The International Summer Program (ISP) is an annual university gathering held in the Ensenada Campus, which brings together more than 200 students from around the globe. The ISP is an emblem of internationalization efforts at the CETYS University System. In compliance with health recommendations derived from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s edition will be carried out through live virtual classes from July 6 to the 24th.

This is the eighth edition of the ISP. Since its inception in 2013, the program’s main goal has been to enrich professional education through internationalization, opening up participants’ perspectives regarding the challenges that await them after graduating, as well as familiarizing them with the high levels of competitiveness demanded in the workplace.

As in previous editions, courses will be taught by highly qualified professors from half a dozen countries. The language of instruction will be English. However, this summer classes will be online, as explained by Dr. Diana Woolfolk Ruiz, Deputy Director of International Relations of the CETYS University System.

Azhly Rahman comes from Malaysia, a professor at Farleigh Dickinson University who will teach the Transcultural Behavior class. Anna Opalka, from Poland, professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Nysa, will teach International Marketing. From Northern Arizona University we have two professors: Alex Steenstra from the Netherlands, who will teach Sustainability and Competitiveness; and from the United States of America Jason Mirowitz, who participates with the Project Management course.

“Having professors and classmates from a number of countries ensures that students will develop a global perspective, as well as access to a different teaching methodology when addressing problem scenarios or situations that arise in class. This opportunity also allows students to expand their network of contacts and identify opportunities for growth and development in other countries.” 

Furthermore, Woolfolk Ruiz highlighted that, under the new synchronous modality, participating students will have the opportunity to learn, from their place of origin, different perspectives and ways of approaching a particular topic. This allows them to obtain a global perspective and achieve content-rich learning, in addition to the ISP broadening their vision and inspiring them to think creatively. «It also leads them to challenge learning to generate new knowledge, with projects of this nature we reiterate that, in a challenging situation, internationalization at CETYS does not stop.»

It should be noted that for the first time, the ISP will be taught online for three weeks. A typical day will consist of two and a half hours of classes, in addition to the activities required by the professors to strengthen student integration, as well as teamwork, using collaborative and cooperative activities.

Finally, Dr. Woolfolk Ruiz commented: “The current situation drives us to think differently, to generate new ideas to enrich the multicultural learning of our students. We must encourage creative alternatives that promote their learning. The ISP continues forward because nothing should stop education, a contingency does not mean we should stop our plans, on the contrary, it is an invitation to identify alternative ways to achieve our goals for the benefit of the students. See you at ISP 2020!”