Port-au-Prince, Haiti…[Ivy Montelongo/IAD Staff]
A graduation ceremony took place last month for 18 students who completed a Master's degree in Education and Family Relations at Haitian Adventist University (HAU). Made possible through an online program administered from Montemorelos University (MU) in Mexico, these students were the first to graduate with such a degree from HAU.
The program was started four years ago as a result of an agreement between the two universities with the objective of furthering pastoral education and the work of the church in Haiti.
The classes were offered during the summer months to professionals seeking to gain the tools needed to improve education in the church. The educational profile of HAU was also elevated, as 10 of the 18 who acquired the degree are faculty.
The administrators of HAU recently proposed the creation of a new plan for increased collaboration with MU which will require additional development for the library and the addition of technical resources. Soon more programs will be added to the curriculum, making HAU more attractive to prospective students.
The agreement in place is expected to be renewed with an additional plan for as many as eight HAU professors to be sent to MU to enroll in Master's programs in math and chemistry, amonth others. In exchange, they will teach French. In the same way, MU professors and students interested in acquiring a new experience can volunteer one year of service to HAU and be able to learn a new culture and language.
Established in 1921, HAU currently has an enrollment of more than 700 students and offers undergraduate programs in theology, education, business and nursing, among others. Previously, HAU offered a Master's degree in Religion through Andrews University in Michigan, and in Public Health through Loma Linda University.
