The 2021 Global Professional Training: Latin America took place virtually throughout March and April. The symposium included three alumni career panels followed by a one-day seminar on April 10 to further your knowledge of Latin America and provide you with resources for seeking careers engaged with the region.
The symposium included:
Upon completion, students received an official certificate documenting your acquisition of cross-cultural professional skills and knowledge of the region.
We look forward to offering more GPT Latin America opportunities in the future.
GPT Latin America programming is supported in part by LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections through a U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center grant.
“After the professional training sessions, I have a wider view towards my future and career because many of the presenters emphasized that they went through the paths they didn’t even imagine taking. GPT helped me learn where and how to find an internship or job opportunity related to Latin America.”
Ayumi Uchiyama, B.A. ’21 Latin American Studies, GPT 2020 Virtual Forum Attendee
Established in 2017 as GPT Mexico, the conference evolved to broadly focus on Latin America with the goal of developing students' cross-cultural professional skills, building a globally minded student network and celebrating cultures across the region. This internationally-focused experience is designed for students interested in pursuing international careers, especially in Latin America. Students participate in specialized dialogues about the region and develop marketable professional skills while exploring Latin America-related careers and relevant UT courses and programs.
The goal of the conference is for students to gain:
GPT is a beneficial event to attend because not only do you expand your knowledge of the different opportunities, you build professional connections that can open many doors in the future, and meet like-minded individuals who you feel an instant bond with.Shalom Hernandez, B.S. '18 Applied Learning and Development , GPT 2018 Attendee
The 2020 Global Professional Training: Latin America took place as a four-week virtual forum. More than 250 students participated, expanding their networks to include more globally-minded students and industry professionals while increasing their expertise and knowledge of a critical world region.
Scholarly advising provided by the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS). Special thanks to our distinguished speakers during the 2020 GPT Latin America Virtual Forum:
| Dr. Sonia Feigenbaum, Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement & Chief International Officer, UT Austin |
| Juan Carlos Sosa, Vice Minister for International Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Republic of Panama |
|
Ben Ramirez, Vice President & Executive Director, Center for International Trade, World Affairs Council of Austin |
|
Cam Houser, CEO, Actionworks |
| Ian Brown, Foreign Service Officer, US Dept. of State (Brazil) |
| Saul Castelar, Vice-Minister for Transportation, Ministry of Public Works & Transportation, Republic of El Salvador |
| Daniela da Silva, Program Officer, Open Society Foundations (Brazil) |
| Adriana Aguilar, Founder, Yuxtem (Guatemala) |
| Donny Holaschutz, Energy & Sustainability Consultant, inodú (Chile) |
| Sean McKaughan, Chairman of the Board, Fundación Aviana (Brazil) |
| Dylan Baddour, Freelance Journalist (Colombia) |
| Dr. Nicolás Emilfork Lecturer of Guitar & Chamber Music, Universidad de Chile and Artistic Director, Fundación Guitarra Viva Ernesto Quezada |
| Leslie Mazoch, Senior Photo Editor – Latin America & Caribbean, Associated Press (Mexico) |
| Dr. Virginia Garrard, Director, LLILAS & Professor, Dept. of History |
| Dr. Kenneth Greene, Associate Professor, Dept. of Government |
| Dr. Raul Madrid, Professor, Dept. of Government |
| Dr. Victoria Rodriguez, Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs |
| Dr. Laura Gutierrez, Associate Professor, Dept. of Mexican-America & Latina/o Studies |
| Dr. Gregory Knapp, Associate Professor, Dept. of Geography & the Environment and Director, Sustainability Studies |
| Dr. Jacob Dizard, Postdoctoral Fellow, Central America/Mexico Policy Initiative, Robert Strauss Center |
By attending this conference, I made personal connections with like-minded global citizens and learned more about pursuing career goals.Kristen Schmorleitz, B.A. '17 International Relations and Global Studies, GPT Mexico 2018 Attendee
GPT is organized by Global Customized Programs within Texas Global and is supported by academic departments across campus including the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS).
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to contract us to implement a similar program, please write to us at gpt@austin.utexas.edu.