Puerto Rico is building educational and research collaborations with the Indo-Pacific region, with universities like UPR engaging in collaborative research, student exchanges, and academic partnerships. These connections foster stronger academic ties and promote shared global research goals.
Collaborative education between regions is known to foster long-lasting relationships and enhance mutual understanding. Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the US has surprisingly created educational partnerships and exchange programs with universities in the Indo-Pacific region.
One prominent example of such collaboration is the project between the University of Michigan (UM) and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), which ran from 2014-2021. This initiative aimed to strengthen educational and research exchanges between faculty, students, and teachers from both institutions. Funded by a Title VI grant from the US Department of Education, this partnership created opportunities for developing new research initiatives and curriculum projects while expanding access to area studies sand language resources at UM for UPR faculty, students in grades, and in-service teachers across Puerto Rico. The project includes participation from the Nam Center for Korean studies, Center for South Asian Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Japanese Studies and Lieberthal ad Rogel Center for Chinese Studies.
In 2021, Dr. Shen Zou joined the summer cohort to teach classes on Popular Culture, Media/Tech, and Politics in China, allowing Puerto Rican students to explore complex political discourses, especially around health issues. He states in an Program Participant Spotlight interview, "We should enable students to grapple with the complex politics in the construction of discourses around health issues, and the meanings people assign to these issues. That is what I encourage the teachers and educators in Puerto Rico to do when they introduce health topics into their classrooms." The partnership also offers unique funding opportunities for educators to conduct their own research, which was then presented to students at UPR. Some studies included Chelle Jones on South Korean Sex Trade Law, William Tomson on Domestic Migration in China and the US, and Swarnim Khare on Teaching the Caste System in India, showcasing a diverse range of interdisciplinary topics.
UPR has also actively participated in events such as Camino Fiesa 2022 , which was a series of virtual conferences, meetings and workshops held during the first week of November 2021, aimed at promoting the internalization of higher education and create academic dialogue between different institution from different countries. The event served as a precursor to the Feria Internacional de Educación Superior Argentina (FIESA) 2022, which took place from November 15th to 18th in 2022. UPR participated in collaboration with other universities to discuss programs and research with attendees from India, South Africa and the Caribbean. UPR also participates in the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), providing opportunities for students interested in studying in China, Malaysia, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Tawain, Thailand and Japan.
Moreover, the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Metropolitano, has established exchange programs with institutions such as the World University of Bangladesh and Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. These exchanges provide students according to the University with “valuable academic opportunities and broaden their learning experiences”, further reinforcing the importance of international collaboration in Puerto Rican higher education.
The Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (USC) in Puerto Rico has also established exchange programs with several leading institutions in China, such as Beijing Communication University of China (BCUC), Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), Nanchang Jiangxi University of Finance & Economics (JUFE) and Sharda University in India. These collaborations also allow students from BCUC, BLCU, and JUFE to also study at USC, further enriching the academic and cultural dialogue between the institutions.
The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), a US Department of State program, offers scholarships for overseas and virtual language study, helping American youth develop linguistic and cultural skills. One prominent NSLI-Y alum is Harold Peón Castro, a Puerto Rican student who participated in the NSLI-Y Chinese programs during the 2018 Summer and the 2020-2021 Academic Year, studying in Xi’an, China, and Taiwan. Reflecting on his experiences, Harold shared to the NSLI-Y team, “Regardless of international affairs and historical precedents, living abroad shows us we are way more similar to people from other nations than what we imagine. It fosters global cooperation, increases cultural awareness and understanding, and exposes us to new ways of looking at the world.” In 2022, Harold was awarded the Critical Language Scholarship and returned to Taiwan for a summer, continuing to build on his language skills and deepen his cultural understanding.
Although Puerto Rico is a small island, it is home to many bright minds eager to engage with the Indo-Pacific region for a variety of reasons. The educational collaborations between Puerto Rico and the Indo-Pacific offer significant benefits not only for Puerto Rican students but also for those from the Indo-Pacific. These exchanges create opportunities to share histories and cultures, allowing for deeper understanding and connections. The mutual benefits of these interactions are vast, and the potential for long-lasting impact on both regions is immense. Through continued collaboration, these partnerships will help shape a more globally connected and culturally aware future. Hopefully, through these continued collaborations, increased research in sustainable fields, health, and humanitarian work will develop, benefiting both regions for years to come.
Samantha Garcia participates in the Young Professionals Program at the East-West Center in Washington, DC. She is also a student at Ewha Womens University, acquiring her M.A. in Development Cooperation with concentrations in East Asia and Womens Studies.