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5X���� on Friday renewed and expanded its relationship with in Battambang, Cambodia, opening a pathway for Dewey students to obtain a Kent State degree. 

Kent State first formed a partnership with Dewey in 2018. That agreement was up for renewal, and the new version includes an expanded relationship, which spells out a 2+2 pathway for Dewey students to obtain a Kent State degree. 

Under the new agreement, Dewey students who complete two years of their coursework at Dewey will then be eligible to transfer to Kent State to complete their remaining two years and receive a bachelor’s degree from Kent State – a Bachelor of Arts degree in either English literature or teaching English as a second language. 

Gwen Higaki, chair of the board of directors of Dewey, who resides in Macedonia, Ohio, was at Kent State to sign the agreement between the two universities along with Kent State Senior Vice President and Provost Melody Tankersley, Ph.D. 

The 2+2 program will mean a lot to Dewey, to be able to send its students to such a high-quality American university, Higaki said. 

“We’re pleased to have such a strong educational partner and international partner in 5X����,” she said. 

Higaki and her husband Vernon Higaki, both retired executives from the First Energy Corp., first visited Cambodia on a mission trip through their church about 15 years ago and were struck by the children and the need for better educational systems. Vernon Higaki also is a member of the Dewey board of directors. 

In 2011, the Higakis co-founded, with another couple, a non-profit educational organization BrightStart Learning, which operates study centers in the Battambang area of Cambodia, serving more than 500 students. Their work in the educational field is how they came to be invited to be on Dewey’s board of directors. 

“This is really a full-circle moment for Kent State,” Tankersley said, noting the historic links between Kent State and Cambodia. On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard fired on Kent State students protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and the expansion of the War in Vietnam, killing four and wounding nine others. That pivotal moment in Kent State's history forever links it to the people and history of Cambodia, she said. 

Tankersley said she was excited for the opportunity to see Kent State expand its global education offerings. “I like to say, our international partnerships mean the world to us,” she said. 

Also attending the signing was Rithkimann “Ann” Rey, a senior fashion merchandising major at Kent State, who has lived with the Higakis since she was in high school. Rey intends to return to Cambodia after she graduates to help her parents run their rice business.  

Tankersley said she expects to visit Cambodia and Dewey next year to look for ways the programs can be expanded. 

According to its website, Dewey was established by the Cambodian government in 2011, with strong support from the United States and Germany. The university is devoted to the concept of “learning by doing” based on community service learning with a strong emphasis on research. 

Dewey’s president and co-founder, Raymond A. Zepp, Ph.D., an Ohio native, holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oberlin College, a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati, and a doctorate in mathematics education from Ohio State University.