EAN University’s ‘Scholarships for Colombia’ Program to Expand Access to Higher Education in Quindío
Representatives from the Government of Quindío met with Brigitte Baptiste, rector of EAN University, to discuss the national initiative ‘Scholarships for Colombia.’ The program aims to broaden access to higher education by offering full undergraduate scholarships for virtual studies across all 32 departments of Colombia.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
The meeting, which included Amanda Tangarife Correa, the governor in charge of Quindío, Tatiana Hernández Mejía, the Secretary of Education, and Juan David Villamil Ocampo, from the Ministry of Tourism, focused on the scope of the educational strategy and its potential to strengthen training opportunities for young people and adults in the region.
Program Details
According to Baptiste, the ‘Scholarships for Colombia’ program is designed for individuals leading productive projects or sustainable ventures in their communities. “We are very happy to be here in the Government presenting our ‘Scholarships for Colombia’ program, an initiative aimed at attracting talents who are working in sustainable ventures, so that they can choose a virtual career that would be developed in the next four or four and a half years, depending on the selected program, and that supports their training process,” Baptiste stated.
Applicants must be of legal age and have an existing productive project within their department. Currently enrolled students are not eligible. “We seek them to be a person of legal age, who has a productive project to develop within their department and who is not studying at another institution at this time,” Baptiste added.
Timeline and Platform
The national call for applications will open on March 23, 2026, with classes scheduled to start in July 2026. The program will be delivered through the Ean Virtual platform, accessible throughout Colombia. Beneficiaries will be selected based on the strength of their sustainable initiatives and ventures, which should contribute to the social, economic, and environmental development of their territories.
Government Support
The Government of Quindío emphasized its commitment to expanding training opportunities for residents through collaborations with higher education institutions like EAN University.
About Brigitte Baptiste
Brigitte Baptiste is the rector of EAN University. She is an ecologist and has been recognized for her work in conservation, including research on the Quindío wax palm as highlighted by the BBC’s 100 Women list in 2024. She likewise has a background in scholarship from Universidad Javeriana according to her CV and has been involved in conservation projects in Quindío, Colombia as detailed in her IPBES profile.