An agreement recently formalized by officials from Auburn University's College of Education and the National University of Costa Rica will lead to collaborative academic and research partnerships.  These partnerships promise faculty exchanges, mutual program enrichment and doctoral program development while enhancing Auburn's international research and outreach activities.

National University (UNA) is Costa Rica's national university and second largest institution of higher education.  Like Auburn, it focuses on research and scholarly outreach in education, agriculture and engineering.  UNA faculty member and AU Exercise Physiology doctoral student Felipe Araya has been an integral part of creating this partnership.  Drs. Peter Grandjean, Mary Rudisill and Jose Llanes, are among the first AU faculty members to have worked as lecturers and consultants to UNA.

This partnership links individual research from multiple departments within the College of Education.  Initially, the agreement will include programs in the both the Department of Kinesiology and Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology.  The document-signing ceremony on June 29 involved an agreement signed by AU Dean of Education Frances Kochan along with President Ed Richardson and Provost John Heilman, as well as their UNA counterparts: Rector Olman Segura-Bonilla and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Sandra Leon-Coto.

Future activities and collaborations may include joint conferences, student exchanges and faculty partnerships in the areas of physical education/kinesiology, educational administration and English as a second language.