A Universities Canada and the Asociación Colombiana de Universidades partnership will facilitate and promote student mobility, research collaboration, academic partnerships and joint programming between the countries’ respective higher education institutions.

In addition, Canada’s not-for-profit research organisation Mitacs and Colombia’s Minciencias have agreed on a partnership on international internships. This includes a five-year commitment to support more than 60 undergraduate students to participate in Mitacs’ Globalink Research Internship program and Colombia’s Nexo Global summer research program.

“In a world of closing borders and global anxiety, international relationships have become more important than ever”

The agreements are the first of their kind between Canada and Colombia and will increase opportunities for students, according to the ambassador of Canada to Colombia.

“Over 4,880 Colombian students went to Canada in 2019. With this agreement, Colombian undergraduate students interested in doing research in Canada now have increased opportunities,” said Marcel Lebleu.

“Student exchange and academic collaboration are key to enhance research and innovation between Canada and Colombia.”

The Mitacs/ Minciencias agreement will “advance innovation” and “bring our two countries together”, Mitacs CEO and scientific director John Hepburn said.

“Along with Universities Canada, Mitacs is very proud to represent ‘Team Canada’ as we align with ASCUN and Minciencias to represent ‘Team Colombia’,” he added.

Happy to announce two new agreements between @Mitacs and @MincienciasCo, @ASCUN1 and @univcanada recognizing promising bilateral academic exchanges and research collaboration between 🇨🇦 Canada and Colombia 🇨🇴. pic.twitter.com/Rtm6iMnzLX

— Canada in Colombia (@CanadaColombia) September 17, 2020

“In a world of closing borders and global anxiety, international relationships have become more important than ever,” Universities Canada president, Paul Davidson explained.

He added that the agreement “underlines Canada and Colombia’s continued commitment to collaboration and to advancing excellence in higher education, research and innovation”.

The alliance “will boost the promotion of scientific research in both countries, and the strengthening of scientific cooperation between Colombia and Canada”, Sonia Esperanza Monroy, vice minister of Talent and Social Appropriation of Knowledge at Minciencias continued.

“We are pleased to be together with ASCUN representing ‘Team Colombia,’ promoting together with Mitacs and Universities Canada the development of the capacities in science, technology, and innovation of both countries,” she concluded.