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Study Abroad in Oaxaca:
Northeastern University's Living Heritage Experience

PHOTO JOURNEY | Cultural Foundations of Sustainable Business: Oaxaca's Living Heritage

What can Oaxaca’s living cultural heritage teach us about building a more sustainable future? This question guided Cultural Foundations of Sustainable Business: Oaxaca’s Living Heritage, a 32-day faculty-led study abroad program in Mexico, developed by Campus b in partnership with Northeastern University and led by Professor Tomas Galguera.

Through this immersive study abroad experience in Oaxaca, students explored the intersections of cultural heritage, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Combining two courses—Understanding and Managing Cultural Differences and Problem Solving for a Sustainable Future—the program integrated cross-cultural learning, systems thinking, and hands-on fieldwork to examine how local businesses can generate economic, social, cultural, and environmental value.

In this photo journey, we highlight two experiences that brought these connections to life: a hands-on artisan workshop and an exploration of one of Oaxaca’s most significant archaeological sites.

Throughout the program, students engaged directly with cultural enterprises, including traditional mezcal producers, textile artisans, woodcarvers, and culinary entrepreneurs. Working with real sustainability challenges, they developed strategic recommendations based on their fieldwork, culminating in final presentations at Universidad Anáhuac Oaxaca, where local university students brought valuable perspectives to the discussion.

Designed around experiential learning and meaningful community engagement, this faculty-led program reflects Campus b’s approach to creating meaningful 

faculty-led study abroad programs in Latin America.

Interaction 1:

Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles

Traditional Art Meets Sustainable Entrepreneurship

In San Martín Tilcajete, students visited Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles, a renowned artisan workshop celebrated for its intricately carved and painted wooden figures, known as tonas and nahuales, associated with Oaxaca’s alebrije tradition.

Through a guided visit and hands-on painting workshop, students discovered how traditional craftsmanship can support cultural preservation, community development, and sustainable entrepreneurship. The workshop’s commitment to environmental stewardship, including initiatives to restore and protect the copal trees used in its creations, also offered a tangible example of the connection between cultural production and ecological responsibility.

This experience illustrated a central theme of the study abroad program: how businesses can create economic opportunities while preserving the knowledge, identities, and traditions that make them unique.

Interaction 2:

San Pablo Villa de Mitla Archaeological Site

The following day, students traveled to San Pablo Villa de Mitla, home to one of Mexico’s most remarkable archaeological sites and an important center of Zapotec civilization. Famous for its elaborate geometric stone mosaics and distinctive architecture, Mitla provided an opportunity to explore the historical and cultural foundations of Oaxaca’s living heritage.

As part of their cultural immersion in Mexico, students encountered the region’s pre-Hispanic history and reflected on the relationship between ancestral knowledge, contemporary cultural identity, and heritage preservation. Together, these experiences demonstrated how a faculty-led study abroad program can connect academic concepts with real places, people, and traditions, helping students understand sustainability not only as an environmental or economic challenge, but also as a cultural responsibility.

Known for its ancient civilizations,  Mexico offers a deep historical narrative that continues to shape its identity.

The country is a key player in global trade, manufacturing, and agriculture, boasting one of the 

largest economies in Latin America. Ready to start building your journey to Mexico?

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Written by:

Campus b Team

Photography by Zaid Esperón

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