News

April 21, 2008
ECC and Finnish Educators Sign Agreement

From left, ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm and Finnish educational leaders Esa Santakallio and Ari Orelma signed an agreement on April 15 that establishes collaborations between the college and Finnish institutions.

Edgecombe Community College has signed a cooperative agreement with educational leaders from Finland that creates collaborative opportunities between the college and several Finnish educational institutions.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for international goodwill,” said ECC Board of Trust Chair Jonathan Felton.

The delegation of eight Finnish educational leaders visited ECC and other local colleges last week. The visitors were guests of ECC, N.C. Wesleyan College, and Nash Community College.

Following a reception and dinner on ECC’s Tarboro campus on Tuesday, April 15, officials from the Hyvinkaa-Riihimaki Vocational Adult Education Centre, the Riihimaki Vocational Institution, Hyvinkaa Vocational Institutions, cities of Hyvinkaa and Riihimaki, and ECC signed an agreement creating opportunities for collaboration and exchange. Projects listed in the agreement are:

• An exchange of professional development experiences;
• A collaboration of workforce development training provided to local industries;
• An exchange of best practices between the Finnish institutions and ECC;
• An exchange of best practices between the Finnish institutions and the Edgecombe Early College High School.

This gathering marked the third time ECC officials have met with officials from Finland. In March 2007, a delegation from Finland visited Edgecombe and Nash community colleges and N.C. Wesleyan.

In September 2007, ECC executives Dr. Deborah Lamm, Dr. Kristi Snuggs, and J. Lynn Cale traveled to Finland as guests of educational centers in Hyvinkaa and Helsinki. Following this visit, the college committed to participating in faculty and student exchanges, to collaborating on academic projects, and to partnering with the adult education center to provide workforce training for local industry.

“The agreement reinforces our efforts to partner with Finland on teaching and learning opportunities for our students and the citizens of Edgecombe,” said ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm.

“This is the second time we have been here, and it won’t be the last,” observed Ari Orelma, president of the Hyvinkaa-Riihimaki Vocational Adult Education Centre.

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