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The University of North Georgia's (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾) connections to Asia keep growing. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ signed its only current agreement with an Indian university Nov. 6, forming a science and business partnership with .

Earlier this semester, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ announced two new partnerships between the Corps of Cadets and Taiwanese military schools while expanding a partnership with another Taiwanese school. With the additions, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ now has military student exchanges with 11 schools.

"I am delighted that °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ has an academic connection with BML Munjal University so that our students, faculty and staff can learn more about India's culture, as well as the institution's academic and industrial innovations," said Sheila Schulte, associate vice president for international programs at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾. "Our partnerships in Taiwan help °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ create opportunities for our Chinese-language learners as well as those interested in East Asian studies. These collaborations in South and East Asia provide key locations for our students to grow their global competence and helps °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ expand our global footprint in an increasingly important part of the world."

Dr. J.B. Sharma, assistant department head of physics at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾, visited BML Munjal when he was in India to see family. He said he was impressed with the private university, which was founded in 2014 and already had connections with the likes of Siemens, IBM and the Imperial College of London.

Sharma made a connection with Dr. M.B. Srinivas, dean of BML Munjal's College of Engineering and Technology, which led to the agreement signed in early November. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ and BML Munjal will be working to form a variety of faculty and student exchanges, through the efforts of Sharma; Dr. Mohan Menon, department head of management and marketing in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾'s Mike Cottrell College of Business; and Dr. Jeff Turk, director of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾'s Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis. 

"Engagement between the oldest democracy and the largest democracy in the world is very important," Sharma said. "It will be beneficial for both societies."

Schulte is grateful for Sharma's passion in jumpstarting the BML Munjal partnership.

Col. Yihsiung Lin, deputy commandant of MCNDU, and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ President Bonita Jacobs make an exchange of gifts after signing a partnership agreement Aug. 22.

"It is always good to have our partnerships happen organically through faculty interest," Schulte said. "Faculty engagement in international partnerships makes them sustainable over the long term, and these are the types of partnerships that help us build a global learning environment at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾."

Taiwan's Management College, National Defense University (MCNDU), and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ signed an agreement Aug. 22 facilitating the exchange of students and faculty.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ on Aug. 27 signed an agreement to extend its partnership with the Republic of China Military Academy (ROCMA), a relationship that began in December 2012. ROCMA was the first military student exchange program for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾, and 15 °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ cadets have studied at ROCMA.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ President Bonita Jacobs and Colonel I-Ming Chen, FHK deputy commandant, hold up an agreement between the schools at an October signing ceremony.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ President Bonita Jacobs then traveled to Taiwan in October to sign a student and faculty partnership agreement with Fu Hsing Kang College (FHK), National Defense University. Jacobs also visited with Gen. Wan-Chiao Wu, president of Taiwan's National Defense University, during her October trip.

The expanded ROCMA agreement will allow ROCMA military students to study at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ as four-year, degree-seeking international students. Additionally, the partnership sets a goal of faculty exchange that will allow °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ faculty to teach, research and guest lecture at ROCMA in computer science and information management, physics, political science, and chemistry.

Jacobs attended ROCMA's 90th anniversary celebration in 2014.

Cadet Logan Covington, a °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ senior from Lawrenceville, spent five months at ROCMA as part of the military student exchange. He was excited to hear more cadets will get to learn in a similar environment.

"It was a great experience. We definitely got thrown into the culture," Covington said. "Instead of just learning about it in class, it's a lot nicer to experience it firsthand. I really appreciated the fact that it forced you to use and learn the Chinese language a lot better."