PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Every year since 2010 Brown University has hosted a visiting group of Botín Foundation scholars — undergraduates from Latin America who have a vocation in public service. Thirty-two undergraduates from 14 Latin American countries will arrive at Brown Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, to participate in this year’s Botín Foundation Program for Strengthening Public Service in Latin America.

The Botín scholars will spend one week at Brown before traveling to Spain and Brazil for the remainder of the two-month program. While at Brown, they will take part in activities focused on public service engagement and leadership — workshops, trainings, and lectures by Brown faculty, former President of Chile Ricardo Lagos, and other experts on Latin America. The scholars will also have the opportunity to speak with Rhode Island public officials and participate in various cultural activities in Providence.

The program is organized by the Botín Foundation, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, and Brown University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

“The Botín Program extends Brown’s global reach by bringing to campus talented Latin American students with a passion for public service,” said Richard Snyder, professor of political science and director of Latin American and Caribbean studies at Brown. “With more than 200 alumni across Latin America and the Caribbean, the network of Botín scholars forms an important part of the international Brown community. The Botín scholars’ enthusiasm for advancing the public good is infectious, and they engage our students and faculty with their keen insights about the pressing challenges facing Latin America and the world today.”