Next Lab Takes the Stage in Colombia – Students as the protagonists of Change

The conversation about the future of education doesn’t stop at the US border — and neither do we.

On Wednesday, October 1st, Jorge De Cossio, Senior Director of Technology at Arizona State University and a key voice within Next Lab, will take the stage at the Encuentro Internacional 2025 at Campus Universidad de La Sabana in Colombia.

His talk: “From the Next Lab to the Leaders of Tomorrow: Innovation and Leadership by the Hand of Students.”

What the talk is about

The premise is one we live every day at Next Lab: students aren’t the audience for innovation — they’re the authors of it.

Jorge will share how Next Lab has structured an environment where students build real tools, lead real projects, and develop the kind of applied experience that traditional coursework rarely creates on its own. The talk will explore what it means for an institution to genuinely place students at the center of AI and digital transformation — not as a talking point, but as an operating model.

For an audience of continuing education leaders from across Latin America, that framing lands differently than it might elsewhere. Continuing education has always been about meeting learners where they are. Jorge’s talk extends that idea: what if institutions also met students where their potential is?

The gathering itself

The Encuentro Internacional is no small stage. Organized by RECLA and hosted with the support of Universidad de Los Andes and Universidad de La Sabana, this is one of the region’s most significant annual gatherings for continuing education leadership — bringing together institutions and thinkers from across Latin America under the banner of Instituto FORUM: Gerencia y Gestión.

Being part of that conversation matters to us. ASU’s reach and mission are global, and Next Lab’s work — particularly our EdgeAI and student-led innovation model — speaks directly to questions that institutions across Latin America are grappling with right now.

Event details

📅 Wednesday, October 1st | 10:00 a.m. 📍 Campus Universidad de La Sabana, Colombia 🔗 Full agenda and registration: Encuentro Internacional 2025 →

If you’re attending the Encuentro, please find Jorge and introduce yourself. And if you’re working on questions of student-led innovation, digital equity, or AI in continuing education from anywhere in the region — we’d love to connect.

Next Lab is ASU’s applied AI and innovation lab, housed within ASU Enterprise Technology. We build tools, prototypes, and partnerships that advance AI equity, access, and education — locally and globally.