Colombias worldleading approach to higher education and research affords opportunities for UK academics

Professor Paul van Gardingen (pictured), Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International and Development Research at our University, was part of a delegation of academics working at institutions across the UK recently sent to Colombia to build research links in the Latin American country.

After experiencing several decades of conflict, Colombia is welcoming science partnerships and the recent delegation saw academics from a wide variety of research backgrounds investigating opportunities for collaboration of mutual benefit to the UK and to Colombia in its post-transition period.

Professor van Gardingen was interviewed for the Times Higher Education about the visit, and described Colombia’s President as “passionate about the role of higher education, research and science”.

He says: “Colombia is a country of great opportunity which is leading the world in its approach to using higher education and research to promote sustainable development and social equity. The University of Leicester has established relationships with a number of world-class Colombian higher education and research institutions and they represent some of our most important partnerships in South America. I look forward to these being enhanced over the coming years as we develop new and even more significant initiatives to use higher education and research to improve lives and contribute to global sustainable development."