Purdue, Colombian leaders to explore University of the Future

October 28, 2014  


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Education, government and business leaders from Colombia and the United States will gather at Purdue University on Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 28 and 29) for a workshop on the University of the Future.

Through a series of Purdue Moves, the university’s faculty, staff and administration are working to make higher education more affordable and value-added, providing new opportunities for students, addressing problems of national and global significance, and contributing toward economic development in Indiana.

Included is a refocusing of Purdue’s global programs. To maximize the impact of the programs, Purdue has narrowed its focus to a small number of countries that present unique opportunities for sustained partnerships. One of the most important of those is Colombia.

The workshop will include discussions on topics of strategic interest for universities, including transformative education; partnerships and networks for excellence in research, education and technology transfer; and innovation and commercialization.

Among those planning to attend from Colombia are top administrators from nine universities and representatives of research and non-profit agencies.

Purdue has had a strong relationship with Colombia since a 2010 agreement formed the foundation for the Colombia-Purdue Institute. This agreement initiated a series of partnerships among Purdue and institutions in Colombia, including universities, companies, government ministries and non-governmental organizations. Collectively, the partnerships focus on faculty and student mobility, joint educational initiatives such as service learning, collaborative research aimed at addressing issues of national interest to Colombia and the United States, and commercialization programs that could open new business opportunities for Colombia and the United States.

The workshop is an outgrowth of a visit by Purdue President Mitch Daniels to Colombia in January. During that visit, he announced the opening of an office in Medellin (being hosted free of charge by Ruta N, Medellin’s Center for Business and Innovation). He also unveiled the Latin American Technical, Research and Administrative Leaders (LATeRAL) program, designed to build strategic partnerships with select universities in Latin America in the training of students at the graduate level. These students will be future leaders ready to meet 21st century challenges as they help transform education and research in Latin American universities, and technological innovations in companies.

For more information or to arrange interviews with key participants, contact Judith Barra Austin, Purdue News Service, at jbaustin@purdue.edu, 765-494-2432. 

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