Bart Morrison and Eric Drouart, two professors from Assumption College’s Business Studies Department, recently held a strategic-planning meeting with members of the Institut Supérieur Emmanuel d’Alzon de Butembo, or ISEAB, community in Nairobi, Kenya.
ISEAB, like Assumption College, is an Assumptionist institution of higher education.
Both Morrison and Drouart came away from their time in Nairobi inspired and impressed.
“The results were spectacular,” Morrison said of the trip. “Also, I was quite inspired by their optimism and humor in the face of a big challenge to meet the increasing educational needs of their community in and around Butembo with very limited resources.
“The ISEAB team impressively completed a full cycle of strategic planning for their small and growing university,” he added.
For him, another highlight was spending time with the Assumptionists in formation.
“I was struck by their warmth, graciousness and curiosity,” Morrison said. “Everybody wanted to know about Assumption College and the US. What was the campus like? Who are the students? What is taught? Several pledged to visit. I encouraged them to do so. They made me promise to return. I did with enthusiasm.”
Drouart said everyone from ISEAB “was motivated and very engaged with a very high level of participation in discussions and group work.”
“The meeting was beyond my expectations because the work that was accomplished was done in spite of the cultural and language barriers,” he said. “The fact that we are all part of the same Assumptionist family was felt throughout the four days.”
Like Morrison, Drouart said he enjoyed getting to know the Assumptionists.
“It was fascinating to meet all the young novices from various French-speaking countries: DRC, Madagascar, Benin, etc., all studying their theology at a local Catholic university. It was also a pleasure to meet the superior of the house, Father Charles, and also Father Gilles from Quebec,” he said. “I was able to attend mass virtually every day of my stay, and this was a spiritual highlight of the trip to participate in the daily prayers of the community. It was great to have our meals together as a community.”
ISEAB is located in Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. ISEAB and Assumption staff met in Nairobi for safety reasons.