The day after President Obama‘s historic visit to Myanmar, Hawaii Pacific University announced its participation in the Institute of International Education’s new initiative to help rebuild higher education capacity in the country.

Nine U.S. colleges will be part of the strategic planning process. HPU President Geoffrey Bannister had this to say in a statement Tuesday:

“HPU is pleased to be invited by IIE to join this select group of U.S. higher education institutions. Countries in transition, such as Myanmar, represent a global challenge for democracy, and universities play a critical role in providing the infrastructure for citizenship development to supports the democratic process. At this early stage of re-establishing working relationships, HPU is dedicated to its continuing global mission to bring democracy and the spirit of aloha to the world.”

Learn more by reading the news from HPU here.