The Diplomat
The Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) and the European Commission have signed a collaboration agreement to strengthen science and technology in Ibero-America with a view to mitigating the consequences of COVID-19 and tackling climate change in the region.
The agreement, signed last December by the secretary general of the OEI, Mariano Jabonero, and the director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA), Jolita Butckvicienne, will allow the design and implementation of the Program for the Strengthening of Science and Technology Systems (FORCYT Program) within the EU’s regional instrument Facility for Development in Transition, as reported by the OEI last week.
The FORCYT program, co-financed by both organizations, aims to strengthen the statistical production systems of regional government institutions, especially in R&D, as well as to increase international cooperation of Latin American researchers with their European peers. “The ultimate goal is to improve and enhance the impact of scientific knowledge generated in Latin American and Caribbean countries on the economy and society with a view to mitigating the consequences of COVID-19 or other emergencies such as that posed by climate change“, said the Madrid-based OEI.
During its implementation phase, the program will also involve important European services and agencies recognized for their expertise in the scientific field, such as EUROSTAT, the Joint Research Center (JCR) and the Directorate General for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (DG RTD).
Over the last decade, the European Union has co-funded numerous programs led by the OEI. In 2014, the OEI received EU accreditation for the implementation of delegated cooperation projects. Through this accreditation, since 2017 the OEI has been supporting the EU and the Paraguayan Ministry of Education in the reform of the education sector, especially in the area of vocational training and the national system of technical-professional qualifications. Also noteworthy is the public diplomacy program EU Policies and Partnership in South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay, as well as the Noche Iberoamericana de l@s investigador@s (Ibero-American Researchers’ Night), within the framework of the European project for scientific dissemination and support for researchers’ careers.
