DSU's Afro-Colombian Expo will take place from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5. (Delaware State University Facebook)

October Expo will connect DSU, Colombia

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

DSU's Afro-Colombian Expo will take place from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5. (Delaware State University Facebook)

DSU’s Afro-Colombian Expo will take place from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5. (Delaware State University Facebook)

Delaware State University students, faculty and staff will have a chance to attend a three-day event in Cartagena that examines the role Afro-Colombians have had on the world.

The goal is to create more education opportunities for DSU students to study abroad.

The October event is being coordinated by DSU’s Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights.

Dr. Sonel Shropshire, the institute’s associate vice president, said the program also will help students and others work in think-tanks and other organizations that focus on social justice, culture, agriculture and business. 

“We really want to paint a wide swath here to make sure that our students have the ability to connect with an outside entity to gain more knowledge about the things that would make them not only better students, but also better graduates in the real-world,” he said.

DSU’s Expo, which will be held Oct. 3 to Oct. 5 in Cartagena, Colombia, but details have not been firmed up. 

A small portion may take place at DSU’s Dover campus with some virtual sessions may be hosted by DSU, Shropshire said.

Cartagena Mayor William Jorge Dau Chamat described the Expo as part of the city’s Internationalization Plan, a press release said.

 That plan is designed to share Cartagena’s ethnic and racial wealth and highlighting Afro-

Colombians’ contributions to the city’s cultural, social and political traditions.

Shropshire said the partnership highlights the growth and global impact of DSU.

“They were very impressed with our infrastructure since we have a president here that is very active and committed to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Shropshire said. “People see that Delaware State is growing, not only in number, but we’re also growing in influence.”

Now ranked the nation’s No. 2 public HBCU by U.S. World and News Report, DSU had a record-setting fall enrollment of 6,200 students.

Participants will include influential Afro-Colombians, continental Africans, Afro descendants, experts of HBCUs, U.S. congressmen and 42 organizations.

A final itinerary for the event will be published by the end of February, Shropshire said.

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