2012.02.27 > For Immediate Release
contact: Shane Pekny - University Relations
phone: 402.554.2376 - email: spekny@unomaha.edu

With Help of Omaha Businesses, International Professionals Complete UNO Course

Omaha - Eleven professionals from six countries will celebrate their completion of International Professional Development (IPD) at UNO this Friday, March 2. The participants came to Omaha from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds in order to enhance their English skills and learn about the area’s international business community.

In addition to language training and collaborative activities in the classroom, IPD participants gain knowledge directly from global industry leaders in Omaha. During this eight-week session, they met professionals from Spirit Marketing, Alegent Health, Harrah’s Casino, ConAgra, Marianna Industries and Mutual of Omaha.

Leaders from many other Omaha companies and organizations – including lawyers, medical professionals, and entrepreneurs – have partnered with IPD since 1989, providing seminars, site visits, and other on-site learning opportunities. These partners help participants experience the full breadth of Omaha’s global business ventures, said IPD Manager Ed Quinn.

“Omaha-area businesses provide first-hand knowledge of professional culture and language in the U.S.,” Quinn said. “And we often find that the learning goes both ways – local companies increase their own global awareness by meeting our participants.”

IPD offers five eight-week sessions during the year and develops custom courses for international businesses and organizations. For example, in a collaborative effort between IPD and UNO’s Center for Faculty Development, nine professors from the prestigious Meiji University in Tokyo are currently participating in a one-week faculty development workshop on UNO’s campus.

About 50 professionals complete the program each year. This session’s participants and their home countries:

Dede Akpokli Johnson, Togo

Tatiana Alexandrova, Russia

Abdullah Amini, Afghanistan

Hirokazu Amitani, Japan

Junia Brito, Brazil

Masamitsu Hirose, Japan

Takahiro Kimura, Japan

Vivian Sanchez, Venezuela

Koki Sato, Japan

Hiroyuki Shiota, Japan

Yasuhiro Yamaguchi, Japan

For more information, contact Shane Pekny, (402) 554-2376, spekny@unomaha.edu.