The University of South Carolina College of Nursing and the Evangelische Hochschule Nürnberg (EVHN) formally renewed a cooperation agreement to expand its global education partnership. The three-year agreement further strengthens the successful collaboration between the two universities’ health and nursing programs, which have been in place for over twelve years.
On behalf of USC Nursing, the agreement was signed by Stephanie Armstrong, associate professor and director of global nursing education, and on behalf of EVHN by Jürgen Härlein, professor and head of the bachelor of science in nursing program.
“Today’s renewal of this agreement reaffirms our shared commitment to this work. It signals that we will continue to invest in our students, in our faculty collaborations, and in the advancement of nursing as a global profession,” says Armstrong. “It reflects our belief that by working together we can build stronger, more innovative, and more compassionate health care systems.”
“Bavaria has played a pioneering role in the introduction of the primary nursing degree program in Germany. The academic competencies and USC experience of our nursing students offer great potential for further development of the health and care system in Bavaria," says Härlein.
An important aspect of the partnership is the personal exchange and professional collaboration between students and faculty in Nuremberg and Columbia. Students learn to communicate across language barriers, to collaborate with peers from different backgrounds, and to approach patient care with greater empathy and openness.
BSN student Dayna Chappell reflects on last year’s global nursing education opportunity. "My trip to Germany has been foundational to my development as a student nurse. This program gave me a perspective on what clinical nursing looks like internationally. It broadened my horizons and showed me varied nursing practices abroad.”
For more than a decade, both institutions have been connected through a shared vision: to advance nursing education, strengthen health care systems, and prepare the next generation of nurses to lead in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
Applications are now open for USC Nursing’s next global education trip to Germany, taking place in December 2026.
About the University of South Carolina College of Nursing
The University of South Carolina’s nationally ranked College of Nursing has a multi-pronged mission of teaching, research, practice, service and policy. As the state’s first nationally accredited nursing program, the college has graduated more than 12,500 nurses since 1957 and continues to attract, retain, train and grow the workforce. A national leader in exam passage rates, the college’s graduates are prepared to address local and regional health needs while improving the accessibility of quality health care.
About the Lutheran University of Applied Sciences
The Evangelische Hochschule Nürnberg (EVHN) – Lutheran University of Applied Sciences – has study programs in the social sciences, social and health economics, health and care, as well as child development, education, and theology. As a state-approved university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, the EVHN is part of a network of reputable institutions in education and in practice both in Germany and abroad.