International Education in the Americas

In Bogota this year a bi-annual conference on the internationalization of higher education is hosted and we use this as a good networking event with fellow educators from the region.

This afternoon we had several meetings with Canadian Trade Commissioners with the education portfolio based in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Panama, Mexico and Jamaica.

Colombia once again

Once more a (this time very short) visit to Colombia. I flew via Panama City with COPA Airlines to Cartagena where I was the guest for two nights of Derek and Carolina. Derek is a graduate from Niagara College with whom I stayed in touch over the years. He was in Bogota when I was there as well in 2013, trying his luck in this country. He did find luck in a variety of ways including marrying Carolina, a captain on the A320 planes of the national airline AVIANCA. They live right next to the airport in Cartagena with a nice view over the Atlantic Ocean.

Derek and I enjoyed a wonderful local fish lunch near his condo building (while Carolina was flying) and afterwards we walked around in the old city of Cartagena; sweet memories....

The ocean was very quiet and offered us a beautiful sunset in a bar on the old city wall where I have been watching several such sunsets during 2013. Also Mary and I enjoyed that together during one her visits to Colombia that year. The place was packed this time...

The old city is always such a delight to see with its traditional streets and houses. They should make the old city even more "car free" to have the visitors enjoy it even more.

And today - after the short stay in Cartagena - on again to the colder and rainy climate of Bogota for three days of meetings to introduce one of the new team members of Seneca International who will arrive her tonight. Tomorrow starting with a meeting at SENA where I worked all year in 2013.

Conference on developments in Africa

The past two days a few of us attended a small conference on economic developments in Africa and specifically in Nigeria. Several Canadian-Africa and Canadian-Nigeria business associations were the organizers of the conference hosted in the Radisson Hotel along the lake shore in downtown Toronto.

Last night the city lights were cool to see again + the moon over Lake Ontario was beautiful.....

There were interesting presentations from the Africa Development Bank and several business associations as well as the Nigerian and Canadian governments. During the afternoon discussion groups were organized around several industry sectors including the education & training sector.