After three weeks of academic activities, students and professors from 19 countries around the world successfully concluded the 2021 International Summer Program (ISP) offered by CETYS Universidad International Campus in Ensenada, Mexico. COVID-19 related restrictions meant that the program was conducted online for the second time.

291 students participated in the 2021 ISP. This number includes a total of 162 students coming from Italy, the Netherlands, Malaysia, India, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Georgia, Peru, Argentina, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, the United States, Chile, and other schools in Mexico. In addition, the program enrolled 129 CETYS’ students from the Mexicali, Tijuana, and Ensenada Campuses. Furthermore, 11 professors from the United States, Greece, India, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Poland, Malaysia, Italy, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, and Mexico took part in the program.

The closing ceremony was held through a virtual connection where Dr. Scott Venezia Corral, Director of International Affairs for the CETYS University System, highlighted the importance of this event, the flagship of internationalization efforts in CETYS, which has been carried out successfully since 2013.

“I would like to emphasize that in the context we are living in, the relationships and contacts we make are more relevant than ever. We hope that all participating students take and take advantage of the opportunity that the ISP offers them, that they develop those connections and strategic friendships because that will provide them with excellent global opportunities in the coming years,” emphasized Dr. Venezia.

The ISP 2021, like every year since 2013, offers participating students the opportunity to develop a global perspective by interacting, in this case virtually, with international classmates and professors, addressing problems or situations from different perspectives, expanding the network of contacts, and identifying opportunities for growth and development in other countries.

For Anna Opalka, a professor from the University of Applied Sciences that teaches the International Marketing course during the ISP, this experience has been very rewarding. «It is a privilege to share our knowledge with international students. These programs greatly enrich their training, from internationalization, plurality, language, and culture, very powerful tools for their training,» said Opalka.

For Lumbini Vipul Lodaya, a student at Fravashi Academy Nashik in India, the course was excellent, comprehensive, formative, and very well delivered. «Without a doubt, this program benefits all participants because it allows us to acquire knowledge, skills, and experiences that contribute to our professional careers and our lives in general.»

Alan Tovar, an Engineering student at the Ensenada International Campus, highlighted that participating in this ISP was very interesting and a learning experience. “Sharing with students from different countries makes this experience much more enriching due to the different points of view, ideas, and opinions that the students provide. I am very grateful to Professor Dr. Mariella Remund for her valuable teaching in this course. I appreciate her dedication and passion for what she does .”

Cristal Guerrero Ramírez, a student at the Tijuana Campus, highlighted that virtual classes allowed them to learn the points of view of experts, as well as of their classmates that have different ways of thinking, seeing the world, and acting. «The experience will remain in my memory and will be a tool in my personal and work future,» she said.

For Ana Jetzabel Bolaños Ramírez, a Bachelor of Business Administration student at the Mexicali Campus, her participation in ISP 2021 was a unique and enriching experience in every possible way. “The program seems very relevant to me since it helps us expand our vision of the world and how a multicultural environment is perceived, which is essential nowadays. My decision to participate was to seek a development opportunity in an environment that tests my ability to interact with multiculturalism and put the English language into practice. Without a doubt, what I liked the most was being able to meet people from different parts of the world and being able to form a bond of friendship with them ”.

On behalf of CETYS, the closing ceremony was presided by Dr. Scott Venezia Corral, Director of International Affairs; Dr. Diana Woolfolk, Deputy Director of International Relations; the Academic Directors of the Ensenada, Mexicali, and Tijuana Campus, Professor Lucía Beltrán, Dr. María del Carmen Echeverría, and Professor Heberto Peterson, respectively; as well as the Directors of the Colleges of Administration and Business and Social Sciences and Humanities.