Educational partnership unites Purdue with Colombian universities’ alliance

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is the only U.S. university involved in a new partnership with four major Colombian universities to expand comprehensive student programs and research collaborations.

A memorandum of understanding partners Purdue with Icesi University, Universidad EAFIT, Universidad del Norte and the Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración. The signing ceremony with representatives of the private universities — called the 4U Alliance — took place Sept. 3 in Colombia. 

Student and faculty access to exchange programs are part of the agreement, which is focused on educational opportunities at a broad, comprehensive level rather than specific areas of study. The intent is to also strengthen research ties and develop joint projects.

“Creating new opportunities on both continents will create opportunities for both the 4U Alliance and Purdue,” said Karen Plaut, Purdue’s executive vice president for research. “The goal is for future collaborations that utilize the expertise of each university to further the research potential.”

The new alliance unifies Purdue’s work with the Colombian institutions. Past collaborations between Purdue and some of the individual universities date back more than a decade, said Juan Diego Velásquez de Bedout, Purdue’s assistant director of global partnerships.

“We want to find opportunities that hopefully resonate with as many of the universities at the same time, offering a consortium of universities for future collaborations,” he said.

María Paola Podesta, vice president for academic affairs at Universidad EAFIT, said Purdue is one of the most significant and impactful allies for EAFIT.

“Purdue is committed to Colombia through its alliances with other universities in the country,” she said. “The signing of this 4U+Purdue memorandum is a powerful example of how the construction of trust, collegiality and especially the conviction of the transformative power of education and innovation, science and technology, allows capabilities to come together to continue on the path of the formation of talent and the advancement of knowledge.”

The MOU also will promote new opportunities for students, including short courses, seminars and workshops. It is expected to initially last five years.

“Purdue already has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with some of Colombia’s universities,” said Vijay Raghunathan, vice president for global partnerships and programs. “This joint initiative with the 4U Alliance will serve to augment those partnerships and create new ones.”

International partnerships have become a hallmark of excellence for Purdue. Agreements with the Dominican Republic and Panama were announced in July and August to enhance semiconductor educational opportunities and workforce development. MOUs with five Malaysian universities were announced in early September.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.