Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) and Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), recognizing the significant value toward learning and the promotion of international experience.
This formalized agreement will promote a partnership for ongoing communication and commitment to exploring mutually beneficial activities and experiences further.
Lamprini Pantazi, Ph.D., dean of the business and leadership department at SMWC, said, “This new partnership will help students and faculty, through the various areas of collaborations, to broaden their own sense of identity, widen their cross-cultural perspective and awaken in ways that lead to new multifaceted ideas. They will learn how to strategically lead a team of diverse people and collaboratively analyze and address complex problems that transcend borders.”
Both institutions are committed to providing opportunities for students to enroll in undergraduate or graduate programs, establishing a joint effort to support faculty, teaching, research and study abroad exchanges and creating new academic pathways in connection with these goals.
“We at USFQ are enjoying the first steps of partnering with SMWC,” said Franklin Velasco, associate professor of marketing at USFQ Business School. “Our collaboration agreement includes a wide range of domains, from equine medicine to nursing, from executive education to health care management, from business to arts and music — and the list goes on. This is a true reflection of both institutions’ commitment to liberal arts education and cultural diversity, as the new generations of students are in need of developing skills to adapt to different contexts.”
This partnership is part of the strategic expansion of SMWC’s global leadership initiatives as the institution launched its first Ph.D. program in global leadership this fall and is working to develop a new Global Leadership Institute. These programs were funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Charting the Future initiative in 2021.
SMWC is in the process of signing an MOU with Al Akhawayn University in Morocco as a goal of the program is to build global connections and provide students with robust global experiences.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is Indiana’s oldest Catholic university, founded in 1840 by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. SMWC is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest and one of the Best Values in the Midwest.
Universidad San Francisco De Quito was founded in 1988 and is the first private self-financed university in Ecuador. USFG’s education model is aimed at the formation of leading, innovative and entrepreneurial professionals, serving the community within the philosophy of liberal arts.