Brigitte Baptiste: Leading the Sustainable Revolution in Education and Tourism

Under Brigitte Baptiste’s leadership, Universidad EAN has become a benchmark in sustainable higher education in Colombia by merging innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental responsibility. It prepares leaders to face global and local challenges through projects that benefit communities and ecosystems. In this Tierra Querida interview, Baptiste discusses the Sustainable Tourism program, which transforms the tourism industry into a driver of well-being, profitability, and social impact without compromising environmental preservation.

TQ: Universidad EAN has been a pioneer in sustainable development and the circular economy. How do you see the institution’s future?

Brigitte Baptiste: Sustainability goes beyond theory; it means innovating with purpose. Our sustainable entrepreneurship creates well-being and promotes a regenerative agenda that fosters creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit throughout the university.

TQ: How are you innovating in teaching methodologies and linking with the productive sector?

Brigitte Baptiste: We collaborate with companies, governments, and social organizations through project-based challenges led by professors. We offer microcredentials and coterminal programs that strengthen our community’s entrepreneurial DNA.

TQ: What motivated the creation of the Sustainable Tourism program and what sets it apart?

Brigitte Baptiste: Colombia has great tourism potential during peaceful times and amid growing biodiversity awareness. Our program validates empirical knowledge and promotes activities such as birdwatching tourism and MICE tourism, with a careful approach that preserves the environment.

TQ: How is field learning integrated with local communities and biodiversity conservation?

Brigitte Baptiste: We value local experience as the foundation for certified competencies and acknowledge ancestral knowledge to prepare students to manage destinations sustainably, thereby boosting regional development.

TQ: What message would you give to young people interested in sustainable tourism?

Brigitte Baptiste: Colombia can achieve responsible and profitable tourism that respects biodiversity and cultures. Sustainable tourism, founded on science and environmental respect, is a source of well-being and prosperity.