The meeting opens new avenues for collaboration in education, research, and student professional development.
By Institutional Communication
When higher education and industry come together, opportunities for learning and professional development extend well beyond the classroom. That was the focus of a recent visit to Universidad del Sagrado Corazón by leaders from Crowley and the Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida (UNF), which opened new avenues for collaboration in logistics and transportation.
The meeting brought together Sagrado’s institutional leadership and School of Business representatives with leaders from Crowley and the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics at UNF. Discussions centered on best practices in research, experiential learning, and student professional preparation, as well as the importance of strengthening connections among universities, businesses, and the communities they serve.
During their visit, representatives from Crowley and UNF toured Sagrado’s facilities, including the School of Business spaces, and explored opportunities to expand experiences that connect students with the professional world. Particular attention was given to experiential learning, a central component of both institutions’ educational approaches, and to initiatives designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the workforce.
The visit is especially significant in the field of logistics and transportation, a sector that offers diverse career opportunities but remains relatively unfamiliar to many students. The Coggin College of Business is home to the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics, which exemplifies the role that partnerships between academia and industry can play in advancing knowledge, research, and talent development in a strategically important sector.
For Sagrado, the exchange reinforces its commitment to a model of business education grounded in the realities of the professional world. Sagrado and UNF share a commitment to building strong relationships with businesses and the communities they serve, while providing students with educational experiences that allow them to apply their knowledge in real-world settings.
An Alliance to Prepare the Next Generation of Logistics Professionals
This year, for the first time at Sagrado, the Thomas B. Crowley Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Miguel Ortiz Maldonado and Joyce Medina Ruiz, undergraduate students in the School of Business.
The scholarship, which supports Business students with an interest in supply chain management, complements the institutions’ broader efforts to expand student opportunities and increase awareness of career pathways in logistics and transportation. By exposing students to these industries, such initiatives provide firsthand insight into the sector’s challenges and opportunities while helping students envision potential professional trajectories.
The meeting between Sagrado, Crowley, and UNF underscores the potential of partnerships between higher education and industry to create meaningful opportunities for student and institutional development. Through these relationships, the institutions can exchange knowledge, strengthen experiential learning, and prepare students to navigate the demands of the professional world while contributing to the economic and social development of their communities.