Agreement Follows Others Recently Signed With The Latin American Country
Wilkes University President Patrick F. Leahy has signed an agreement with, Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, vice president and minister of foreign affairs for Panama. It paves the way for the University to offer English language training and other academic offerings to that country’s diplomatic corps and other staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The agreement was signed on Jan. 14 in Atlanta, Ga., while , was in the United States for a diplomatic visit.
Under the agreement, Wilkes will design programs for promoting mastery and use of the English language and other academic programs for professionals from Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also offers the potential to develop other areas of mutual interest between Panama and the University.
“Wilkes University welcomes the opportunity to provide English language training and other educational programs to members of the diplomatic corps in Panama,” Leahy said. “Wilkes is excited to partner with our colleagues in Latin America in a relationship that promises to be a win-win for the University and for Panama.
The agreement is part of a comprehensive partnership being developed by Wilkes with Panama. Panama’s Minister of Education, Marcela Paredes de Vasquez, will visit Wilkes in February in conjunction with the launch this month of Wilkes’ participation in the MEDUCA-Bilingual Panama Program, an initiative of the President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela. Run under the auspices of Panama’s Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educacion), the program brings cohorts of teachers to Wilkes and other colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to study English and learn educational methods that are best practices. Wilkes’ first cohort of teachers in the program came to Wilkes-Barre on Jan. 9 to begin eight weeks of study. as part of the program. MEDUCA-Bilingual Panama is part of a national commitment in that country to develop bilingualism in the country’s public schools.
In addition to the MEDUCA initiative, Wilkes University Provost Anne Skleder has signed agreements of collaboration with four Panamanian universities: Universidad de Panama, Universidad Tecnologica de Panama, Universidad Especializada de las Americas y Universidad Latina.
