DAHLONEGA — To expand global opportunities for faculty, staff and students, the University of North Georgia (UNG) recently welcomed presidents of 10 German universities and other education officials to the Dahlonega Campus.
The Association of the Bavarian Universities of Applied Sciences is a group of 20 universities encompassing more than 115,000 students that collectively offer more than 600 degree programs in engineering, business, natural and social sciences and other areas. Participants representing UNG, area industry leaders, and local and state government representatives met the delegation.
"We know that education is critical to the development of community and civic leaders, who in turn support strong economies, and so our institutions provide access to university education for students within a regional area," said UNG President Bonita Jacobs in her comments to welcome the delegation. "To accomplish our mission, we must work hand-in-hand with businesses, industry and service partners with special focus given to our regional emphasis. And, we must balance our regional responsibilities with the need help our students to find their place in the international economy and to develop into leaders for a diverse and global society."
Dr. Michael Braun, a professor and president of Nuremberg Institute of Technology, spoke for the group and presented an overview of the association and the region it serves. He specifically noted the group's interest in developing research and teaching partnerships and exchange opportunities for students and faculty.
UNG administrators talked about university activities and ongoing partnerships in academic engagement, language learning, economic development and internationalization.
In recent years, UNG created new exchange partnerships with three schools in Germany – Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universtät der Bundeswher München, and the NATO School in Oberammergau. UNG also has partnerships with colleges and universities around the globe, including institutions in South Korea, China, Canada, Latvia, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Oman, Morocco, Peru, Taiwan, Spain, and others.
UNG offers courses in 10 languages, and students can earn a bachelor's degree in modern languages with a concentration in Arabic, Chinese, French, or Spanish. Each summer, UNG offers intensive language courses for college and high school students. UNG also offers specialized global opportunities for students in the Corps of Cadets, including federally funded programs such as Project Global Officer, Chinese Language Flagship, and UNG's Language Training Center.
