On Friday the 24th of July, after three weeks of academic activities conducted for the first time under a virtual environment, 162 students and 5 professors from 19 countries successfully concluded the 2020 Edition of the CETYS University International Summer Program (ISP), a flagship program based out of CETYS International Campus in Ensenada, México.

The program included 67 students from Austria, Brazil, Armenia, India, Colombia, Costa Rica, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, and Mexico. The 2020 cohort also included 95 CETYS’ students from the Mexicali, Tijuana, and Ensenada Campus, as well as 5 professors from the United States, Poland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Greece.

The closing ceremony was presided by Dr. Fernando León García, Presidentof the CETYS University System, who stressed the importance of this flagship internationalization event that CETYS has been carrying out successfully since 2013.

“I recognize the openness, flexibility, and adaptability of this year’s students to explore this virtual alternative offered by the ISP 2020 at the Ensenada International Campus, as well as the professors who made this event possible despite the global context. I am positive that successful learning has occurred through the activities planned in the different courses offered and enjoyed the experience of making new friends and interacting with new cultures; this will allow them to become better professionals and further their development anywhere in the world,» said Dr. Fernando León García.

ISP 2020 offered participants the opportunity to develop a global perspective by interacting digitally with international classmates and professors, addressing challenges and situations from different perspectives, expanding their network of contacts, and identifying opportunities for growth and development in other countries.

For international faculty member Alex Steenstra from Northern Arizona University, in charge of teaching the Sustainability and Competitiveness course, this experience translated to teaching and learning among all participants and their cultures, as well as creating connections and working together for the common good.

“This was the ISP, we grew and knew each other more and more, we shared experiences, we worked together to make ourselves stronger in the face of this difficult situation the world is going through, thus learning to face the challenges of the future,” said the ISP 2020 international professor.

For Kern Routley, a student at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, the course was perfectly designed allowing a combination of theoretical and practical classes, as well as group activities, facilitating coexistence among the participants from different parts of the world.

«Among other things, I learned about the importance of respecting different ideas and other cultures, as well as communication and project management skills that I can implement in my work field,» said the Nottingham Trent University student in the United Kingdom.

Katharina Larissa Dietl from Johannes Kepler University in Austria called this experience a unique opportunity that allowed her «to learn from renowned professors, guest speakers and even make friends for life, despite the distance.»

Nicolle Eliana Pineda Luna, from the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga, Colombia, stressed that participating in the ISP was a wonderful experience because she was able to meet students from many countries with whom she interacted daily in a virtual manner. «In addition, I was able to perfect my English, learn many things that I did not know, both academic and cultural”.

Finally, for Rosella Reyes Raygoza, a Mechatronics Engineering student at Ensenada Campus, ISP 2020 was an experience that left her completely satisfied. «Initially, I did not believe that the virtual modality would pose the opportunity to carry out such comprehensive work with colleagues from other parts of the world. But listening to and sharing with them over three weeks greatly enriched the class, I highly recommend the experience.”

In addition to President Dr. Fernando León García, the following persons attended the closing ceremony Jessica Ibarra, Campus Director; Dr. Diana Woolfolk, Deputy Director of International Relations of the CETYS University System; the Academic Directors of the Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana Campus, Lucía Beltrán, Dr. María del Carmen Echeverría, and Heberto Peterson, respectively; as well as the Directors of the Colleges of Administration and Business, Engineering and Social Sciences and Humanities.

See video of the ISP 2020 Closing Ceremony: Ceremonia de cierre del ISP 2020.