About Highline
Highline College is host to the Center of Excellence for Global Trade & Supply Chain Management
Highline College, located in the Seattle metropolitan region, has made internationalization an institutional priority since 1995. In its work with the local community, the College has received enthusiastic support for its capacity-building efforts in international trade.
About Highline College
Highline College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County, Washington. With approximately 18,000 annual students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of Washington State’s largest institutions of higher education.
The College prides itself on its commitment to diversity, its institutional culture of collegiality and innovation, its globalization of curricula, and its inclusion of the community in its programming. The College offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs with day, evening, and weekend classes.
Highline on a Global Scale
On a worldwide scale, the College has maintained longstanding ties with trade, government, and educational institutions in South Africa, Namibia, China, Japan, and Turkey. The College continues to reach out to new international partners, most recently exploring collaborations in Egypt, Indonesia, Chile, Argentina, Denmark, Mexico, and Canada. Highline is a leader in national organizations that promote international collaborations, including Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and has received multiple grants from the United States Assistance for International Development (USAID).
One such grant was to fund a partnership between Highline, Hillsboro Community College in Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This grant prompted the creation of a hybrid course aligned with the International Import-Export Institute (IIEI) Certified Exporter exam, whereby a cohort of students from a disadvantaged area in South Africa had the opportunity to sit for the industry certification. Highline developed the curriculum and provided the online content, while NMMU provided the onsite portion as well as industry presentations. Highline is currently working on the curriculum for three additional industry certifications for similar projects abroad.
With vibrant international partnerships, grant-funded projects and initiatives, and support from the college’s leadership, Highline’s commitment to educational excellence is defined with internationalization as both a core institutional value and a substantive student learning outcome.
Many of Highline College’s partners, including the Port of Seattle, the Washington State Department of Commerce, Microsoft, Lynden, Expeditors, Burlington Northern, among others, emphasize the importance of global trade for the long-term economic growth and stability of the State and region.
Given this context, it is no surprise that Highline College enjoys strong community support for its role as an educational resource in global commerce.
