Victor Ángel Hernández Trejo, a professor in the Department of Economics at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS), is on campus this week to present about the natural tourist attractions and economic activities of Mexico’s southern Baja California Peninsula. His talk, “Environmental and Economic Development Research in Baja California Sur: A General Perspective,” will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 5-6 p.m., in Rockwell Hall West’s Bohemian Auditorium.
Hernández Trejo is visiting Fort Collins with seven students from UABCS as part of a year-long grant from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund. Colorado State University and UABCS were awarded the $25,000 grant to establish an Institute of Ecotourism Studies, led by CSU Pueblo, to provide education on the role and impacts of tourism on local cultures and communities. This week’s visit marks the third CSU-UABCS student exchange experience hosted by the Institute this year.
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“After hosting two events in Mexico, we are happy to welcome our UABCS partners to Colorado,” said Daniel Bowan, assistant professor of Recreation & Outdoor Leadership at CSU Pueblo. “Our regions both face environmental challenges, and Dr. Hernández Trejo’s talk will offer valuable perspective on the unique developments taking place in the Baja.”
In March, Bowan spent spring break at the CSU Todos Santos Center teaching an ecotourism course to a group of CSU Pueblo and CSU Fort Collins students. The immersive experience included a cultural exchange with Alternative Tourism students from UABCS, local excursions, and service-learning with local middle school students.
The Institute also held an Ecotourism Symposium at the Center in May to explore and address the region’s ecotourism issues. Through educational workshops, roundtable discussions, keynote speakers, clinics and research presentations, more than 90 participants covered topics ranging from sea turtle conservation to whale shark tourism to sustainable ecotourism practices.
“This year’s activities through the Institute of Ecotourism Studies have helped establish a solid foundation for continued partnership between CSU and UABCS, and the Colorado and Baja California Sur communities,” Bowan said. “Though the grant only lasts a year, we look forward to continuing this meaningful educational exchange.”
Established through a grant from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, the Institute of Ecotourism Studies hosted an symposium for more than 90 attendees in May at the CSU Todos Santos Center.
About the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund sponsored by the MetLife Foundation will fuel strategic partnerships among higher education institutions in the Western Hemisphere. The Innovation Fund grants are $25,000 each, and grant-winning teams contribute additional resources to leverage and implement sustainable short-term study abroad programs in the Western Hemisphere. Since January 2014, the Innovation Fund has awarded 134 grants to teams of 263 higher education institutions from 25 countries in the Western Hemisphere. More than 1,700 higher education institutions form the Innovation Fund’s network, including 1,000 U.S. universities and community colleges. 100,000 Strong in the Americas — the leading higher education initiative in the Western Hemisphere — aims to increase the annual number of U.S. students studying in Latin America and the Caribbean to 100,000, and bring 100,000 students to the United States by 2020. A complete list of recipients may be found at: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/category/media/press-releases/
About the Colorado State University Todos Santos Center
Located in Baja California Sur, Mexico, CSU Todos Santos Center is the University’s only international location, providing research and educational opportunities in alignment with existing University curricula.
Advancing CSU’s mission of teaching, research, service, and outreach, the Center collaborates with Mexican universities and organizations, and provides workshops and programs for visitors and local residents.
CSU’s vision in Todos Santos is to cultivate generations of global citizens and to partner in the creation of thriving communities through experiential learning and the exchange of knowledge.
For additional information, visit todossantos.colostate.edu.
