EFE/GFR Strategic partnership for events in Puerto Rico!
San Juan, Puerto Rico May 16 (EFE).-
The Spanish news agency EFE and GFR Media announced Friday that they have reached a strategic partnership to organize events in Puerto Rico, beginning with an Educational Tourism Forum on May 21 at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino in San Juan.
“The goal of this partnership is to bring specialized knowledge to high-level discussions that foster innovation and education for current and future generations, exploring new policies and global partnerships to support the development of inclusive and sustainable tourism, while also addressing the skills gap and creating value-added jobs,” said Miguel Ángel Oliver, president of EFE.
The event, scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. local time (13:00–18:00 GMT), will focus on the challenges and opportunities related to student housing in the Caribbean island, pending technological innovation projects in local universities, and the legal status of international students in Puerto Rico. It will also address key factors to encourage foreign students to pursue their studies on the island.
According to Oliver, “The most pressing challenges are the high turnover rate of tourism-sector workers compared to other economic sectors and the lack of tourism as a subject in many education systems — two critical issues to examine, since the global tourism workforce is largely made up of young people, many of whom lack training or additional qualifications.”
“EFE, as a public service news agency, aims to help bridge the knowledge gap by enabling students to gain insight into all aspects of the tourism sector and make informed decisions about their future,” Oliver emphasized.
Yalixa Rivera, editor-in-chief of GFR Media, noted that the partnership stems from their mission to contribute to public discourse with high-value content for their audiences.
“Thus, at El Nuevo Día, we are joining the international news agency EFE to launch the new cycle of the El Nuevo Día Speaker Series – International Edition,” Rivera explained.
In her view, “With this first forum, we aim to open the dialogue and lay the foundation to position Puerto Rico as an attractive destination for international university students who aspire to develop a professional career they can pursue both in their home countries and in the United States.”
To that end, two main discussion topics are planned. The first, titled “Puerto Rico as an epicenter for educational tourism: challenges and opportunities to boost economic growth,” will feature panelists including Janid Ortiz from Discover Puerto Rico; Gustavo Vélez, president of Inteligencia Económica; David Bernier, former secretary of the Department of State; Carlos Ríos, deputy director of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce; and Jorge Martel, vice president of T-Mobile Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, a session under the theme “The island as a classroom: universities present their academic offerings and Puerto Rico’s natural and historical resources as a unique value proposition” will include speakers Rafael Ramírez, president of Inter-American University; Javier Carrión, head of international affairs at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR); Rafael F. Nadal, vice president of international affairs at Ana G. Méndez University (UAGM); Gladys Nieves, president of EDP University; and Javier Hernández, dean of the School of Arts, Design, and Creative Industries at the University of the Sacred Heart.
In this context, Rivera emphasized that GFR Media recognizes “the transformative impact” this initiative could have on university enrollment and on the economy of the communities where educational institutions are located.
“There are many opportunities, but also significant challenges. We thank the professionals, academics, and experts from various sectors and disciplines who have joined this initiative,” Rivera said.
The international presentation will be delivered by Francisco Millán, chief economic and commercial counselor at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Puerto Rico.
“This forum marks the beginning of a series of three gatherings we will hold this year with EFE, with more details to be announced soon,” Rivera concluded.
EFE is the world’s leading Spanish-language multimedia news agency, recognized by the European Union as a service of general economic interest. It maintains a powerful global network of journalists representing 60 nationalities and is present in 180 cities across 110 countries. The agency distributes 3 million news items annually to more than 2,000 clients, including media outlets, institutions, and companies.
GFR Media, founded in 2011, is a Puerto Rican media and communications company that operates a wide range of digital and print platforms, including the newspapers El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora, as well as several regional and digital outlets throughout Puerto Rico. EFE ea/sms/gad/jrh
