DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Dr. Jabari Simama, president of Georgia Piedmont Technical College, hosted a meeting with higher education officials from the Somali State, Ethiopia.

The state is located on the eastern and southeastern part of the country with almost 3.5 million residents and possessing an agriculturally based economy. Included within the delegation were Mr. Ibrahim Adam, Minister of Education for the Somali State; Dr. Abdulaziz Ibrahim, President of Jijiga University; Mr. Guled Kahin, Director General of the Ethiopian Somali Region Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Research Institute; and Imam Salahadin Wazir of Masjid Al-Momineen, a Clarkston-based mosque.

GPTC is one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Technical College System of Georgia with students representing more than 80 nationalities and speaking over 100 languages.  To Simama, connecting GPTC to the world is part of the college’s mission.

“Knowledge knows no boundaries and possesses the capacity to transform families, communities and countries,” Simama said. “As we work towards meeting the economic and community needs of Georgians, when opportunities emerge to be conscientious global partners, Georgia Piedmont Technical College is always prepared to listen, and when appropriate, act.”

During their meeting, discussions focused on possibly establishing a memorandum of understanding between Georgia Piedmont Tech and Jijiga University to promote knowledge exchange, soft skills training, community-based training and international goodwill.