Coastal Carolina University is one of 12 higher education institutions in the country selected to participate in the inaugural Norway initiative of the Institute of International Education (IIE) designed to expand U.S.-Norwegian engagement and foster strategic university partnerships.

The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) and IIE's Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education will guide the participating institutions through an eight-month strategic planning process and training activities designed to assist each institution in implementing and sustaining partnerships with counterparts in Norway.

These partnership programs encourage campuses in both countries to explore areas of academic cooperation, including exchanging students and scholars and collaborating on research projects and degree programs.

"International partnerships in higher education generate many meaningful and lasting benefits, both for the participating students and the institutions involved," said CCU President David DeCenzo. "We look forward to working with our new partners in Norway on projects of mutual interest and advantage."

While focused on supporting comprehensive institutional partnerships in general, the International Academic Partnership Program with Norway will have a special emphasis on the fields of energy and the environment. U.S. institutions are particularly interested in cooperating because of Norway's leading role in innovative approaches to energy production and environmental sustainability.

"This is truly a unique opportunity for Coastal Carolina University to develop and sustain vital academic partnerships with universities in Norway, which have proven records in the research and teaching of issues like sustainability, peace and conflict, human rights and marine sciences," said Richard Aidoo, assistant professor of politics and adviser for global studies. "In a very globalized academic environment, we have to offer our students and faculty diverse opportunities to access resources and build scholarly networks beyond our own borders."

In addition to CCU, other participating U.S. campuses are: Chatham University, Cornell University, New York Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Sacred Heart University, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, University of Cincinnati, University of Delaware, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Washington & Jefferson College.