The University of Tulsa welcomed a delegation from the Polytechnic Institute of Technology and Sciences (ISPTEC) in Angola on April 10 and 11, 2023. The delegation, led by President João Manuel, visited TU to develop global partnerships that aim to build ISPTEC’s academic capacity.
During the visit, the delegation met with representatives from several TU units, including the McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering, Russell School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Geosciences, Graduate School and Collins College of Business. The discussions explored many areas for potential collaboration, including doctoral programs for ISPTEC faculty, summer visiting programs for ISPTEC faculty and graduate students, TU study abroad opportunities and research collaborations in Angola.
The delegation also expressed interest in upgrading their teaching labs to enhance engineering students’ experimental learning. TU faculty will work on sharing equipment lists for certain teaching labs and provide lab operation training to support this initiative.
TU President Brad R. Carson signed a memorandum of understanding with Manuel to formally establish the partnership during their meeting Tuesday. “The University of Tulsa has a long history of fruitful partnerships with universities and research centers from around the world. This new agreement with ISPTEC holds great promise for collaboration between our institutions,” Carson said.
Manuel also expressed interest in effective higher education leadership to support faculty development and student success during a meeting with TU Provost George Justice. To assist with their understanding, Justice shared additional resources, including his recent book How to be a Dean. He welcomed further discussions as the partnership continues to grow.
Established in 2005 as an education initiative of Sonangol, the national petroleum and natural gas company in Angola, ISPTEC is located in Talatona, City of Luanda, Angola, and currently has more than 3,700 enrolled students. With the full support of Sonangol, the institution continues to expand its offerings.
The University of Tulsa is excited about this new partnership with ISPTEC and looks forward to working together to enhance academic opportunities for students and faculty in both institutions. This visit was facilitated by TU’s Center for Global Engagement. For inquiries about this visit, please email globalengagement@utulsa.edu.