Scientific diaspora symposium highlights US-Colombia collaboration

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Colombian Scientific Diaspora Symposium, organized by the Colombian Graduate Student Community Association (CGSC) at Penn State, took place on May 5 and 6 at University Park. The event aimed to connect Colombian diaspora scientists in the United States and other international researchers interested in working in Colombia. The symposium agenda was designed to promote networking, to exchange experiences and initiate future collaborations.

During the event, technological and scientific advancements related to Colombia were presented in five panels, two parallel sessions and a poster session. The agenda allowed for sharing experiences and opportunities in collaborations in fields such as health, education, agronomy and culture. Supported by Penn State Global, the symposium emphasized the need to create incentives and programs that promote interdisciplinary collaborations among the Colombian diaspora and the international community. It highlighted funding opportunities in the U.S. scientific ecosystem, including universities, institutional programs and programs by federal agencies that could support strategic alliances with Colombia.

Siela Maximova, Penn State Global director for Latin America and Caribbean Region, highlighted that the Colombian academic community at Penn State is the second largest of the region after Brazil including faculty, graduate students and more than 70 members of the Colombian American Undergraduate Student Association.

"At Penn State, we promote and support global collaborative and interdisciplinary research and partnerships leading to discoveries in various disciplines that contribute to the future of human wellbeing, economic development and preserving our planet,” she said. “To achieve our shared goals, we need to work together to leverage the resources and the talent of universities in the U.S. and the Americas. For this, we need to enable networking at different levels and collaborations are critical for our success.”

Julián Prieto, 2023-24 president of the CGSC and chair of the symposium, stressed the need to create opportunities to share initiatives in the United States with importance for Colombia.

"We aim to connect Colombian scientists in the United States because we know they are working on important initiatives,” Prieto said. “We would like to promote strategic relationships for interdisciplinary research and generate proper networking that would connect the various research developed by Colombian professors, researchers and graduate students at the best universities in the United States.”

Prieto is an expert external member of the Mesa Intersectorial de Diplomacia Cientifica (MIDICI) and was appointed by MIDICI to lead the development of a strategy for engagement with the Colombian scientific diaspora.

“These projects not only positively impact Colombia and the United States but also contribute to science and society in general,” he said.

The event brought together more than 100 participants, including representatives from Purdue University, Cornell University, Ohio State University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, City University of New York, State University of New York, The New School, Harvard University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Florida and Penn State, along with special symposium presenters from the Boyce Thompson Institute, New York Botanical Garden, The Nature Conservancy, Bezos Earth Fund, National Institutes of Health and U.S. National Science Foundation.

“Beyond academic enrichment, the symposium provided an opportunity for Colombians to connect, network and celebrate their achievements," said Camila González, the incoming president of the CGSC and vice-chair of the symposium. "Feedback highlighted the value of creating new connections and learning about diverse educational fields, fostering a sense of community and pride, which is one of the goals of the CGSC.”

González also expressed her commitment to leadership excellence.

“My goal is to leverage the momentum and commitment our previous board members established," she said.

The CGSC Penn State symposium highlighted the great interest of the scientific diaspora in developing collaborative projects with Colombia in various fields of research, education and development, demonstrating the potential to generate a positive impact, according to the organizers. 

For more information, contact Julian Prieto at jjp6534@psu.edu.