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USFQ Drives Development in Galápagos Through Education, Health and Community Impact

The Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), through its Galápagos campus, continues to strengthen its role as a key driver of sustainable development in the archipelago. By enhancing education, advancing scientific research, and implementing community engagement projects, the university is generating a direct and lasting impact on the quality of life of local residents. International Cultural Immersion in Galápagos One of USFQ’s main contributions in Galápagos lies in its commitment to holistic education through transformative experiences. In this context, the Host Family Program stands out as an international cultural immersion initiative that allows foreign students to integrate into the daily life of the local community. Each year, USFQ welcomes more than 1,000 international students, approximately 80% of whom visit Galápagos as part of their academic programs. Within this experience, a group of students participates in the Host Family Program, living with local families and engaging in meaningful cultural exchange. The program is exclusively designed for international students, reinforcing its intercultural nature. Key figures: This initiative strengthens ties between the university and the community, fostering intercultural understanding, respect for diversity, and meaningful human connections beyond the academic sphere. “For me, it is a source of pride to be part of the

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April 20, 2026

2025 Christmas Newsletter and Annual Impact Report

During this special season, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. We invite you to explore the news, insights, and achievements that reflect our collective efforts to strengthen conservation and promote sustainable development in the Galápagos Archipelago, a Natural World Heritage Site.

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December 13, 2025

In 2022, the Galapagos Science Center (GSC) and the broader UNC & USFQ Galapagos Initiative will celebrate its 10th Anniversary. We are proud to announce the World Summit on Island Sustainability scheduled to be held on June 26–30, 2022 at the Galapagos Science Center and the Community Convention Center on San Cristobal Island.

The content of the World Summit will be distributed globally through social media and results documented through papers published in a book written as part of the Galapagos Book Series by Springer Nature and edited by Steve Walsh (UNC) & Carlos Mena (USFQ) as well as Jill Stewart (UNC) and Juan Pablo Muñoz (GSC/USC). The book will be inclusive and accessible by the broader island community including scientists, managers, residents, tourists, and government and non-government organizations.

While the most obvious goal of organizing the World Summit on Island Sustainability is to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the GSC and the UNC-USFQ Galapagos Initiative, other goals will be addressed through special opportunities created as part of our operational planning of the World Summit.

For instance, we seek to elevate and highlight the Galapagos in the island conservation discourse, seeking to interact with other island networks in more obvious and conspicuous ways to benefit the Galapagos Islands, the UNC-USFQ Galapagos Initiative, and the world. We will seize the opportunity to further develop the I2N2 – International Islands Network-of-Networks. Further, we wish to highlight and emphasize multiple visions of a sustainable future for the Galapagos Islands and we cannot do this alone. Therefore, engaging the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, the Government Council of Galapagos, the Galapagos National Park, and local Galapagos authorities, including government and non-government organizations and local citizen groups, is imperative.

The Galapagos Science Center on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

Borrowing from Hawaii’s and Guam’s Green Growth Program and the Global Island Partnership, we wish to examine existing global programs that emphasize island sustainability and their incorporation into life, policies, and circumstances in the Galapagos Islands. We will also seek to enhance our connections with the institutional members of our International Galapagos Science Consortium and expand the Consortium through the recruitment of other member institutions. We will also work to benefit islands and their local communities by working with citizen groups as well as important NGOs who seek to improve the natural conditions in the Galapagos and diminish the impact of the human dimension on the future of Galapagos’ ecosystems.

Lastly, we will use the World Summit to benefit UNC & USFQ and our constituencies through a strong and vibrant communication plan about the World Summit, creating corporate relationships as sponsors, identifying funding goals through donors, and benefiting our study abroad program for student engagement in the Galapagos Islands. We plan to develop and issue a Galapagos Sustainability Communique after the World Summit that includes the vision and insights of all its participants for a sustainable Galapagos with applicability to global island settings.

We are eager to hear your perspective and have you join us at the World Summit on Island Sustainability!