Open Fields continued to strengthen the existing partnerships with US Universities, like University of Georgia and Purdue University.

In May 2016, a group of Georgia University students together with two faculty members, Asoc. Prof. Dr. Abigail Borron and Amanda Stephens, Asoc. Dir. of Student Engagement, spent two weeks in Romania for a Culture-Centered Communication and Engagement program offered by the university in partnership with Open Fields. This program allowed US students to travel to two Romanian communities in Eastern Europe, where they completed their own digital storytelling projects and immersed themselves in the community.

While on this trip, students also got to do some sightseeing in Romania getting to know a little of its history, the beauty of the rural landscapes and communities, enjoy the tasty Romanian cuisine but also experience the vibrant cities of Cluj and Bucharest. In collaboration with Open Fields, US students experienced and documented the viewpoint of their host family through video, photography and written narrativecapturing the essence of local agricultural, community and daily life.

Past participants of this program really enjoyed the following experiences in Romania, some of the things they loved were:

  • Literally watching the cows come home
  • Making lasting friendships with fantastic Romanians
  • Eating "awesome" homemade donuts made by their host family
  • Leaving with amazing storiesprofessionally and personally
  • Buying authentic "I survived Dracula's castle" t-shirts

This partnership is planned to continue and develop in the future years.

Purdue University - Purdue University's College of Agriculture is one of the world's leading colleges of agricultural, food, life, and natural resource sciences. Purdue is committed to preparing its students to make a difference, stretching the frontiers of science to find solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges and, through Purdue Extension and Engagement programs, helping the people of the nation and the world improve their lives and livelihoods.

Such an extension program has been developed with in Romania in partnership with Open Fields, then Heifer Romania for many years. In 2016, Open Fields received the visit three professors of Purdue University, here in Romania in order to explore and develop ideas for future projects.