Just sitting in a classroom is not enough nowadays, says Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, professor of English and foreign languages at East Central University.
"International education is an integral part of modern day, high quality education," she said.
Sukholutskaya was instrumental in developing ECU's Study Abroad Program with universities in Ukraine and Russia and recently traveled to Argentina and Spain to explore the possibility of entering into similar agreements with universities in those countries.
She was one of 10 people from American universities invited by Eduargentina to participate this spring in an all-expenses-paid Trade Mission Program for U.S. Educational Institutions in Buenos Aires and Rosario. The goal was to introduce Argentina's educational institutions to Americans unfamiliar with opportunities available to American students.
Sukholutskaya met with representatives of some of the most prominent public and private education institutions in Argentina and visited universities where programs for foreign students are being offered. She and other U.S. representatives also participated in a round table discussion in Buenos Aires with Argentine government and university officials.
Also invited to participate in the trade mission program were Michigan State, Syracuse, Belmont, Xavier and Monmouth Universities, the State University of New York at Buffalo and the Universities of California, North Texas and Texas at Dallas.
Sukholutskaya also visited with officials from the University of Extremadura in Spain about a possible exchange program when she and Wendy Leraas, ECU assistant professor of English and languages, led an ECU Study Abroad Program tour to Spain in March.
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