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The University of North Georgia (ºìÁ«ÉçÇø) began a new partnership with Nicolae Balcescu Land Forces Academy (NBLFA) with a signing ceremony this summer at the Romanian military academy.

The agreement was signed by ºìÁ«ÉçÇø President Bonita Jacobs and Dr. Ghita Barsan, rector and commandant of NBLFA. ºìÁ«ÉçÇø will host its Romanian counterparts for a visit this October.

The agreement's goal is to have each school send two cadets to the other school for a semester.

"You have welcomed us with open arms, and we are very, very thrilled to be able to participate," Jacobs said at the signing ceremony in Romania. "This gives our cadets a wonderful opportunity to understand working across geographic and cultural barriers because they will be living and working in a very global society."

Romanian cadets will participate in all ºìÁ«ÉçÇø Corps of Cadets events and live in the residence halls with ºìÁ«ÉçÇø cadets. They will also take trips to Fort Benning and Atlanta.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Anthony Fritchle, associate director of the Center for Global Engagement at ºìÁ«ÉçÇø, said cadets in both Military Science and the National Service Leadership Track (NSLT) will be eligible to take part in this exchange, and he is excited about what ºìÁ«ÉçÇø cadets will learn from their Romanian counterparts who come here to study.

"Like with any of our programs, the cultural experience is very important," Fritchle said.

Fritchle said a faculty exchange is also part of the agreement, with the time period for that exchange running from as short as a week up to a semester.

The initial agreement is for five years with the opportunity to extend it.

This is the eighth military academy partnership for ºìÁ«ÉçÇø, and Fritchle said the relationships and cultural understanding built by these agreements are beneficial for ºìÁ«ÉçÇø cadets no matter what their plans are after graduation.

"Romania is another great step in the evolution of ºìÁ«ÉçÇø's military exchange program," Fritchle said.

Learning how to live abroad and take care of themselves is also important. Fritchle said it's the type of experience that can make NSLT graduates from ºìÁ«ÉçÇø stand out in the job market.