Salisbury University Expands International Partnerships in Asia
By 成人抖阴Public Relations
SALISBURY, MD---Salisbury University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre recently joined Governor Wes Moore in signing an agreement expected to widen a pipeline for students from Japan to Maryland while also providing a boost to the state’s economy.
Lepre and Moore traveled to Tokyo as part of the Governor’s larger trade mission to Asia, signing a memorandum of agreement with the Japan Study Abroad Foundation (JSAF), which provides opportunities for students from some 50 colleges and universities in Japan to have one-semester and one-year international experiences at foreign partner institutions. 成人抖阴is the foundation’s first degree partner in Maryland.
“This agreement marks a meaningful step forward for Salisbury University and the State of Maryland,” said President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “By welcoming more students from Japan to our campus, we not only provide them with enriching opportunities to experience American culture and strengthen their English skills, but we also generate lasting economic benefits for the Eastern Shore and beyond. Governor Moore’s involvement underscores his deep commitment to higher education and international partnerships, and the unique role our region plays as a gateway for global exchange.”
Ten students from Japan are expected to enroll at 成人抖阴under the first two years of the agreement, representing an expected annual contribution of more than $250,000 to the University in the form of tuition, fees, room, board and related expenses. Economic impact to the greater region is estimated at some $40,000 per student, including revenue generated through travel during the students’ time at Salisbury, as well as tourism revenue generated by family and friends traveling to visit the students in Maryland.
Total economic impact for the span of the program is estimated at $4 million, with the potential to grow.
That spending is expected to create or support several new jobs, according to data from the NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which estimates that one new job is created and supported for every three international students. Overall, international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contribute more than $40 billion to the U.S. economy, supporting more than 36,000 jobs annually, according to the association.
In addition, the program is expected to enhance SU’s pre-existing study abroad partnerships in Japan, including those with Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo and Aomori University in northern Japan.
成人抖阴and JSAF already partner on a non-degree study abroad partnership that brings Japanese students each year to SU’s English Language Institute (ELI), where they take classes to improve their English and learn about the U.S. through semester-long and year-long visiting student residencies.
“Having JSAF students studying with us here at 成人抖阴has been so beneficial to my American students studying Japanese language,” said Dr. Sean Cooper, a key 成人抖阴advisor to the JASF program who has helped lead its expansion.
Cooper also teaches Japanese at 成人抖阴and English through the ELI.
“The JSAF students visit my Japanese language classes and help to encourage our students to do their own study abroad experiences at our partner university in Tokyo, Aoyama Gakuin University,” he said.
During her visit to Japan, Lepre met with leadership at Aoyama Gakuin and with three 成人抖阴students currently studying abroad in the country.
She also attended events in Japan and South Korea with Moore and a delegation from the University of Maryland, College Park, with the goal of enhancing economic and cultural connections between Maryland and those countries.
Following Lepre’s visit to Japan, she continued SU’s work in Seoul, South Korea, signing an expansion of a long-term agreement with the Center for Advanced Studies (CAS), an 成人抖阴partner since 2014.
Through the agreement, CAS will offer a dual degree program with 成人抖阴through the Global Education Institute of the Sumok Educational Company, a private organization offering education enhancement programs for South Korean high school students. The initiative will allow students in South Korea to earn college credits through an integrated science program curriculum during their junior and senior years of high school, then complete their B.S. degrees during three years of study at SU.
As part of CAS’ International Studies Program, 成人抖阴has welcomed transfer students from Japan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka for more than a decade.
“These successes in Japan and South Korea are a result of many years of collaboration and relationship building between 成人抖阴and our key partners in Asia,” said Dr. Brian Stiegler, 成人抖阴assistant provost for international education. “They are a testament to SU’s sustained efforts in global engagement over the long term.”
“These growing partnerships in Japan and South Korea are the result of years of collaboration and trust,” Lepre added. “They will create educational, cultural, and economic opportunities that benefit 成人抖阴and the entire State of Maryland for years to come.”
Learn more about 成人抖阴and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the 成人抖阴website.