SOCIAL IMPACT
More than movement The programme’s overall approach also aligns with Centrum PUCP’s strategic positioning on the global stage across the following three key dimensions: • Pedagogical innovation: applied, results-oriented consulting projects represent a new take on traditional courses focused on international mobility • Global awareness: changing mindsets by engaging with Global South challenges and addressing social and environmental dilemmas from the field • Tangible impact: a focus on ensuring that each cohort leaves behind strengthened capacities, transferable proposals and feasible improvements for participating organisations Centrum’s Summer Programme offers an operational response to one of the most pressing dilemmas facing business schools today. Namely, how to preserve the benefits of mobility – intercultural competence, networks and experiential learning – while responding to contemporary demands for sustainability, legitimacy and contribution to the public good. Here, internationalisation is no longer measured by movement alone, but also by capacities developed and verifiable results generated with and for the surrounding community. At a time when many institutions are seeking to develop business leaders who can act as agents of change in society, the Summer Programme: Mobility for Positive Impact offers a sustainable and purpose- driven model of global learning.
A distinctive feature of the model is the incorporation of Peruvian students as local facilitators within each team. Their contribution is substantial as they facilitate cultural interpretation, contextualise evidence and connect participants with key stakeholders. They also strengthen the relevance, feasibility and ethical grounding of a team’s proposed solutions, while reducing the risk of international teams formulating ‘imported’ approaches that are disconnected from local realities. The model also provides continuity, enabling relationships with partner organisations and project follow-ups to continue through the local consultants once the international cohort has returned home. This greatly strengthens the sustainability of the student projects’ impact. Partners in positive impact In July 2025, the first edition brought together 13 international students and four Peruvian students in Lima to work collaboratively on five challenges linked to organisations including the international nonprofits, TECHO, World Vision and Casa Ronald McDonald, as well as Peruvian circular economy startup EsBueno. Each team’s challenge was co-designed with their host organisation, in alignment with the programme’s broader focus on sustainability, leadership and positive impact. For the inaugural Summer Programme, Centrum PUCP also introduced the Eco-lution Challenge, a campus-based initiative aimed at developing sustainable solutions for the school environment. Here, the winning proposal – to install solar panels on the roofs of the campus parking areas – illustrates the programme’s emphasis on practical, locally grounded and implementation-oriented solutions. Although the programme is open to students from all universities, the first cohort of international participants came from institutions with which Centrum PUCP maintains collaborative relationships, including Universidad Privada Boliviana in Bolivia, Universidad de La Sabana in Colombia, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, ITESO – Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara in Mexico and Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria. This year, the programme expects to welcome around 20 students from across the world for its second edition. Participation fees have been differentiated by region and complemented by early-bird rates and group pricing, reflecting a deliberate commitment to accessibility and international inclusion. The goal is to keep costs comparatively affordable in relation to traditional mobility formats, thereby widening participation and creating opportunities for students who may not otherwise be able to access an international learning experience.
Fernanda Falcone Pino is a specialist in higher education internationalisation and led the development of the summer programme entitled, Mobility for Positive Impact at Centrum PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Business Impact • ISSUE 3 • 2026
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