LUCAN
Building Quality Partnerships Abroad
ROAMING with ROME
D
r. Kevin Rome estimates at least half of his schedule is committed to travel. Rome has attended White House conferences,
national meetings that convene the leaders of HBCUs and other major universities, as well as meetings with potential sponsors and donors. He has visited almost all of the university’s alumni chapters and attended two national alumni conventions. Dr. Rome and Lincoln University delegations have also traveled to China, Jamaica, Cuba, South Korea, the Philippines, Brazil, and Malaysia to lay the groundwork for new research opportunities as well as for faculty and student exchange programs. Asked if there were moments that stand out in his travels, Rome says “Cuba stands out because there’s so much mystery about Cuba. We found great people who are extremely intelligent and knowledgeable about the USA. In Cuba, higher education is free. Many of the people are very well-educated, and they seem to have rich lives.” Rome went on to say, “In China, we
found the same kinds of things. People are not that different.” Up to 50 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students will start arriving at LU in the fall. The school systems in the two countries are different, so Lincoln will accommodate those differences. In many countries, the people
and the cultures are heavily relationship- driven. For parents to be willing to send their children to Lincoln, the school must build communication and trust. “Their hospitality goes above and beyond what we would ever think of in the USA. When their students come here, we will have to learn to treat them as hospitably as they would treat us,” he says. Rome says that the Chinese universities
with which we have an agreement want their students to have an American experience. Using English outside their home culture will help them learn the nuances of the language. There is great value in China of those who have been exposed to the American culture. English is the language of international business. “We’re also working with the National
Transportation University in South Korea,” says Rome. “We will send several of our students to Korea this summer. We realize the value in exposing our students to international cultures. Lincoln students are going to be competing against people who can say they have experience in America and international exposure. It’s important that we connect our students to different cultures and the global economy.” “Our goal at Lincoln is to have students
from all different areas,” says Rome. “We have to broaden our recruitment efforts.
16 LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ALUMNI LINE Winter 2016
That will impact growth here,” says Rome. He points out that most state institutions years, while Lincoln’s enrollment has not. Lincoln must commit itself to managed growth. “It’s about our identity,” he says. “Being small in number, reputation and stature doesn’t help anyone. It won’t sustain Lincoln in the long haul.” He says, “When anyone talks about great
schools, I want them to talk about Lincoln.” There is also an advantage to small cities. As universities grow, the communities see In the months ahead, Lincoln will focus
on maintaining the relationships it has developed. The new collaboration with One Love Learning Foundation will educate students and farmers on sustainable organic agriculture in Jamaica. The long-term goal of the collaboration is to develop an extension campus in the Caribbean nation. The immediate result of this partnership is an exchange program that will bring farmers to Lincoln’s campus to learn more in the area of agro-science. “It makes sense given the number of students we have from you have a responsibility to give back. It’s our responsibility. It’s also our survival,” says Rome. “Lincoln University should be changing the world.”
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