Six faculty and administrators from Kurdistan, Iraq, visited Appalachian State University for leadership training in April as part of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Education Partnerships (HEP) Program, funded by the nonprofit International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).
Dr. Susan Colby, Mary Beth McKee, and Emory Maiden met with the Kurdish guests to discuss our approach to supporting faculty, staff, and students on our campus. The visit was the second phase of the grant-supported program, which began a year ago. Beginning in spring 2017, 23 Kurdish educators participated in online discussions with Appalachian faculty and staff on leadership and professional development. The initiative was led by the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies in Appalachian’s Reich College of Education.
Dr. Hoshyar Ahmed from Erbil Polytechnic University, listens as Dr. Susan Colby shares information about Appalachian’s Center for Academic Excellence, the university’s lead teaching and learning resource for faculty, staff and students.
Vachel Miller said, "Appalachian faculty and staff benefitted from seeing higher education in the context of another culture. It was a week for us to peek behind the media reports we hear about the trouble in Iraq and see real people, real lives, real universities who are working to make a difference and who are excited to hear what we’re doing and learn with us."
