Students from the California State University Fullerton (CSUF) and CETYS University System successfully completed the Winter School program. For the fifth consecutive year, this program brought together students from both sides of the border to facilitate collaborative learning.

At the closing ceremony, Dr. Scott Venezia Corral, Director of International Relations of the CETYS University System, highlighted that this modality of “internationalization at home” facilitates collaborative learning between students of two different nationalities to explore new possibilities for solving problems.

“The CETYS Winter School enables CETYS students to harness the expertise of international faculty and be enriched by the interaction and contribution with students from another country; this allows them to broaden their horizons, a vital component in the comprehensive development spoused by CETYS”, Venezia said.

For Dr. Dean Kazoleas, CSUF academic in charge of teaching International Marketing & Public Relations at the Winter School, this experience enables students to learn how to create international and global marketing campaigns. In addition to honing their team effort skills, as they will do in the future when they graduate.

“I think the most useful learning for the students who have an international experience is not the fact of traveling, but their work with students from other universities, and what better than an incredible place with a unique culture, which enabled our Fullerton youth to learn about Ensenada and Mexico.”

Frank Valenzuela, a CSUF student, set as his goal for Mexico to be the destination of his last international experience before completing his undergraduate studies. He stayed for a week in Ensenada, a time in which he enjoyed the various out-of-school activities included in the Winter School program, to complement his formal learning experience.

“Ensenada is a beautiful city. I was allowed to visit places and try delicious food. I truly enjoyed my stay both in the city and in CETYS, and I am grateful for the support they give to foreign students. The people are very friendly, and overall, they made me feel at home.”

The CETYS Winter School, in its fifth edition, was the first activity scheduled for 2020 at the Ensenada International Campus. A total of 15 students took part in this program, five from CSUF and ten from the Mexicali, Tijuana, and Ensenada Campus of the CETYS University System.