Wor-Wic Community College and Symbiosis Skills and Professional University in Pune, India, recently signed a memorandum of understanding allowing student study abroad and internships; faculty exchanges and participation in international programs; visiting scholars for lectures, talks and sharing of expertise; joint research; course development and more. It is the first such agreement with an international institution for the Salisbury-based college.
“Wor-Wic is committed to expanding global opportunities for our local students,” said Deborah Casey, Ph.D., president of Wor-Wic. “In an increasingly international economy, we want to ensure our community is as strategically positioned and cutting-edge as possible. Our partnership with Symbiosis Skills and Professional University will strengthen our mission to provide students with workforce skills and pathways to high-demand careers.”
Some programs may be offered virtually at both institutions, with students in India and on Delmarva logging on to participate together. The initial academic focus will be on employment-building expertise areas such as cybersecurity and financial technology, or fintech.
“This collaboration marks an important step towards our shared mission of workforce development,” said Dr. Swati Mujumdar, pro chancellor of Symbiosis Skills and Professional University. “We want to create a world-class environment of learning where students and working professionals can obtain the knowledge and skills they need to pursue gainful employment or entrepreneurship, filling the needs of industry and society.”
Wor-Wic administrators will travel to India to observe the educational system in Pune this fall. Faculty and administrators from the two colleges are collaborating now on programs such as the first planned offering in fintech, which will start with free webinars on the financial technology ecosystem, leadership, global capability and how to future-proof careers in the sector. A certification program in fintech is also in the works.
During their visit to Salisbury, administrators from Symbiosis, as well as other colleges and American and Indian chamber of commerce and economic organizations, visited Wor-Wic to see its new teaching technology and to learn about its programs. They also stopped by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury to see how Wor-Wic’s welding program is helping fulfill its workforce needs, and at Choptank Electric to see Wor-Wic’s powerline pre-apprenticeship program in action.
Wor-Wic and Symbiosis were brought together via the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) India-US Partnership Lab, a program designed to establish partnerships between U.S. and Indian higher education institutions to better serve workforce needs.
“In an increasingly interconnected world, community colleges play a critical role in educating students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in and contribute to a global workforce,” said ACCT president and CEO Jee Hang Lee. “ACCT is proud to provide a pathway for colleges to develop sustained and substantive workforce-focused partnerships that contribute to our shared goal of student success.”
