UPS students Madison Eduardo Herrera and Juan Fransisco Morales, both majoring in environmental engineering in the university's branch campus in Quito, are two of the twenty Ecuadorian students who will take part in the 2017 Climate Change Model that will take place in Bogotá, Colombia from November 2nd – 5th.

This event is being organized by the Hanns Seidel Foundation Ecuador along with Universidad San Fransisco de Quito and Corporación de Simulaciones Academicas, all of which aim at promoting debates and working on regional solutions in this field. 

Herrera and Morales participated in the selection process from February 27th to March 3rd. They had to take an exam and attend an interview; the first part of the exam was about topics related to climate change and in the second students were asked to write an essay about this issue.

The interview was graded according to general knowledge on the topic and on the United Nations (30%), creativity and improvisation (30%), capability to integrate a group and teamwork (40%). Before heading to Bogota they will attend two training sessions in April and August and will have simulation tests the first days of November.

Herrera thanked UPS for all the scientific and technical knowledge he has learnt, which were very useful in order to pass the exam. "I think this experience will help our professional education and will facilitate conversation on environmental topics". For Morales, this means they will be able to exchange knowledge with people who share their same ideals. Both students have been notable in environmental activism and participation in congresses, seminars, awareness campaigns and environmental education.

The students are from Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Universidad de las Américas, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamericana (Machala), Escuela Superior de Chimborazo and Universidad Casa Grande (Guayaquil).