Henry Ford Community College Welcomes Yemen University Delegates

Editor's note: This press release was submitted by Henry Ford Community College.

Six delegates from Yemen-based universities visited Henry Ford Community College on June 20 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, which was arranged by Graduate School USA.
The delegates visited HFCC to learn more about higher education in the United States; study partnerships between higher education institutions and the public sector; explore state government regulation of higher education; analyze the financial management of higher education; investigate specialized programs offered by higher education institutions; evaluate collaborative efforts between universities; and examine the effectiveness of international education models.

The delegates who visited HFCC included: Hamoud Ahmed Al-Dafiry, deputy rector for Academic Affairs, Sana'a University; Ahmed Yahya Al-Gomari, rector, Hajjah University; Ahmed Mohammed Al-Hadhrani, rector, Dhamar University; Abdulhakim Ahmed Sallam Al-Shargabi, rector, Sana'a University; Mohammed Mohammed Saeed Al-Shauiby, rector, Taiz University; and Hussein Omer Kadi, rector, Hodeidah University.

Delegates and state department officials met with HFCC President Stan Jensen to discuss possible partnerships, such as a faculty and student exchange programs and other study aboard programs.

In addition, the group toured the main Dearborn campus, including the English Language Institute (ELI), the new Science Center, the Virtual Theatricality Lab and the Health Careers labs. They also learned about the college’s student body, as well as the role community colleges play in higher education. Delegates were also particularly interested in learning about HFCC’s Arab Cultural Studies program.

Jensen said he was happy to host the university leaders and hopes that additional opportunities will grow from this visit.

“It’s important for the college to develop new relationships with academic and corporate partners here and abroad, especially those that can positively influence student learning,” he said. “This visit gave us an opportunity to share ideas and learn from our Yemeni colleagues about their educational efforts. I hope moving forward our college can host additional international groups and enroll more international students."