During August 2025, a major milestone for Gordon College’s International Center was confirmed: the National Strategy for Teacher Education and Professional Development authored under the leadership of Prof. Rhonda Sofer, faculty members from Gordon Academic College of Education, and colleagues from the University of Zambia, has been formally endorsed by the Zambian Ministry of Education as the country’s official policy framework.
This achievement marks the successful completion of Gordon College’s first international project in Africa, a landmark accomplishment reflecting the college’s expanding global impact in advancing quality teacher education.
From Vision to Policy
Prof. Rhonda Sofer and Dr. Stan Sofer recently returned from Zambia, where they participated in two high level national events organized by UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the University of Zambia. These events represented the culmination of a yearlong collaborative process that began with an earlier field visit to Zambia by Prof. Sofer and Dr. Eli Vinokur.
The first event was a validation workshop for Teacher Education and Professional Development Strategy. Over the course of a full day of presentations and discussions spanning more than seven hours of dialogue among some 30 senior officials of the Zambian Ministry of Education, the strategy developed under Gordon College’s leadership was formally approved and adopted as the Ministry’s official policy document.
The second event was a national orientation meeting, during which the strategy was presented to heads of teacher education institutions from across Zambia, marking the first step in its nationwide implementation.
A Shared Commitment to Educational Quality
Gordon College proudly recognizes that this achievement was the result of a true team effort. The project was led by Prof. Rhonda Sofer and Dr. Stan Sofer, together with Dr. Sveta Ruberman, Prof. Ditza Meshkete, Dr. Mirit Sharon, Prof. Leah Zisberg, Dr. Eli Vinokur and Ms. Shadia Sbait.
This success could not have been achieved without the expert collaboration and invaluable contributions of our local partners from the University of Zambia, led by Prof. Innocent Mulenga and his dedicated team.
Together, the Israeli and Zambian teams exemplified the power of international cooperation in advancing teacher education systems and shaping national policy for meaningful, sustainable impact.
