Kurume Institute of Technology President Katsumi Imaizumi (left) and Central Washington University President James L. Gaudino shake hands after signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the two schools. (Photo provided by CWU)
Central Washington University announced on Aug. 16 that it has completed work on a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kurume Institute of Technology. The MOU, signed by CWU President James L. Gaudino and Kurume President Katsumi Imaizumi, was completed a year after a group of about a dozen Kurume students went to Ellensburg to study English language and culture at the university and in the community.
While the memorandum was actually completed last fall, the decision was to hold off on an official signing until last week, in order to allow Imaizumi to come to Ellensburg to sign it in person and meet with Gaudino.
The program included having the students participate in a service-learning project at Olmstead State Park, along with visits to Seattle, Leavenworth, and Roslyn.
The new accord builds upon a long-standing relationship that CWU already enjoys with the University of Shimane Junior College, which is also located in Japan, and similar agreements the university has in place with other schools and communities around the world. ■