward’s newest international partner institutions. Our relationship with Queen Margaret began as a collaborative effort between Joe Goldblatt, PhD, a lecturer and distinguished alumnus of St. Edward’s, and executive director of the International Centre for the Study of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University, and Professor Sheila Gordon, assistant professor of Acting and Voice at St. Edward’s. This amazing partnership has already provided 15 St. Edward’s students with the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s largest international performing arts festivals — The Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Goldblatt and Gordon designed the program, which will be repeated in summer 2010. Students will study the Fringe Festival from a performing arts, and planned event management and marketing perspectives.

In addition to these two international partnerships, St. Edward’s maintains relationships with universities in Mexico, France and Argentina. These partner institutions are important as St. Edward’s continues to provide global educational experiences for its students. Not only do our students have the opportunity to study at these academic institutions, but by hosting their students on the hilltop we internationalize the St. Edward’s educational experience for all students.