Northwestern State University renewed its agreement with Fundación Universitaria Tecnológico Comfenalco, a partner institution in Cartagena, Colombia. Comfenalco President Dr. Mauricio Ruiz, Academic Vice President Dr. Alejandro Dager and Raynel Mendoza, director of research, innovation and social projection, visited the NSU campus to discuss programming, curriculum and opportunities for dual degree programs, course transfer credits, student/faculty exchanges and joint research projects.

The administrators visited department heads and toured facilities in the College of Business and Technology, the Department of Engineering Technology and Department of Psychology. Comfenalco is one of the largest universities, based on student population, in Cartagena.

“Cooperation between institutes of higher learning contributes to cultural enrichment, scientific progress and the consolidation of friendship,” said Dr. Marcus Jones, who coordinated the visit and has led recruiting initiatives in Latin America. “The five-year agreement provides for the exchange of instructional information, research and curricula, faculty, students and joint research.”

Administrators from Fundación Universitaria Tecnológico Comfenalco in Cartagena, Colombia, visited Northwestern State University this week to renew its agreement that provides for student/faculty exchanges, dual enrollment and joint research projects.

Seated from left are
Dr. Mauricio Ruiz, president of Fundación Universitaria Tecnológico Comfenalco, NSU President Dr. Jim Henderson and Dr. Alejandro Dager, vice president of of Fundación Universitaria Tecnológico Comfenalco. Standing are Dr. Ali Ahmad, head of NSU’s Department of Engineering Technology; Raynel Mendoza, director of Research, Innovation and Social Projection at Comfenalco; Dr. Marcus Jones, vice president for University Affairs; Dr. Marcia Hardy, assistant professor in NSU’s School of Business; Sebastian Roldan, one of NSU’s international students from Colombia who is earning a degree in business; Dr. Margaret Kilcoyne, interim dean of NSU’s School of Business and Technology; Dr. Susan Barnett, head of the Department of Psychology; Steven Gruesbeck, director of service-learning and psychology instructor, and Telba Espinoza-Contreras, director of the International Student Resource Center.