IICA and CONACYT establish a program of 100 scholarships for postgraduate studies in Mexico

Mexico City, September 27, 2011 (CONACYT/IICA). The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the National Science and Technology Board of Mexico (CONACYT) signed an agreement on September 27, 2011 to establish a scholarship program aimed at professionals from the agricultural sector in the hemisphere.

The agreement will allow 100 young professionals to do short-term, technical courses, specialist studies, masters or doctoral studies in high-quality programs in institutions within the National Science and Technology System of Mexico, in priority areas defined by the member countries of the Institute.

This program will offer at least 100 annual scholarships and remain in effect for three years, and may be extended for the same period of time. The program agreement was signed in Mexico City by Victor M. Villalobos, Director General of IICA, and his counterpart, Jose Enrique Villa Rivera, of CONACYT, in the company of the highest officials of the latter institution and Gino Buzzetti, IICA Representative to Mexico.

CONACYT is a decentralized state organization responsible for promoting and strengthening the scientific development and technological modernization of Mexico by training persons at the highest levels. It was created in 1970, and its vision for 2025 is that the country invest at least 2% of its gross national product in research and development.

IICA was founded 69 years ago to offer technical cooperation in agriculture within the hemisphere through its offices in 34 countries, and focuses all its efforts on achieving competitive, sustainable and inclusive agriculture.

According to the Director General of IICA “This is the most significant in-kind contribution received by IICA over the past few years and an excellent example of South-South Cooperation. It will represent about US$3 million per year.”

Mr. Villalobos explained that the agreement will be useful in developing technical capacities for fostering agricultural innovation, as defined in the strategic objectives of this specialized agency of the Inter-American System for the promotion of agriculture.

Jose Enrique Villa Rivera, Director of CONACYT, declared that “we are living in a new paradigm since, in the past, a rich country was the one with natural resources; however, what is important today is to have a knowledge-based economy that generates innovation, wealth and quality of life for its population.”

Achieving this knowledge-based economy is the objective of the agreement signed with IICA; in that respect, he added: “It is a way to internationalize our postgraduate courses, through greater Mexican presence in the countries of the region, with the strengthening of human capacities being the common thread.”

The scholarships to study in Mexico will consist in monthly financial support and health insurance for the professionals nominated by each IICA Member State, who will be selected by the Directorate of Technical Cooperation of the Institute and the Science Research Center of Yucatan (CICY), a CONACYT agency.

The objective of the agreement is to promote the development of and links between high-level professionals, in order to modernize the agricultural sector in the Americas.

For more information, contact: 
gino.buzzetti@iica.int
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