Striking parallels exist between Colombia today and the United States when Purdue was established as a Land Grant University (LGU): war-torn nations with complex multicultural populations, vast underdeveloped territories and people eager to prosper using new knowledge and technology. LGUs opened the doors of higher education to a population without access and in advancing the knowledge that helped the U.S. recover from the Civil War. Over 150 years later, LGUs continue to fulfill the land-grant promise but must also evolve to address the needs of a globally connected world for the well-being of people here and abroad.
What better place exists to share and support the LGU mission internationally than a closely allied nation rebuilding in a new era of peace? What better motivation than to support a Colombia-US partnership that has “made the Western Hemisphere safer and more prosperous” (Colin Powell, General and Former US Secretary of State). Given the imperative for US universities to become truly global, what better time to build on the history that has connected Colombia and Purdue?
Colombia offers Purdue students a place to gain valuable new perspectives, insights and cultural intelligence. It offers Purdue researchers tropical coasts, mountains, forests, rivers and plains. Colombia contains virtually unsurpassed richness in biodiversity, ecology, language, history, economy and culture. It offers entrepreneurs innovations in food, ecotourism, novel indigenous products and ideas. The country offers opportunities to create new approaches and technologies in aviation, hydroelectric power, transportation, irrigation, healthcare, tropical diseases and medicine, computation, communication and learning. It offers living laboratories for studies in ecology, land management, agriculture and systems thinking. Most importantly, it offers highly motivated, well trained collaborators and students working in every field of study.
To be the Republic of Colombia’s preferred global university partner, engaging and leading high-impact collaborative research, education, and economic development activities that benefit Colombia, Purdue, and the State of Indiana.
To use Purdue’s Land Grant excellence in Learning, Discovery, Engagement and Innovation to build collaborative relationships that strengthen and advance Colombian and Purdue as partners as well as its stakeholders.