VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University hosted members of the Georgia-based Consular Corps last week as part of the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s 2023 International VIP Tour.

For more than 30 years, this annual tour has put a spotlight on Georgia’s diverse communities for a distinguished and influential international audience. The 2023 tour highlighted South Georgia’s unique history, industry, tourism and educational institutions, and included a stop at VSU.

VSU President Richard Carvajal provided officials an overview of the university and Provost Robert Smith gave an update on Valdosta State’s international program, which includes VSU becoming home to 96 international students from 41 countries this spring.

According to Nico Wijnberg, director of International Relations and chief of protocol for the State of Georgia, the protocol is housed under the Department of Economic Development due to Georgia representing more than 70 countries.

“The reality is we love to think that they’re here for Georgia, but they actually represent their home countries, mostly a variety of states in the southeast and as a result when they travel, they typically leave Atlanta and they go to other areas of the southeast. So in 1986, we decided that we wanted to showcase other regions outside of the metro Atlanta area and make sure that Consular Corps our international community is familiar with areas outside of the metro Atlanta area.

So we have a sort of an informal rotation of regions of Georgia that’s taken that we invite to the Consular Corps to and this year.

It’s southwest Georgia’s turn. So that brings us for three days to this region board,” he said.

According to Andrea Schruijer, executive director of the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, the Consular Corps provides an opportunity for Valdosta’s international community to engage with resources that could further job opportunities and education.

“For us, it’s important because we already have a lot of international companies here in our community. and so the relationship that we have between Valdosta State University and the Consular Corps is such that it educates them that we’ve got that diverse community here and international representation. and I think it was meaningful for them today to see that our state university has international programs with international students from their own countries here. and to learn about that and also about potential partnerships that can be companies amongst a state university,” she said.

The Consular Corps made the rounds at other South Georgia cities such as Albany and Thomasville.

For more information, visit https://www.georgia.org/international/relations-protocol/consular-offices.