Office of International Relations
Internationalization is one of the strategic focal points presented in EAFIT’s 2012-2018 Development Plan. For this reason, the Office of International Relations has led efforts to secure close to 116 international agreements with 34 countries on five continents, giving EAFIT a presence in countries such as Germany, Spain, the United States, Canada, England, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Mexico, Norway and Australia.
At any given time, some 300 EAFIT students and graduates are traveling in different parts of the world and around 130 foreign students and Colombians from other parts of the country are studying at the university’s main campus.
EAFIT also has entered into dual-degree agreements with American, French and German universities. In the national ambit, EAFIT is a party to the Sigueme agreement, under which undergraduates have the chance to study full time for one semester at any of the other 13 participating universities and receive academic credits at their home institution.
Office of International Relations web site
Confucius Institute of Medellín
The Confucius Institute of Medellín, which is dedicated to teaching Mandarin and promoting Chinese culture, was founded in 2010 through an agreement between EAFIT, Universidad de Antioquia and the Medellín mayor’s office.
This alliance not only facilitates language study but also introduces people to relevant aspects of the ancient culture of China, a nation that has quickly grown into an economic powerhouse in recent decades.
The classes are taught by instructors from the Foreign Language University of Dalian, the Chinese educational establishment designated by the Office of the International Council of the Chinese Language (Hanban) to support the Confucius Institute of Medellín.
Classes are provided to more than 150 students at the Institute’s two venues: the Universidad de Antioquia in northern Medellín; and the south side of EAFIT’s main campus, located in the southern part of the city.
Confucius Institute of Medellín web site
Asia-Pacific Studies Center
EAFIT’s Asia-Pacific Studies Center, in operation since 2006, is an initiative that responds to the strong interest in the Asia-Pacific region, which has taken a lead role in international trade this century, and to the importance of economic, political and cultural relations between Latin America and the countries of that region.
The center meets the research and educational needs of students, professors, researchers and members of the public and private sector in Medellín and across the country.
Various cultural exchange initiatives such as lectures, seminars and consults are another important element, serving as a bridge between the academic and business sectors.
Asia-Pacific Studies Center web site
Colombian-Canadian Studies Center
In a bid to promote and support the university’s internationalization efforts, EAFIT participates in a range of academic and cultural activities that enrich students’ and professors’ experience in areas such as multiculturalism, negotiation and international relations.
These topics involve openness and a closer connection with other cultures, as well as the establishment of bonds of friendship and cooperation with other nations – all of which are part of the
mission of the Colombian-Canadian Studies Center, a division of the International Business Department. This center seeks to promote and disseminate Canadian culture and values in Medellín by providing spaces for exchange and academic cooperation between Canada and Colombia.
Colombian-Canadian Studies Center web site
Spanish for Foreigners
Close to 530 students from 26 countries arrived in EAFIT in 2010 to take part in the Spanish for Foreigners program, an initiative sponsored by Spain’s Cervantes Institute that grants Diplomas in Spanish as a Foreign Language (known by the Spanish initials DELE) to students, who undergo testing to certify their level of language proficiency.
Spanish for Foreigners web site
Exporting programs
EAFIT maintains a presence in Guatemala through its Graduate Certificate Program in Marketing in that Central American country. Since 2009, a significant number of prominent specialists in that part of the Americas have graduated from this program. Likewise, some continuing education programs have been exported to countries such as the United States, Nicaragua, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina and Costa Rica.