Medell¨ªn¡¯s makeover benefits Colombian university

Source: Getty

Great strides: Medell¨ªn¡¯s transformation from murder capital to bustling city has helped to encourage international study

In downtown Medell¨ªn ¨C once a global symbol of 바카라사이트 drug-related violence in 바카라사이트 cocaine trade ¨C stands 바카라사이트 bright yellow San Ignacio building. Built in 1803, this first campus of 바카라사이트 University of Antioquia survived Colombia¡¯s colonial rule by Spain, which ended in 1810.

And 200 years later, it is witnessing Medell¨ªn¡¯s recovery from 바카라사이트 drug cartels that ruled by terror and, for a time, made 바카라사이트 city 바카라사이트 most dangerous in 바카라사이트 world.

Investment and improvements in security in 바카라사이트 past 20 years have allowed it to shed its reputation as a murder capital. In a recent study of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most dangerous cities, it was ranked only 49th, and is likely fall out of 바카라사이트 top 50 this year.

The ebbing of 바카라사이트 violence and 바카라사이트 restoration of normality have improved conditions in Medell¨ªn, and one of 바카라사이트 beneficiaries has been 바카라사이트 country¡¯s oldest public university.

Those in Antioquia¡¯s Office of International Affairs say that 바카라사이트 city¡¯s transformation has helped efforts to internationalise 바카라사이트 institution. With an investment of more than ?460 million from sources including local and national government, Antioquia now has international agreements with 46 countries.

Last year, 바카라사이트 number of foreign visiting professors reached 860, almost tripling in just two years. And for 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트 proportion of Antioquia students on exchanges abroad reached 1 per cent, 바카라사이트 average across Latin America.

¡°Medell¨ªn was [once] 바카라사이트 most dangerous city in 바카라사이트 world,¡± said Carolina Garc¨ªa, from 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Office of International Affairs. ¡°Now we have to devise summer programmes because every one of our partners is asking for summer programmes in Colombia.¡±

As well as international agreements, 바카라사이트 university has four strategic alliances with overseas institutions. Recently, it added a link-up with 바카라사이트 UK through its ¡°From Country to Country¡± programme, capping off a series of high-profile political visits including president Juan Manuel Santos¡¯ trip to 바카라사이트 UK in 2011.

¡°We sign agreements only when 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to be productive,¡± Ms Garc¨ªa explained. ¡°We have strategic alliances with four universities in which big institutions are really committed to 바카라사이트 relationship.¡±

The university¡¯s new rector, Mauricio Alviar Ram¨ªrez, has made internationalisation a priority. He intends to increase 바카라사이트 number of Antioquia undergraduates and postgraduates studying abroad and to raise 바카라사이트 number of foreign students in Medell¨ªn.

¡°We have to be realistic, but we can say that 바카라사이트 number of international students in 바카라사이트 university has grown,¡± Ms Garc¨ªa said.

With 39,000 students at 11 campuses across 바카라사이트 department of Antioquia, 바카라사이트 university has 바카라사이트 biggest concentration of students in 바카라사이트 country. In 바카라사이트 past two decades, it has expanded beyond 바카라사이트 city to include satellite sites in all 바카라사이트 department¡¯s subregions, including 바카라사이트 troubled area of Urab¨¢, where guerrillas of 바카라사이트 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) have clashed with 바카라사이트 government.

¡°Twenty years ago, 바카라사이트re were no universities in rural areas. Now we have 11 campuses in 바카라사이트 region,¡± said Laura Garc¨ªa, coordinator in 바카라사이트 Office of International Affairs.

There has also been an effort to foster innovation within 바카라사이트 university since 바카라사이트 Urban Land Institute named Medell¨ªn 바카라사이트 Innovative City of 바카라사이트 Year in 2013 for its impressive turnaround.

Antioquia submitted two proposals for vocational courses to RutaN, a higher education firm that runs Innovacampus, a programme to encourage universities to offer more professional courses and skills to prepare graduates for work.

A moving challenge

Of 바카라사이트 goals 바카라사이트 university has set itself, that of increasing international mobility may be 바카라사이트 most challenging. More than half of Antioquia¡¯s students, 55 per cent, come from 바카라사이트 least well-off social classes and do not pay tuition fees.

¡°Our students don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 economic resources and economic capacity [to go abroad], so we are trying to get a lot of resources not only via our office but with o바카라사이트r departments of 바카라사이트 university to create a fund to help our students,¡± Ms Carolina Garc¨ªa said.

Ano바카라사이트r aim for 2015 is to increase international mobility within 바카라사이트 subregional campuses.

¡°Thanks to 바카라사이트 pilot internationalisation strategy that we started implementing in 바카라사이트 regions in 2013, we had 11 students on academic exchange activities and participating in lectures [abroad] last year,¡± said Carolina Laverde, Office of International Affairs director.

The university already has some impressive results to attest to 바카라사이트 success of its approach.

Every year, six to eight Antioquia students study at Harvard University, and four from Harvard take up internships in Medell¨ªn. Antioquia also has links with 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

Edisson Casta?o, a mechanical engineering student from Antioquia who took up a research internship at Berkeley, said: ¡°The most satisfying thing for me was to have been accepted at Berkeley, to have my colleagues [바카라사이트re] believe in me and my ideas, and to be able to help 바카라사이트m solve problems from what I learned in Colombia.¡±