Separated by 8,000 miles and untold cultural and economic disparities, the Qatari government and Houston Community College (HCC) in Texas would seem unlikely educational partners. HCC, like many U.S. community colleges, has a reputation for preparing students to meet local employment needs. Qatar, in the midst of an economic transition of its own, is in need of education tailored to an evolving workforce. Cash-poor and under pressure to balance the challenge of higher enrollments with a mandate for more college completers, American community colleges increasingly welcome the opportunity to expand their academic borders, generate new revenue through international alliances, and branch out into a realm once regarded as the province of four-year institutions. Community Colleges for International Development Inc. (CCID), a nonprofit organization that helps community and technical colleges build global relationships that strengthen educational programs and development activities, does not keep statistics on overseas partnerships. But just because more community colleges are growing their footprint overseas does not mean the same approach is right for one's institution. Large urban colleges often have access to more and different resources than their smaller rural counterparts, and every partnership carries with it a unique set of risks. But opportunities do exist. And as HCC and others have begun to discover, the potential for growth on foreign shores is, at the very least, worth exploring.