Collaboration between Riverside Community College and the University of Asmara Lays the Foundation for a Six-Community College System in Eritrea
The relationship forged between Riverside Community College (RCC) and the University of Asmara (UOA) derives its strength from the various levels of cooperation that have developed throughout the life of the project.
The presidents of the two institutions, Dr. Salvatore Rotella of RCC and Dr. Wolde-Ab of UOA have collaborated since the early stages of the project. Their strong relationship and a shared vision to improve higher education in Eritrea has enabled this project to increase its scope of work as well as incorporate additional U.S. and Eritrean partners. Cooperation between faculty from the various partners has strengthened through numerous face-to-face meetings and discussions.
These close associations have been a vital component considering the range of the institutional capacity-building project that has become the main focus of the partners' work. International educators have become increasingly interested in the U.S. community college system, which is a leader in job-specific training consistent with workforce demands. Community colleges also have articulation agreements that allow students to receive good quality, low-cost education before transferring to four-year institutions. In light of these strengths, RCC and UOA are seeking to adapt the U.S. community college model to the special circumstances of Eritrea.
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| Dr. Wolde-Ab, center, with part of the RCC Team |
With the U.S. model in mind, the project is laying the foundation for the development of a system of community colleges which will expand educational opportunities throughout the country as well as help to fill a severely depleted workforce. At the same time, the partners are structuring the new system to accommodate those students who wish to continue on to four-year and graduate university programs. The overall plan is to establish six community colleges throughout the country that will function as three-year diploma granting institutions. The majority of these graduates will go immediately into the labor force, but some will continue on to the University for further study.
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| RCC Health Sciences Team |
Riverside Community College and the University of Asmara began working together in 1999 after receiving a $50,000 grant under the Workforce Development Initiative from The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Initially the work of the project focused on linking computer and business courses to offer training for jobs in both the Asmara and Riverside communities. RCC worked primarily with The Eritrean Institute of Management (EIM) and The College of Social and Management Sciences (CSMS) on curriculum development.
The partnership received a $47,500 sustainability grant in 2000, which was funded by the Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI). During the first year of the sustainability grant the partnership focused its efforts on developing curriculum for the EIM and CSMS. Faculty from both institutions met to develop specific objectives for the College of Social and Management Sciences and then moved on to create the core curricula and specific outlines for the decided upon 19 programs. In addition to curriculum development for CSMS and EIM faculty from both institutions were trained in distance education.
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| Observing educational facilities |
The sustainability grant enabled the partners to continue their work already in progress with EIM and CSMS, but also expand their scope of work to include curriculum development for the College of Natural and Paramedical Sciences (CNPS). A team of RCC faculty traveled to the University of Asmara to collect and assess the current curriculum and examine potential resources for educational delivery. Further collaboration is planned between the partners to continue curriculum and course development for the CNPS.
This partnership has grown over the years utilizing the expertise and resources from various institutions around the Riverside community. Current partnering institutions include the University of California-Riverside, Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce and Loma Linda University. Partners have also leveraged additional funding from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), which donated $50,000 worth of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software that has recently been installed in the new computer lab at UOA.
From the presidents of RCC and UOA down to the collaboration between the faculty of the various partners, this partnership has created strong relationships which have enabled the project to develop and progress.