All-Disciplines Award

About Colombia

Located in the northwest corner of South America, Colombia has a rich and complex geography that is shaped by three exuberant branches of the Andes mountain range system and lined by both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. With more than 50 million citizens, Colombia has the second-largest population in South America and is Latin America’s oldest and most stable democracy. Colombia is a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to countries around the world, including the United States.

In the last five years, Colombia has established itself as one of the most innovative economies in Latin America. The country’s natural diversity is comparable to its rich cultural heritage reflecting the indigenous, Spanish, and African origins of its people. This makes Colombian food, music, dance, and art greatly diverse and unique.

Colombia is a paradigmatic example of a middle-income economy, and although still highly dependent on fossil fuels for national income, it is poised to transition towards a carbon-neutral and circular economy which could become a replicable example for other developing countries. Colombia's diversity –ecosystemic, economic, social, and cultural– offers an engaging setting for research projects that seek to find solutions to the largest global challenges of our times.

A remarkable location for biodiversity, sustainable development, and peace studies

Colombia has always been a preferred destination for students and scholars from around the world conducting research or interested in biodiversity and sustainable development. As the second most biodiverse country in the world, Colombia opens numerous possibilities for academic visitors to expand their knowledge. Colombia houses an unparalleled diversity of natural environments ranging from plains and deserts to high mountains, snowy peaks, Amazonian jungle, and Pacific and Caribbean coastlines— each with its own set of unique fauna and flora. Thus, providing the perfect context for adventurous scholars aiming to engage in research on distinct ecologies and establish networks with local communities.

As one of the largest economies in Latin America, Colombia has the potential to influence the region as a whole, and in particular, exemplify a pathway towards sustainable development despite challenging sociopolitical contexts. The country’s deep connection with the Pacific Alliance and its strategic geographic location, as well as its historic drive in international contexts, position Colombia to lead efforts that can be transformative at the regional and global levels.

Due to its location and geographical situation, Colombia has been identified as being among the most vulnerable countries in the face of climate change. Along these lines, education at all levels plays a key role in the adoption of change towards sustainability, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

In recent years, the country has also become a primary destination for those studying peace processes, rural development, and social transformation. In recent years, Colombia has undergone a remarkable transformation that has turned the tide on a long-running civil conflict. The signing of the peace agreement in 2016 between the 50-year-old FARC guerrilla group and the administration of former president Juan Manuel Santos opened up a historical opportunity for peacebuilding in Colombia, especially in regions heavily affected by decades of conflict.

There has been considerable progress in the implementation of the peace agreement, particularly in terms of the demobilization of the former insurgency, and the recognition and reparation for victims; however, there are several key points of the agreement that are lagging, such as the comprehensive rural reform, FARC political participation, the cessation of violence in some regions, the solution to the problem of illicit drugs, and violence against demobilized ex-combatants.

The Ivan Duque administration focused on and prioritized specific parts of the Agreement such as reincorporation, the formulation of national rural development plans, and issues related to the PDET (Programs of development with territorial approach, by its Spanish acronym). The main achievements in this field were the attention to the most abandoned municipalities of Colombia, the substitution of illicit crops, and the financing of productive projects led by ex-combatants.

Under the “Total Peace” policy, the current government aims to involve other armed groups and criminal bands that have caused violence in peace negotiations and processes of submission to justice. This policy puts the communities at the center of negotiations and creates a fund for peace that seeks social investment for distant regions highly affected by the presence of irregular armed groups. The current government has publicly announced its commitment to work on the breached agreements through the discussion of rural reform and has also begun to conduct peace dialogues with the ELN guerrilla group to achieve more peace and stability.

While there have been major improvements in Colombia in terms of security, significant challenges remain for the successful implementation of the peace agreements and the reintegration of the members of the former insurgency.

Colombia’s current challenges and Government agenda

During the last decade, Colombia has consolidated visible leadership in the area of sustainability on the political agenda in the region, discussing clean energies energy transition and strategies to tackle the climate crisis in Latin America. In this sense, the country has gained recognition for setting in place the first regional policy on circular economy and its progress making headway in the discussion of a Climate Action Law in Congress aiming at drawing together and enforcing UN Climate Change Conference (COP) commitments. In 2022, President Gustavo Petro stated during the United Nations General Assembly that the protection of the environment and biodiversity was a priority for the country. 

Another recent challenge in Colombia has been the increasing inflow of migrants from Venezuela in the past few years. According to some national government sources, by August 2023 there were more than 2.8 million registered migrants from Venezuela. Colombia has taken a leading role in adopting an open border policy and implementing humanistic practices by providing services such as education, healthcare, employment services, and humanitarian aid to Venezuelan migrants and repatriated Colombians. Despite this, 42% of Venezuelans are children who, due to a lack of documents, cannot access education.

Lastly, Colombia has witnessed a transformation in recent years with respect to a more inclusive vision around the recognition of political and cultural rights from different groups of populations based on their ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. In the National Plan of Development of the current administration (2022-2026) it is stated that Colombia will guarantee the inclusion and effective implementation of a differential approach, in which the transformations it proposes will be carried out with the Colombian population in all its diversities, to achieve changes that lead us to an inclusive and free society of stereotypes and stigmas.

These transformations seek to overcome, among others, discrimination based on gender, so that diversity is a source of sustainable development and not exclusion in our society. This way, the Petro administration has placed a priority on adopting advanced policies that recognize the importance of diversity and social inclusion to overcome current social, political, and economic challenges.

A diversified and connected system of higher education

In recent years, Colombia has made education a top priority in the country’s economic and social development and has invested more resources in this sector than in any other area. Colombia is a country that has made great efforts to offer inclusive and high-quality education for all by implementing policies that have increased the number of hours that children attend school, ensured access to education for children of younger ages, and strengthened the bridge into higher education settings. The country has also focused on increasing access to higher education for vulnerable and marginalized populations and investing in improving teacher training and development.

Colombia has a growing and diverse higher education system, composed of over 360 active higher education institutions, offering 2,968 master’s programs and 462 doctoral programs. Out of those higher education institutions, 92 count with High-Quality Accreditation. Colombian higher education institutions have been innovating their programs and procedures to attract more foreign scholars and students. The National Ministry of Education and its allies, MinCiencias and ICETEX, have invested heavily in advancing the installed capacities of Colombia's higher education system to improve the research and teaching on their campuses.

Furthermore, the nationwide initiative “Colombia Challenge your Knowledge” (CCYK), which is led by the top universities in the country, has been analyzing and implementing the best internationalization practices in order to attract more international visitors.

According to the Plan Nacional Decenal de Educación (2016 - 2026), the current government prompts to work towards an education system that promotes the social and economic development of the country, and the construction of a society based on the recognition of differences. Also, it is important to note that, this plan looks towards enhancing the quality of education by looking first into the social and economic aspects of how the education is provided to identify and attend the needs of the population eager to ample their knowledge in different regions of Colombia.

Colombia’s bet on Science, Technology, and Innovation

New partnerships between Colombian and U.S. universities have been cemented in recent years, many of them funded by Colombia Científica. As the flagship Colombian governmental initiative to promote internationalization, science, and research in the country, Colombia Científica has coordinated efforts with the productive sector and world-class institutions.

This inter-institutional initiative, supported by the World Bank, has gathered 148 stakeholders participating in eight Scientific Ecosystems in the following strategic focus areas: bio-economics, health, sustainable energy, food, and society. More than 1,100 products have been developed in the framework of this alliance, including patents, prototypes, bioprocessing facilities, industrial design registrations, and spin-offs, among others.  

The Territorial Ecosystems of Science, Technology, and Innovation (CT&I), established by MinCiencias, also provide a framework for development in the different regions of Colombia. By integrating the regions' specific needs into strategic investment projects, competitive production areas, and development initiatives, the Department Councils of CT&I have played a key role in the alignment of regional initiatives and the goals and policies of science, technology, and innovation in the country.

Finally, during the last decade, Colombia has experienced impressive progress in terms of digital government and policy-making for the strengthening of Information and Communication Technologies. As part of this achievement, the Colombian government has created Excellence and Appropriation Centers, aiming to position Colombia in the field of big data analytics.

Fulbright U.S. Scholars in Colombia 

Since 1958, more than 207 researchers, and experts have conducted academic activities in different cities of Colombia, as part of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Based on their feedback and comments, the following recommendations can facilitate future U.S. scholars’ adaptation process and overall experience in the country:

• Grantees traveling with dependents are advised to opt for placement in large or medium-sized cities to ensure they have access to a more diversified set of options for housing, schooling, and health-provision services, according to their needs and preferences.
• The host institution and local partners can be of great help to U.S. grantees to better prepare for their experience and cultural adaptation.  Selected grantees are encouraged to discuss issues related to the local context, lifestyle, and culture with their host institutions in the months before their arrival to better manage their expectations and gain a deeper understanding of everyday life in their city of placement. Along these lines, scholars are also encouraged to reach out to the International Office of their host institution, which can provide insightful specific orientation and additional resources.
• Maintaining close communication with the assigned Program Officer and alumni mentor will allow the Fulbright Commission to provide assistance and orientation on time, and identify specific issues or situations in which the grantees may require specific additional accompaniment and help.
  Plan any in-country trips. Please note that all domestic and international travel during the grant period in Colombia, including fieldwork trips, must be approved by the Fulbright Commission.
• Potential candidates can find additional information and recommendations about safety and security, health, housing, and how to prepare for living in Colombia in the Orientation Handbook for U.S. grantees available at:  .
   https://fulbright.edu.co/comunidad-estadounidense-alumni/

Fulbright in Colombia 

The Fulbright Commission in Colombia has made determined efforts aimed to enhance the diversity, decentralization, and access to its portfolio of opportunities for graduate studies, research, teaching, and English teaching. Broadening the geographical presence of U.S. grantees in the country has been critical to achieving these objectives.

The extended coverage of Fulbright Programs for U.S. participants in the country has been possible thanks to the significant contributions from Colombian partners such as ICETEX, the National Ministry of Education, MinCiencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad del Valle, Universidad de los Andes, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad del Norte, Universidad del Rosario, and Universidad EAFIT.

To learn more about Colombia as a travel destination, visit: http://www.colombia.co/. 

For questions related to the U.S. Scholar Program in Colombia, please contact Ana María Carvajal, Educational Adviser at Fulbright Colombia, who can be reached at: consejeria@fulbright.edu.co