NOTE: this program is currently under development and the travel dates may change slightly (+- 1 day).
Check out what participants have to say about Colombia here.
Broaden your Professional, Intercultural and Global skills by engaging in multicultural and academic experiences in Colombia. This program is partially funded by the ExxonMobil Foundation and it is part of 100,000 Strong in the Americas, the White House’s premiere education initiative for the Western Hemisphere.
Visit 3 cities and to two of Purdue Engineering key partner institutions: Universidad del Norte (UniNorte) and Universidad de Los Andes. UniNorte is located in Barranquilla, the largest city and port in the northern Caribbean Coast region and the main industrial, shopping, educational and cultural center in the area. Universidad de los Andes is located in Bogotá, the capital of and largest city in Colombia. You will also visit Cartagena, named one of the most popular destinations to travel in the world according to TripAdvisor.
Work with Engineering faculty members; meet Purdue Alumni and key players involved in developing technology and science as a tool for increased productivity and sustenance, and who support the economic development and progress in these regions. Some of the corporations and businesses past cohorts have visit are the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce, Colombia's main Atlantic port society, Grupo Argos, Runta N (main tech and innovation hub in the region), among others. Given the rapid development in many cities of Colombia, each year our university partners collaborate with Purdue to choose the various site visits for this program.
Interact with local and international students. Participate in various student success and university wellbeing programs. UniNorte’s international students will join several of the site visits and activities, so that you gain a better understanding of the life of an exchange student in Barranquilla.
Visit various historical sites and museums to learn about the historical and cultural wealth of the region. Barranquilla is home to one of the most important folk and cultural festivals of Colombia, the Carnival of Barranquilla, which was declared a National Cultural Heritage by the Congress of Colombia in 2001 and recognized by UNESCO. Bogotá has an abundance of parks, libraries, museums and public spaces where many Cultural events take place. This program also includes free basic Spanish lessons and regional culture lessons.
Get your IDI profile and develop global/intercultural competence! In order to facilitate the intercultural and global development piece, you will have four pre-departure and one post-journey meeting with the team leader, Dr. H. Parker, Associate Director for the Minority Engineering Program (MEP). She is a qualified administrator and facilitator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI), the Global UP, AFS Global Competence Certificate, the Intercultural Communication Edge (icEdge), ICQ Global, and certified as a Global Inclusion Practitioner. Dr. Parker is also a native Spanish-speaker and will travel with the group to Colombia and handle all the logistics.