A Utah Valley Community College instructor will be the first education exchange instructor sent to Suriname, South America, this summer.
Kenneth M. Foster, an instructor of electrical automation and robotics technology, will arrive in Suriname - which borders Guyana and French Guiana - on June 16.Foster was selected for the education exchange program by the Community Colleges for International Development, according Gustavo Estrada, UVCC assistant director of international studies.
"The program allows only well-qualified instructors to participate in the exchange," Estrada said. "Foster's qualifications were screened closely in the selection process."
Developing nations are emulating technical colleges, while American institutions are turning more toward four-year universities, Estrada said. "(They) need more people with a technical background and who can work with their hands while using their minds."
Foster said he volunteered for the exchange because "I love to travel. There is no place I am not interested in going to."
Foster said he hopes to help his South American students get a better understanding of technology. "I want to be able to further people's lives in their education."