Talent Incubator Group (PST)

During the past fifteen years, the Talent Incubator Program (PST for its Spanish acronym) has provided support, free of charge and for a maximum of three years, to students who are in their final year of undergraduate studies, those who have graduated from their undergraduate program less than four years prior, or faculty with a record of academic excellence from all regions of Colombia, both public and private universities, in the search, preparation, and application to a master's or doctoral program in the world’s leading universities. 

Each year, talent is identified through three calls to participate. Its rigorous selection process is focused on the candidates’ academic excellence and leadership qualities. Additionally, it considers other criteria such as weighted grade point average, ranking in undergraduate studies, and other academic merits and achievements.

Currently, the PST has a total of 1,434 participants, 256 of whom form part of special groups, such as FDC-Proimágenes, Ecopetrol, Indumil, Universidad del Rosario, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Cotecmar, and the Universidad de Caldas. Of the total number of participants, 85% have participated in activities focused on achieving their objectives. 

COLFUTURO’s experience during these past 30 years of supporting Colombian professionals in undertaking graduate studies abroad has enabled us to identify the main reasons why many outstanding Colombians decide not to pursue graduate studies abroad. The principal obstacles are the lack of proficiency in a second language, the lack of knowledge on how to select a top-ranked university, and the false belief that it is impossible to finance the cost of studying and living outside Colombia.

The PST works directly to solve these problems by providing personalized guidance and counseling tools, including advisers, workshops, information sessions, ratings of graduate programs, essay reviews, and assistance with application requirements.

Additionally, the Talent Incubator Program has set out to strengthen key areas of study, such as Engineering, Health Sciences, Basic Sciences, Economics, Social Sciences, Education, Arts, and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

In the projects led by the program, it has provided support services, recommendations, implementation of best practices, revision of regulations, and application calls on behalf of our partners, among which the following stand out: Icetex, Funed, FWWB, Educafín, Sura, Proimágenes, Cotecmar, Indumil, Ecopetrol, Bancolombia, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad del Rosario, and Universidad Externado de Colombia. This support has enabled our partners to overcome conceptual and operational problems.