the CI Podcast: Recent Episodes
David Turner
The Collaboration Initiative aims to bring together the wide range of high school counselors, international university admissions teams and school communities to work together in providing more penetrating, meaningful, and innovative forms of engagement with international high school students.
Educational Conferences are the best!
Counselors and higher education colleagues collaborating and forging lasting relationships. Altogether these engagements are a tremendous boon for school and counseling communities.
Yes. Conferences are about networking, but so too are they about sampling the ever dynamic tides of higher education. There are tens of thousands of universities world wide; hence, these professional engagements also serve to better an understanding of best fit potential; the better information a counselor has access to, the better she can work with students to inform and to curate that ever important internal dialogue for best fit.
In today’s session, I want to introduce two colleagues I met recently at a conference in Bahrain -- Matthew and Essraa. Both are from the David Game College Group; indeed, both did a wonderful job to better inform my own understanding of a foundation year program. What I found was not all programs are cut from the same cloth. Shortly, Matt is going to walk you through the two types of foundation year programs: a fixed foundation year program, and its counterpart a flexible foundation year program. An important note is that our communities have a choice, something I did not realize. Essraa will further the conversation by bringing into focus who the programs best serve as well as the various study pathway approaches.
I hope that, like me, you can learn something from two great collaborators.
Below, I have captured contact information which will certainly be useful:
Matthew Hird, Director of Student Recruitment
- Email: matt@davidgame-group.com
- LinkedIn: Matt Hird
- Website: David Game College Group
Essraa Ahmed, Regional MENA Manager
- Email: essraa@davidgame-group.com
- What's App: +20 100 874 42722
- LinkedIn: Essraa M. Ahmed
- University Foundation Year Program: UFP Website
If you have any useful feedback, reach out to us at: podcast@thecollaborationinitiative.com.
I have been working with my current graduating cohort for the past three years. Of course, our work began pre-pandemic. Since that time, however, there have been a number of processes and planning have had to change: economics, no doubt, has been a real pinch-point for many in our school communities. Indeed, I have had to have some frank conversations with our parent and student communities about alternative routes to higher education, destinations and best-fit options which push further than traditional US or UK universities.
In today's session, I am joined by two fantastic colleagues and great friends: Jasper Hofman, from NHL Stenden (a University of Applied Sciences) and Naomi Eustace from the University of Groningen (a Research University). Each colleague represents a distinct option within the binary Dutch university system. As stated in the recording, this unique university system deserves a much closer look for any who seek a quality return on investment. As with any future planning venture, it pays to do the research in order to find standout higher education opportunities.
Below, I have captured contact information which will certainly be useful:
Fauz Gataby, Director of the Netherlands Education Council
- Email: fgataby@neceducation.org
- LinkedIn: Fauz Gataby
- Website: Netherlands Education Council
Naomi Eustace, International Coordinator
- Email: n.m.eustace@rug.nl
- LinkedIn: Naomi Eustace
- Website: University of Groningen
Jasper Hofman, Team Leader, International Marketing & Recruitment
- Email: jasper.hofman@nhlstenden.com
- LinkedIn: Jasper Hofman
- Website: https://www.nhlstenden.com/en
If you have any useful feedback, reach out to us at: podcast@thecollaborationinitiative.com
More recently, it seems that so many of my own cohort have really taken to wanting to study a degree in Business. And why not? The diversity and applicability of Business is quite remarkable.
However, given the number and variety of programs and types of Business degrees, one would be remiss not to spend sufficient time exploring the different pathways for both study and career. Best fit here would be a must.
For some time, our Dubai College Counselors have had the absolute pleasure of working with our friends, Daiane Lagger and Riman Oueiti from Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM). From our engagements many of us have come to know the unique opportunities of an undergraduate degree in Business Management which emphasizes Hospitality.
Have a listen. Our hope is that our listeners can come away with a greater understanding of the same.
Of course, it would also be worthwhile to reach out to our two fabulous collaborators. I know that they would be happy to further any conversations for clarity and accuracy.
Below, I have captured contact information for both:
- Daiane Lagger, Director of Marketing & Enrollment
- Email: Daiane.Lagger@eahm.ae
- LinkedIn: Link Embedded
- Riman Oueiti, Regional Enrollment Manager
- Email: Riman.Oueiti@eahm.ae
- LinkedIn: Link Embedded
- Website: Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management
If you have any useful feedback, reach out to us at: podcast@thecollaborationinitiative.com
There are a number of pathways to US higher education. A little known fact in many international school communities is the immense value community colleges bring to the conversation. No doubt, these institutions play a major role in helping students achieve success in higher education. In fact, according to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), nearly half of all undergraduates in the U.S. are enrolled in community colleges -- 41% of first-time freshman attend community colleges.
With the help of Lisa Maroni, a truly fantastic colleague at Shoreline Community College, we hope to bring greater clarity to many of the important benefits of starting with a 2 year transfer degree. Our goal is to provide compelling content and information to show that, with the right focus and good planning, the community college pathway is a great way forward for many candidates.
Below, I have captured some of Lisa's contact information:
- What'sApp: +1 206 823 4697
- Instagram: shoreline_international
- Email: lmaroni@shoreline.edu
- Website: Shoreline Community College
If you have any useful feedback, reach out to us at: podcast@thecollaborationinitiative.com
For many, navigating the waters of university admissions can be a challenge. This can be especially true if you are a young athlete. Today's session brings Kevin Dupont, a former competitive collegiate athletic himself and a member of our own Dubai College Counselors' group. Once again, Kevin brings his "A-Game" to talk to us about: The Important Crossroads of Athletics and Academics.
Kevin can be reached through LinkedIn at: Kevin Dupont, and with his own Website at GuideU.me (link update coming soon).
If you have any useful feedback, reach out to us at: podcast@thecollaborationinitiative.com