CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — As an educator, Penn State Lehigh Valley Chancellor Tina Richardson has spent a lifetime impacting her students — in the classroom, around the leadership table and, most recently, through the initiatives she, the campus academic director and several faculty from Penn State Lehigh Valley spearheaded on a global level. This spring, Richardson traveled to India to sign two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the campus and two universities — Rajkiya Kanya MahaVidyalaya (RKMV) and Gautam Group of Colleges (GGC).

“The partnership creates collaborative online learning and international travel opportunities for Penn State Lehigh Valley students, as well as students from GGC and RKMV,” Richardson said. “Most of our students work — many full time — while pursuing their degree. So, the collaborative and accessible pathways we created are a wonderful way to enrich their experience at Penn State Lehigh Valley.”

Since the initial trip, the chancellor was also asked to lead a university committee to develop strategy around current and future recruitment of students from India for Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses.

“I’ve had the privilege to travel extensively over the years to Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and lived abroad in Ghana while serving as a Fulbright Scholar," Richardson said. "During the trip, I met with several incredibly visionary leaders such as Mr. Rakesh Kanwar, education secretary for Himachal Pradesh, and Ravi Kumar, material science professor — both of whom share our desire to bring global opportunities to students. And most notably, I was introduced to the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and the head of Tibetan Buddhism.”

Richardson called the experience of meeting His Holiness “the chance of a lifetime. To have the Dalai Lama shake my hand and wish me well, [it showed] the work that we can do to educate people’s minds and hearts can make the world a better and more harmonious place. All lives mean something — collectively we can make change happen for good purposes. It was a humbling experience.”

Most importantly, Richardson said, it was an important chance for Richardson to meet face to face with President Anurita Saxena of RKMV and President Rajneesh Gautam of GGC to discuss partnership opportunities and some of the major issues facing higher education.

“It was wonderful to expand my knowledge of post-secondary education in India because the system serves one of the largest populations in the world,” Richardson said.

In her conversations with those colleagues, Richardson learned higher education professionals in India face many of the same challenges as their counterparts in the United States. Most notably, she pointed to issues around diversity, equity and inclusion — dealing with traditional instruction and innovation in teaching and learning.

“The idea of wanting to balance high quality academics and extracurriculars with personal and professional development is also prevalent there,” Richardson said. “We have different cultures, resources and strategies for how to meet our challenges which means we have so much to learn from one another — through international exchanges that will include students, teachers and administrators. I learned a lot, grew a lot and ate a lot of great Indian food."

The partnerships with RKMV and GGC will be executed in two tiers:

• Tier I opportunities will include faculty-led collaborative online learning opportunities between Penn State Lehigh Valley and the two partner institutions for students.
• Tier II opportunities will include faculty-led study abroad trips to Penn State who want to engage in learning opportunities at GGC and/or RKMV. Penn State Lehigh Valley will also host students from India who would like to enjoy a study abroad experience.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to create partnerships between India’s higher education institutions and the Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses,” Richardson said. 

The strong relationship between Penn State Lehigh Valley and RKMV and GGC was further strengthened by Richardson’s visit and commitment to providing students at both Penn State Lehigh Valley and higher education institutions in India with additional opportunities.

“It will enhance everyone’s learning opportunities in terms of building global perspectives and college relationships that will last a lifetime,” Richardson said. “It will give students opportunities to connect with peers from other parts of the world. The Commonwealth Campuses are known for providing all the benefits of a large public university while taking advantage of high touch services of a smaller, close-knit learning community that produces phenomenal transformative experiences and life changing professional opportunities.”

Kanwar issued a proclamation letter to 138 higher education institutions in Himachal Pradesh, encouraging the creation of international partnerships and offering institutional support. He indicated that international collaborations have the potential to transform aspects of higher education in India. 

“I’m excited about what the future holds for the partnership that we created with RKMV and GGC, as well as what will be possible as the India Strategy Oversight Committee embarks on implementing its work,” Richardson said.