InteRDom to Host More than 50 International Educators at 26th Annual AAPLAC Conference

The 26th Annual Conference of the Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (AAPLAC) will be hosted by Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) through their InteRDom program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from February 18 through 21, 2015.

More than 50 educators representing programs in Latin America, as well as North American higher educational
institutions, will come together in Santo Domingo to discuss best practices in international education and other topics related to the conference theme “Preparing Today’s Students to Uncover Local Realities in Latin America and the Caribbean.”  This is the first time that the conference will be hosted in Santo Domingo; it was hosted in Dominican Republic only once before more than ten years ago in the city of Santiago.

Dominican
universities will be showcased in the conference, and new partnerships between Dominican and other international institutions encouraged.  The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) and Instituto Dominico-Americano will all sponsor events and host sessions on their campuses.

The AAPLAC Conference is unique in that it brings together a
diversity of parties involved in international exchange—study abroad and international programs personnel from U.S. universities, local program coordinators in Latin American countries, U.S. faculty leaders of short programs in Latin America and representatives from Latin American host universities.  The participants share challenges, successes and strategies to improve the quality of study abroad programs in Latin America, and make provocative presentations designed to challenge
stereotypes and improve upon the training and experience that both students and local communities receive.

The Conference will open on Wednesday evening, February 18th at 6 p.m. in Funglode with keynote addresses by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ligia Amada Melo Vda de Cardona and the rector of the Instituto Global de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Sociales (IGlobal), Dr. Marcos Villaman.  This event is free and open to all who are interested
in attending.

Additional activities on the agenda include: a tour of the historic Colonial Zone, a workshop on the Dominican Carnival celebrations by renowned Carnaval expert and former Carnaval king Dagoberto Tejeda, and a visit to the ruins of the Boca de Nigua sugar plantations.

InteRDom, an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), is the premier internship, research
and academic study program in the Dominican Republic. It offers international students the opportunity to research important topics at the forefront of the United Nations agenda, obtain professional experience by interning with Dominican organizations and businesses related to their fields of study and/or earn academic credits by taking courses and seminars at a local university.