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The need to substantially revamp the higher education system due to its recent changing trends brought fourteen people from Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland to the United States for a fourteen day study. Policy makers, government agencies and senior administrators from universities and colleges were allowed to analyze issues and trends in several areas such as strategic and strong relationship establishment with corporate entities, building communities, designing curriculum, fundraising and managing enrolment. The program took place in California, San Francisco, Massachusetts and Boston.

Participants were allowed to actively interact among themselves as well as with their counterparts in US during this program which predominantly consisted of site visits, lectures and academic seminars. Excellent opportunities were provided to participants to create professional contacts and networks both in Ireland and in America and also to exchange best practice strategies during their interaction with administrators and educational policymakers.

United States, Northern Ireland as well as Republic of Ireland shared the common need to create educational policies that are effective enough to transform and provide enhanced access to higher education. A model similar to that in America is being initiated in Ireland. This is a third level system of education which will operate more with private revenue and less with government funding. Some of the most important issues related to creating a strong civil society were addressed for which suggestions were made to create learning environments that are diverse and expanding educational access and opportunities.

During the first week of the program at Boston, an overview of the American higher education system was given to the participants. The program also laid out the details of following site visits and seminars. At the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education the following week, the group was given a deep insight into the budgetary and fiscal challenges faced by the Commonwealth predominantly with regard to funding. Participants had the opportunity to meet government agency representatives.

Participants discussed partnerships with corporate at the North-eastern University lunch meeting. At the second half of the program in California’s San Francisco Bay, many private and public universities were visited by the group who also met and interacted with various policymakers. At the San Francisco State University, the participants had an opportunity of discussing quality assurance and assessment details and fundraising issues.

Later in the week, the Irish delegation visited Berkeley’s University of California. Here they had a highly informative session with Dr. Christina Maslach, the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning. Maslach provided them with teaching efficacy program and comprehensive training details.

End of the program saw them travelling to San Jose for two potent sessions. The first one was with the National Centre for Public Policy and Higher Education’s President Mr. Patrick M. Callan. He provided a detailed critique of the higher education system in America and the various challenges it is bound to face in the near future. He also outlined the need to analyze policies in an objective manner to deal with this issue. At the final meeting at the San Jose University, Dr. Carmen Sigler, Provost and Vice President led the discussion which ranged from relationship between universities and Silicon Valley industries to community engagement and strategic planning by the university.