UC–Davis inks partnership deal with IBPC

The University of California–Davis has joined Argosy University and International Business & Professional College of Saipan to form a CNMI educational alliance.

This partnership would allow students from the islands and from other countries in Asia to obtain professional certifications and degree programs from these universities by enrolling at IBPC.

This partnership grew out of the September 2004 Business Opportunities Conference in Los Angeles, California, that the U.S. Department of the Interior sponsored. Several government, business, and community leaders of the CNMI participated in identifying prospective industries for the Commonwealth. Higher education was one of the target industries identified by the CNMI planning and coordinating committee. The purpose of the LA conference was to showcase business opportunities in the island jurisdictions.

CNMI-USA IBPC vice president Vince Merfalen was a co-presenter at the conference on the subject of exporting education. The presentation introduced the concept of delivering courses and programs through a collaborative alliance of universities and colleges. Each school provides courses and programs in their particular area(s) of expertise. Together, the schools are able to provide more, for more students, over a greater geographical area, with minimal increase in expenditures. Merfalen concluded his presentation by inviting other colleges and universities to apply this educational concept in the CNMI.

The University of California, Davis Campus and Argosy University responded to Merfalen’s invitation. At a ceremony in Honolulu last December 2004, an agreement was signed between Argosy University and IBPC.

In January 2005, IBPC president Herman Sablan and Merfalen were on the road again, traveling to California for final discussions and the signing of an agreement with UC-Davis.

The official agreements from UC-Davis arrived before Easter, generating great excitement at the local college. Both UC-Davis and Argosy are accredited institutions and will be providing professional certifications and degree programs up through the doctorate levels.

“An investor’s initial view of the CNMI might conclude that the population is tiny in comparison to other U.S. locations, particularly where a major college or university is located [but] Mr. Sablan had foresight beyond the first glance,” said an IBPC statement. “With threats of terrorism in the United States over the last few years, U.S. immigration and security measures have greatly increased. The entry process into the United States has become extremely difficult and intimidating for the international student. As a result, the number of international students entering the United States is rapidly declining. The CNMI controls its immigration and does not present the same difficulties as other U.S. destinations. For students from Asian countries and other areas of the Pacific the CNMI is a most logical and attractive alternative.”

IBPC said that international students from Asia and the Pacific do not have to travel far to reach U.S. soil and attend a U.S.-accredited institution like UC-Davis and Argosy University. Citizens of the CNMI no longer have to leave home, travel great distances nor incur great expense in order to attain higher education.

“With this perspective, the CNMI is no longer a destination with a tiny population,” said Sablan. “Instead, it is a lucrative business opportunity that will benefit everyone.”