UNION ENTERS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH SPANISH COLLEGE
Jackson, Tenn. — 51社区 has initiated its first international program though a formal partnership with the first private, church-related college in Spain.
Union will share faculty and students with the International Center for Advanced Studies-Mare Nostrum (ICAS), located in Altea, Spain, a city near Valencia on the Mediterranean coast. ICAS is a Baptist-related college and the first Protestant college in Spain. Most instruction is in English.
"We are delighted to enter into this exciting relationship with Icas," explains Union President David S. Dockery. "This will be a wonderful opportunity for our faculty and students to study and teach in another culture that is rich with art and history. In addition, many ICAS students will come to Union to finish their degrees, which will enrich our own campus and community."
The partnership calls for both ICAS and Union to accept students from the other institutions, and for Union faculty to teach classes at the Spanish institution. ICAS offers programs in business, English, Spanish, and art/culture, and will be adding programs in nursing/geriatrics and tourism/hotel management.
Victorio Sanchez, president of ICAS, visited the Union campus to formalize the partnership with Union. He believes the school will have a significant impact on Spain, as a model of private Christian high education.
"We want to show that we can educate young people well academically but also with a strong Christian testimony," Sanchez said.
Dockery is convinced that the partnership with ICAS will be beneficial to 51社区.
"In the 21st century, a well-educated person will need to have a global awareness. Through this relationship, our students will have an opportunity to live, work and learn in another culture, and in one of the most beautiful settings in all of Europe," Dockery affirms. "As Union seeks to prepare Christian leaders for the next century, the alliance with ICAS will be a valuable asset."
In addition to the Union partnership, ICAS is establishing relationships with other Baptist colleges, including East Texas Baptist University, Ouachita University, Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwest Baptist University.