Cornell University (Cornell) and Universidad del Magdalena (UniMagdalena), implemented a bilateral, student exchange program that prioritized minority students who otherwise may not have had the opportunity for global learning.

The project had three main activities:

1. Undergraduates from Cornell and from UniMagdalena designed enrichment materials in four STEM areas and then presented them at Liceo Samario, a high school serving disadvantaged families in Santa Marta Colombia. Eight (8) U.S. students from Cornell went to Colombia for most of January 2019, during which they joined with UniMagdalena students in carrying out enrichment activities for sixty (60) 9th and 11th graders at a high school in Santa Marta, Colombia. Several of the Cornell students were planning to return to Colombia to interact further with Colombian universities or secondary schools until the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. 
2. Undergraduates from UniMagdalena traveled to Cornell and were placed in STEM research labs. Seven (7) Colombian students from UniMagdalena, who participated in presenting the enrichment activities at the high school, then reciprocated the exchanged and traveled to Cornell to join research labs during June and July 2019. At the end of these internships, they presented their research results in a public symposium. They then used them for their theses that have been part of their undergraduate degree. Several intend to apply for graduate study in the U.S. after they finish their degrees.
3. Two (2) faculty members from the two universities visited each other’s campuses several times during 2019 to initiate collaborative research with their Biology Departments,  give research presentations, and interact with administrators regarding future interchanges.