Purdue Engineering to host Latin American academic leaders for inaugural LIDER program
This May, Purdue Engineering will welcome a select group of engineering academic leaders from across Latin America for the Leadership Institute for Developing Excellence in Research, Education and Administration (LIDER). Running May 17-20, the four-day program is designed to build lasting connections among top engineering institutions in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while equipping participants with practical leadership tools they can bring back to their home institutions.
"LIDER is an engagement platform which can help build future international partnerships that might advance our interests in line with our university's land grant mission and with Purdue Engineering's Vision 2030 to help advance our state and nation," said Arvind Raman, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering.
The program is designed and implemented by Purdue's Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships (GEPP) office to address the real challenges facing engineering institutions today. Sessions will cover engineering leadership, executive coaching, managing large-scale research ecosystems with federal and industry funding, fundraising strategies, novel degree development and emerging trends in AI and engineering education. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage directly with Purdue faculty and administrators who have navigated these challenges firsthand, giving them access to practical insight grounded in real experience at one of the nation's top engineering colleges.
Associate Dean for Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships Marisol Koslowski emphasized that the connections formed during the four days are just as valuable as the curriculum itself.
"Strengthening connections is essential for advancing institutional capacity, fostering global engagement and promoting shared innovation in engineering education," Koslowski said. "The goal of this initiative is to build a network of academic leaders from engineering institutions across Latin America who recognize and engage with Purdue as a strategic partner."
That network-building is central to what sets LIDER apart. Rather than a traditional conference or workshop, the program is structured to create the conditions for meaningful, ongoing relationships among participants. These are leaders who often face similar institutional pressures and challenges but rarely have the opportunity to learn from one another in a sustained, focused setting. LIDER creates that space intentionally, bringing together senior figures from across the region who can share perspectives, compare approaches, and build the kind of trust that leads to lasting collaboration.
Participants leave with more than new contacts. The program is designed to deliver practical, actionable strategies in areas ranging from improving leadership effectiveness to implementing new approaches in research administration and funding. These are tools participants can begin to apply as soon as they return home. Over the long term, the goal is for those strategies to translate into real institutional impact, supported by a robust cross-institutional network that continues to strengthen after the program ends.
To mark the occasion, the participants will receive a VIP experience at the Indianapolis 500, one of the world's most iconic sporting events and a fitting symbol of the drive and ambition that Purdue Engineering and its global partners share.
Purdue is uniquely positioned to host this kind of program. Purdue Engineering brings deep expertise across the areas Latin American institutions are most eager to develop, including building large-scale research centers, securing federal and industry partnerships, creating market-responsive academic programs and preparing students for a rapidly evolving global workforce. Participants gain not just knowledge but also direct access to the people and systems behind one of the nation's most influential engineering colleges.
For more information about LIDER or to register, visit engineering.purdue.edu/LIDER.