Partnership Brings Colombian Students to Purdue
Purdue University is participating in a pilot program that will bring top students from Colombia to West Lafayette. The Nexo Global program is being funded by Colciencias, the Colombian government’s department of science, technology and innovation.
The program will bring 20 students from Universidad Nacional de Colombia to study at Purdue this semester. Nexo Global aims to give high-achieving Colombian undergraduates the chance to study in laboratories at top research institutions.
Colombian students who are pursuing doctoral degrees at Purdue will also be able to take part in a new scholarship program being funded by Colciencias as well. Purdue says the students are among the top ten percent academically and are screened to ensure their suitability for the programs.
"Through Nexo Global and the new Ph.D. scholarship program, Purdue will establish connections with Colombia’s best and brightest in a program funded by Colciencias," said Jeffrey Stuart, director of the Colombia Purdue Institute and a professor of entomology. "These are very driven, high-performing students. The graduate experience opens their eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. They know that it will require a lot of work, they will have to continue working on their English and focusing on their education, but it allows them to have opportunities that otherwise would not be available to them."
Purdue says about 30 students are participating in the scholarship program. Cornell University in New York is also taking part in the Nexo Global program and will bring in 20 Colombian students as well.
The university says the ultimate goal of the Nexo Global program is to send 6,000 Colombian students to universities around the world.