Short-Term Programs

GAIAS offers tailor-made programs that can be designed to fit the specific needs of any group. These specialized courses generally last two to eight weeks and can be taught by either USFQ professors, by faculty from the interested institution in conjunction with USFQ, or by a combination of the two. Local experts from the Galapagos can also be included.

Tailor-made and semester programs may include educational field trips to the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS) in the Amazon jungle, USFQ's Riobamba campus (ISQ) for Andean Studies, Machalilla National Park on the coast of Ecuador, the equatorial divide at Mitad del Mundo, the snow-capped volcano Cotopaxi, indigenous markets, and many other sites of interest throughout Ecuador.

The Instituto Santiago de Quito, located in Riobamba , Chimborazo Province , invites students to experience a unique academic and cultural journey in the Andes blending academic experience and adventure travel in the authentic scenario of the Ecuadorian highlands. Riobamba and its surroundings offer an incredible diversity of activities, notably nature, culture and history, and many outdoor opportunities for everyone. For more information, contact Manuela Picq ( manuelap@usfq.edu.ec )

The Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), in conjunction with Boston University , established Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS) in 1994 to serve both the scientific community and the discerning nature enthusiasts. Surrounded by pristine tropical rainforest in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the Station offers a unique setting where science and adventure come together. TBS is located within a region noted for its extremely high biodiversity ( http://tiputini.usfq.edu.ec ).

Since January 2003, GAIAS has designed tailor-made programs for the following institutions:

Georgetown University, USA
City University of New York-Honors College, USA
Harvard Design School, USA
Grant Macewan College, Canada
University of Miami at Coral Gables, USA
Brethren Colleges Abroad, USA
Tec de Monterrey, Mexico
Palos Verde Highschool, USA
Hardy Tours Inc., Canada
Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador
University of Mississippi, USA
Virginia Tech, USA
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, USA
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Kalamazoo College, USA
University of Toronto, Canada
Oregon University System (OUS), USA
IES Abroad, USA

For more information regarding our short-term academic programs, please contact:

Marta Romo-Leroux, GAIAS Program Coordinator
gaias@usfq.edu.ec

Diego Quiroga, Ph.D, GAIAS Co-Director
diego@usfq.edu.ec

Carlos Valle, Ph.D, GAIAS Co-Director
carlosv@usfq.edu.ec