Ado Gosson, known as “Professor Ado,” president of the National Polytechnical Institute of the Ivory Coast, met with Ball State President Blaine A. Brownell and several other university officials.

“I have come to reinforce and strengthen the ways and means to implement the exchange agreement signed between our universities in April 1999,” Ado said.

That exchange agreement led to last fall’s visit by the largest African delegation to come at one time to study at Ball State. Thirty-one students from the Ivory Coast earned certificates in business and English after a month-long stay.

The visit gave the Ivory Coast students a larger view of the world, Ado said, adding that Ball State students and faculty could benefit in the same way by visiting his university.

“The time has passed when professors can be local in their presentations,” Ado said. “While science is universal, the application of that science is local. We are seeking to make the application global as well.”

Good relationships have been established with Ball State’s English and business programs, noted modern languages professor Christine Shea.

Shea visited the Ivory Coast in May 2000 with doctoral student Pierre Atchade to help lay the groundwork for the exchange. Atchade, a native of the West African nation of Benin, initiated this effort by expressing concern with Center for International Programs Director Jim Coffin that Ball State needed more academic representation from Africa. The National Polytechnical Institute was chosen as a good possibility for beginning an exchange.

“This is a highly elite, selective university where business and government leaders come to study,” Atchade said. “Many of these people have 10 years of experience before they are ever accepted there.”

“It was a dream of the founders to create a great technical center in that part of Africa, like Silicon Valley is here,” said Shea. “They draw upon the very best students from many nations.”

Ado is now interested in expanding the relationship to Ball State’s telecommunications, computer science, architecture and education divisions.

The university, located in the Ivory Coast capital of Yamoussoukro, serves about 4,500 professional students and specializes in engineering, accounting and commerce. It has 27 programs divided among five different schools.

The agreement is quickly developing into one of Ball State’s most active exchanges.

Next summer about 50 more Ivory Coast students will come to Ball State.

In addition, soon Ball State students will be able to choose an African studies minor, an interdisciplinary program to be housed in the history department, Shea said. The study options will include a field trip to the Ivory Coast.

Alexandre Agbomi, a professor of English from the National Polytechnical Institute who earned his doctorate degree from Ball State, accompanied Ado and served as his interpreter.

By Nancy Prater, Web Editor

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Coffin at jcoffin@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5422 or Shea at cshea@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1381.)