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VWU Global Campus VP in Japan for Opening of Jane P. Batten & David R. Black School for International Studies
Innovative collaboration between VWU and Lakeland University aims to advance global engagement opportunities
University News | July 29, 2024
Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Vice President for Virginia Wesleyan University Global Campus, is in Tokyo, Japan, for the August launch of the Jane P. Batten & David R. Black School for International Studies, an innovative collaboration between VWU and Lakeland (WI) University. 
In 2020, VWU and Lakeland University partnered at a Tokyo campus, already operating as Lakeland University Japan since 1990. On June 4, 2024, VWU President Scott D. Miller and Lakeland University President Beth Borgen announced at a luncheon in Wisconsin the establishment of the Jane P. Batten and David R. Black School for International Studies at this collaborative campus. Namesakes Jane Batten and David Black attended the announcement luncheon.
During her three weeks in Japan, Dr. Gonsalves-Jackson will engage in planning and implementation meetings with faculty and staff, and hold discussions with community partners. Dr. Anderson Passos, Vice President of Lakeland University Japan and Executive Assistant to the President of VWU, will join her in these efforts. 
At the June luncheon hosted by the LU Board of Trustees in Sheboygan, President Miller emphasized the initiative's aim to advance global engagement opportunities for VWU, Lakeland University, and the LUJ/VWU Global Campus collaborative. "This partnership is especially beneficial for students from VWU's elite Batten Honors College, offering them enriching study abroad experiences," said Dr. Miller.
The Tokyo campus, chartered in 1990 as LUJ, has long been a beacon of cross-cultural understanding, critical thinking, and strategic action. The Batten & Black School will uphold these values, reflecting the collaborative spirit at its foundation. 
Through a concurrent enrollment agreement between LU and VWU, students at the Batten & Black School can access unique opportunities across all three campuses. "The Batten & Black School for International Studies at LUJ is a global platform for aspiring change-makers, not just an academic institution," Dr. Miller added.
Students can pursue an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from LUJ or venture to the U.S. for a bachelor’s degree from VWU or Lakeland University. This global educational journey is further enhanced by internship opportunities at the parent campuses in Wisconsin and Virginia. Students completing at least one semester in the School for International Studies will receive a transcripted “Batten & Black Fellow” designation.
"The collaboration between VWU and LU is providing students with unparalleled opportunities," said Dr. Gonsalves-Jackson. "We are proud to offer programs that will prepare students to make a positive impact in a global economy."
Mrs. Batten, a visionary philanthropist, longtime trustee of VWU and founder of the VWU Batten Honors College, also contributed significantly to the formation of the LUJ/VWU Global Campus initiative in 2020. Dr. Black, who has served as President of Lakeland University and Eastern University, and as Executive-in-Residence at VWU, played a crucial role in establishing this initiative. He was also the founder of the campus in Japan in 1990.
About the Collaboration
LU is a private university with its main campus in Herman, Wisconsin. Lakeland also has seven evening, weekend, and online centers located throughout the state of Wisconsin. LU enrolls 750 traditional students and 1,800 non-traditional learners. Learn more about LU: https://lakeland.edu/
VWU is a private university that enrolls 1,200 students in its traditional undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences and over 3,000 learners in VWU Global Campus. Learn more about VWU: www.vwu.edu
The campus in Sumida, Japan enrolls 400 students. Learn more about LUJ/VWU-Global Campus (Japan): https://luj.lakeland.edu/
Degrees awarded at Lakeland University Japan are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools as a part of the Lakeland (WI) University accreditation.
VWU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC).
Credits awarded to learners in the Batten & Black School for International Studies, are approved by the respective institutions.
Learn more about the Jane P. Batten & David R. Black Schools for International Studies: https://www.vwu.edu/academics/school-for-international-studies/