Brown Fellows Program

 

Brown Fellow International Travel

2009 Panama Trip

Academic, leadership, research, and cultural activities were included in the trip. The format followed in most cases included: a) a speaker on a specific topic; b) a site visit and/or a hands-on participatory activity; c) a reflective session led by the mentors and administrative personnel. Some of the enhancement activities exposed Brown Fellows to leadership aspects in such areas as engineering, business and banking, diplomacy, ecology and environmental issues, world free trade, cultural issues related to indigenous groups, health industry, tourism and hospitality industry, marine biology, coffee industry, horse industry, and immigration and investment. More specifically, Brown Fellows had the following opportunities:

  1. A visit to the Panama Canal locks and expansion areas.
  2. A one-day visit and exploration of Barro Colorado Island, where current ecological and environmental research is being conducted by world-wide scientists.
  3. A meeting with a representative of the International Banking System in Panama (more than 150 world banks currently operate in Panama under a number of national and international licenses), followed by a visit to several banks.
  4. A meeting at the Office of Cultural Affairs of the USA Embassy in Panama.
  5. A trip/visit to the Panama Duty Free Zone (located in the City of Colon). This trip, by train along the Panama Canal, exposed Brown Fellows to the free-trade and duty-free systems in the world, along with information and visit to the closest port where these activities take place on a daily basis.
  6. A leadership Outdoor Course at Gamboa, the area where American soldiers were trained for survival techniques when the Panama Canal was under USA jurisdiction.
  7. A trip to the western part of the country, where Brown Fellows: a) visited a coffee plantation and heard about exportation and international agreements with countries around the world; b) visited a horse farm and learned about the differences between horse industry in Panama and the rest of the world; and c) visited the areas where recent American immigration has mainly taken place in Panama.
  8. Cultural trips to learn about the tourism industry included: a visit to the Emberá indigenous community, the renovations of the old quarter in Panama City and the need to maintain its colonial outlook, including a stop at the Presidential Office.
  9. Since the construction industry has boomed in Panama, mainly due to foreign investments, the Brown Fellows had the opportunity to hear from a representative of that field and visit several sites where skyscrapers were being built.
  10. To learn about marine biology, a trip to the Las Perlas Archipelago occurred at the end of the two weeks. Brown Fellows traveled by boat to the main island, learned about the fishing industry in Panama, and had the opportunity to enjoy themselves at the beach.

Brown Fellow International Travel

2009 Panama Trip

Academic, leadership, research, and cultural activities were included in the trip. The format followed in most cases included: a) a speaker on a specific topic; b) a site visit and/or a hands-on participatory activity; c) a reflective session led by the mentors and administrative personnel. Some of the enhancement activities exposed Brown Fellows to leadership aspects in such areas as engineering, business and banking, diplomacy, ecology and environmental issues, world free trade, cultural issues related to indigenous groups, health industry, tourism and hospitality industry, marine biology, coffee industry, horse industry, and immigration and investment. More specifically, Brown Fellows had the following opportunities:

  1. A visit to the Panama Canal locks and expansion areas.
  2. A one-day visit and exploration of Barro Colorado Island, where current ecological and environmental research is being conducted by world-wide scientists.
  3. A meeting with a representative of the International Banking System in Panama (more than 150 world banks currently operate in Panama under a number of national and international licenses), followed by a visit to several banks.
  4. A meeting at the Office of Cultural Affairs of the USA Embassy in Panama.
  5. A trip/visit to the Panama Duty Free Zone (located in the City of Colon). This trip, by train along the Panama Canal, exposed Brown Fellows to the free-trade and duty-free systems in the world, along with information and visit to the closest port where these activities take place on a daily basis.
  6. A leadership Outdoor Course at Gamboa, the area where American soldiers were trained for survival techniques when the Panama Canal was under USA jurisdiction.
  7. A trip to the western part of the country, where Brown Fellows: a) visited a coffee plantation and heard about exportation and international agreements with countries around the world; b) visited a horse farm and learned about the differences between horse industry in Panama and the rest of the world; and c) visited the areas where recent American immigration has mainly taken place in Panama.
  8. Cultural trips to learn about the tourism industry included: a visit to the Emberá indigenous community, the renovations of the old quarter in Panama City and the need to maintain its colonial outlook, including a stop at the Presidential Office.
  9. Since the construction industry has boomed in Panama, mainly due to foreign investments, the Brown Fellows had the opportunity to hear from a representative of that field and visit several sites where skyscrapers were being built.
  10. To learn about marine biology, a trip to the Las Perlas Archipelago occurred at the end of the two weeks. Brown Fellows traveled by boat to the main island, learned about the fishing industry in Panama, and had the opportunity to enjoy themselves at the beach.