Professor Brandon Schweitzer, an assistant professor of accounting in 亚洲博彩网站 Community College’s 业务计划, completed a 富布赖特专家 assignment in Medellín, Colombia, in fall 2024. Partnering with Mundo Organizacional at Uniremington’s School of Business, he focused on advancing research into environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and their financial impact on companies across the Pacific Alliance—a key Latin American trade bloc.
在访问期间，施韦策博士主持了研讨会，并与教师和学生密切合作，加深了他们对新兴市场可持续商业实践的理解。
I caught up with him to learn about his experiences and reflections—here’s what he shared.
PLJ：你作为富布赖特专家在哥伦比亚工作的总体经历是什么？
BS: 作为富布赖特专家，我在哥伦比亚的经历在专业和个人方面都给我带来了极大的收获。 它提供了一个有意义的跨文化交流的机会，与专门的教师和研究人员合作，并在拉丁美洲背景下推进对ESG（环境，社会和治理）实践的理解。 我在乌雷明顿的主人的热情好客和学生们的好奇心使这次经历特别有影响力。
PLJ：你能描述一些你在那里参与的具体项目或活动吗？
BS: While in Medellín, I led a research initiative titled “ESG Scores and Firm Performance in Pacific Alliance Companies.” 该项目涉及分析哥伦比亚、智利、墨西哥和秘鲁上市公司的ESG数据，以探索其与关键财务绩效指标的相关性。 I conducted workshops and training sessions—delivered in both English and Spanish—focused on ESG scoring methodologies, financial analysis and integrating sustainability metrics into corporate strategy. 我还与Mundo组织研究小组合作，为正在进行的esg相关研究制定了一个长期框架。
PLJ：你面临过哪些挑战？你是如何克服它们的？
BS: 主要挑战之一是该地区许多公司的ESG数据稀缺且不一致。 为了解决这个问题，我与研究团队密切合作，根据公开披露的信息和交叉引用多个数据源，调整了方法。 Language was another challenge—while I have conversational Spanish, I simplified presentation materials and speaker notes to ensure clarity and accessibility for all participants.
PLJ：有没有什么文化差异让你感到惊讶或者影响了你的作品？
BS: Yes—the strong sense of community and collaboration in the academic environment stood out. Faculty and students in Colombia often take a relational approach to learning, which influenced how I structured my workshops—placing greater emphasis on dialogue, shared case studies and group reflection. 这种方法提高了参与度，并重塑了我对创建包容性学习空间的看法。
PLJ：当地的教师和学生对你们的合作有什么反应？
BS: 反响非常积极。 教师们表达了对研究合作的热情，并对在富布赖特访问之后继续开展联合项目有浓厚的兴趣。 学生们高度参与了ESG研讨会，提出了深刻的问题，并将可持续发展与社区的经济发展联系起来。 It’s clear there is a growing appetite for ESG literacy in the region and I was honored to contribute.
PLJ：你认为你的工作对主办机构和社区有什么影响？
BS: The greatest impact was capacity-building—equipping faculty and students with tools and frameworks to assess ESG performance and its implications for financial sustainability. 通过与当地学者共同开发教材和研究模型，我帮助为未来适合地区背景的ESG研究奠定了基础。 几位教师计划将ESG概念纳入他们的商业和经济学课程。
PLJ：这次访问有什么正在进行的合作或项目吗？
BS: 是的。 I’m currently working with members of the Mundo Organizacional group to expand our ESG dataset and prepare findings for an academic journal. We’re also exploring a faculty exchange or virtual lecture series to continue collaboration between 亚洲博彩网站 and Uniremington.
PLJ：你的富布赖特专家之旅中最有意义的部分是什么？
BS: 最有意义的部分是见证了不熟悉ESG框架的学生们好奇心的火花。 Seeing them critically engaged with sustainability and finance—and considering how these ideas apply to their communities—was inspiring.
PLJ：你的富布赖特经历是否启发了亚洲博彩网站的新举措？
BS: 是的。 I’m developing a new study focused on ESG and sustainable business practices in the DMV area. 我还计划建立一个案例研究图书馆，介绍拉美公司面临的现实ESG挑战，以丰富课堂讨论和学生研究。
PLJ：你的富布赖特专家经历会影响你在亚洲博彩网站的教学或课程开发吗？
BS: 绝对的。 这次经历重申了全球视角在商业教育中的重要性。 I now integrate ESG analysis more intentionally across my accounting courses and encourage students to consider sustainability’s impact on corporate strategy and stakeholder value. It’s also influenced my curriculum design, emphasizing applied research, community engagement and cross-cultural understanding.