UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Executive Committee of Colombia-USA Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Alliance recently held meetings at University Park campus with faculty, students and administrators.

The alliance was founded in 2022 as a multidimensional partnership with founding members including: Penn State, the Stockholm Environment Institute – Latin America Center (SEI), and three Colombian universities: the National University of Colombia, Jorge Tadeo Lozano University and Javeriana University.

Faculty, students and researchers from the alliance and other Colombian organizations currently participate in different transdisciplinary projects in Colombia in the Departments of La Guajira, Magdalena and Cundinamarca, and on Isla Fuerte. All projects address critical research, education and community development issues related to water, energy and food security and the interconnections between these elements. The purpose of the meetings at Penn State was to identify additional areas and projects of common interest and to expand WEF Nexus collaborations between Penn State and Colombia.

Throughout the week, the members of the Alliance Executive Committee met with leaders from Penn State's Department of Nuclear Engineering, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Agriculture, and the Institutes for Energy and the Environment. Additionally, meetings were held with the Colombian Student Association and members of faculty members representing the Colombian scientific diaspora.

Siela Maximova, director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Penn State Global, and research professor of plant biotechnology, is the lead Penn State representative within the alliance and a member of Alliance Executive Committee.

According to Maximova, “The WEF Nexus framework addresses important issues related to sustainable development and climate resilience in Colombia and around the world, and the participation of Penn State and Colombian faculty and students is essential to reach any of the alliance goals. I believe that the projects should be faculty and students-driven and aiming to establish long‐term collaborations in Colombia and the Latin America and Caribbean regions.”

The key event of the visit was an informational and networking event held in Foster Auditorium on Wednesday morning. Researchers from the aliance gave presentations on their current projects in Colombia and made themselves available to meet afterwards. The event was attended by approximately 40 faculty and students from the natural and social sciences.

During the visit at Penn State, the executive committee of the alliance also held multiple internal meetings focused on strategic planning for the future of the alliance. After the Penn State visit, the executive committee traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with various government officials from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Inter-American Development Bank, USAID, and the Colombian Embassy. 

At the same time, in Colombia, the alliance announced its initial partnership with Amazon for support for the Chingaza Paramo project. The Chingaza Paramo, a nationally protected park and the most important Bogotá watershed, provides the water supply for over 20% of Colombia’s population. The alliance’s Chingaza Paramo project aims to improve future planning by considering various factors such as the effects of land use on the Paramo's ability to supply drinking water to the Bogotá River Basin. Read more about the new partnership here.

The vision for the alliance is to expand outside of Colombia and into other Latin American countries. Penn State also works with partners in Africa around WEF issues as part of its commitment to global impact, though these activities are not currently associated with Colombia-USA WEF Nexus Alliance.

“This alliance represents an ideal model to advance the development of regional collaborative networks that engage faculty, students, and staff from a wide range of disciplines in research, education, and outreach to address global challenges,” said Sabine Klahr, associate vice provost for Global, who oversees Penn State’s global partnership development.

For further information about the Colombia – USA WEF Nexus Alliance and its research initiatives or how to get involved, contact Julian Prieto, Colombia – USA WEF Nexus Alliance coordinator, at jjp6534@psu.edu.