For Thursday 02/06/25, the campus will be closed until 12 noon today due to the severe weather. All classes scheduled after 12 noon will take place as scheduled. Students should check Canvas for details on classes.
SOUTHFIELD—Fifteen young business and nonprofit leaders from North Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean visited Lawrence Technological University Friday in a program sponsored by Global Ties Detroit, a nonprofit diplomacy and international relations organization.
The leaders hailed from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, Mexico, Morocco, and Tunisia. Most were entrepreneurs—some had founded companies in everything from food to clothing to pollution control products, while others had founded business incubators and nonprofits. Several were business consultants in marketing and sales. Many said their businesses were had an emphasis on sustainability and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to show off the very best of Lawrence Tech to an influential group of young entrepreneurs, the global business leaders of tomorrow,” said Matthew Cole, interim dean of the LTU College of Business and Information Technology, which organized the visit.
One of the visitors, entrepreneur and business coach Safaa Eloudafi of Morocco, said that “one aspect that truly impressed me was the emphasis on hands-on learning experiences. LTU goes beyond theoretical knowledge and actively encourages students to apply what they learn in practical settings. The state-of-the-art laboratories and well-equipped workshops provide the perfect platform for students to experiment, innnovate, and gain invaluable industry-relevant skills. Furthermore, I was struck by the diverse and inclusive community at LTU. The university embraces students from various backgrounds and cultures, creating an environment that encourages collaboration, understanding, and mutual respect.” Eloudafi was visiting Michigan as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Professional Fellows Program.
Marian Reich, president of Global Ties Detroit, said she greatly appreciates the resources and opportunities offered by LTU. “We are extremely fortunate to have LTU in our community in metro Detroit. As an internationally recognized institution of excellence in our area, LTU is a valuable partner for our international exchange programs. We are always grateful for the opportunity to work with LTU.”
The visitors toured the laboratories of LTU’s Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. Included were LTU’s biotech labs, robotics labs, engineering labs, and the Nabil Grace Center for Innovative Materials Research, a global center for research into using carbon fiber as a construction material.
Global Ties Detroit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that hosts international exchange programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as other governmental organizations, universities, and think tanks that promote global exchange and citizen diplomacy. Its goal is to connect international professionals and emerging leaders in a variety of fields with their Detroit counterparts for the purpose of forging lasting relationships that may one day become a powerful tool for addressing some of our biggest global challenges. Global Ties Detroit visitors meet with an extensive network of Detroit-area institutions, organizations, companies, and individuals in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Exchanges are centered on topics such as entrepreneurship, innovation, civic engagement, immigration, education, economic development, public health, and more. The group fosters deeper connections by pairing 70% of its visitors with homestay host families and arranging dinners for volunteer hosts to share a meal with visitors during their stay in Detroit. Global Ties Detroit also organizes international speaker programs, cultural dinners, and networking events to engage Detroit’s diverse, globally-minded citizens.
The LTU visit was organized under Global Ties’ Professional Fellows Program and its Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative. The groups stayed in the Detroit area for a month.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.
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