IBC-M team represented by Mrs Mihone Kerolli/ Director, Mrs Alfia Urazaeva/Head of Business Development Department, Mrs Mirjana Krsmanovic Vlajic/Head of International Relations Department and Mr Mirko Topalovic/Head of Finance Department were invited to visit James Madison University from 27th to 31st May 2019. For IBC-M management team, this visit was a great opportunity to enhance the international profile of IBC-M and to explore possibilities to broaden cooperation with James Madison University.

The Agenda of the visit included meetings with the Center for Global Engagement, who connected IBC-M with the counterparts for possible cooperation: JMU College of Business, JMU X-Labs, College of Education-Learning and Technologies and College of Integrated Science and Engineering. Meetings included discussions about possible cooperation within students’ projects, professor exchanges, knowledge exchange on fundraising, student recruitment, research project activities, summer academies, summer business school or incubators, learning technology, as well as implementing the blended learning approach.

The team also accompanied a group of English teachers representing Gymnasium “Frang Bardhi” Mitrovica, “Eqrem Cabej” High School, Medical High School from North Mitrovica, as well as IBC-M English Academy. The teachers attended intensive training by Associate Professor of Education and TESOL Coordinator Dr Katya Koubek and Assistant Professor of Education Dr Kristofor R. Wiley.

The training included workshops on language development, curriculum adjustment, critical thinking and problem solving as well as visits to high schools in Harrisonburg for work observations.

JMU professors and students visited IBC-M in June 2018, and as a follow up in November 2018, JMU sent an expert to IBC-M to provide capacity building training/Training of Trainers to English teachers working in High schools in Mitrovica region that are cooperating with IBC-M.

IBC-M is very grateful to Dr Vesna Hart/Director of International Cooperation at JMU for making this visit happen and for all her efforts in connecting IBC-M with the relevant departments and other logistics provided for this visit. We are looking forward to hosting the JMU team visiting Kosovo later this month when the next steps of collaboration can be discussed further.