The Diplomat
The President of the Republic of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, received this week in his office in Buenos Aires the Secretary General of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), Mariano Jabonero, who came to the country to participate in the International Week of Science and Technology, organized by the Argentine Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation together with this international organization.
During the meeting, Jabonero confirmed the OEI’s decision to triple the funds it provides to the country to finance educational, productive, cultural and scientific development programs, for a total of 1,500,000,000 Argentine pesos (a little more than ten million euros). The Secretary General of the OEI also informed the Head of State of the proposal to hold an International Congress on Production, Work and Development in Argentina in 2023, with the participation of governments, trade unions and companies of the region.
After the meeting, Jabonero pointed out that “the OEI’s cooperation activity in the country is going to increase significantly on several fronts”, while thanking “the support of the Government because the office where we have more activity is in Argentina”. He also stressed the importance of linking science and technology with education, because currently “it is an innovative topic, which has great strength and that after the pandemic showed us that it is the most useful”. “At this moment the bet for science is the bet for welfare and for the future”, he concluded.
Alberto Fernández was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Santiago Cafiero, while the director of the Organization of Ibero-American States in Argentina, Luis Scasso, and the general director of the Secretary General’s Office, Martín Lorenzo, attended on behalf of the international organization.
The International Week of Science and Technology, which took place on October 19-20 in the Argentine capital, brought together authorities from 21 countries, representatives of UNESCO, IDB, CAF and CPLP, public and private research agencies and universities from different countries in the region. The objective of this meeting was to strengthen the links between researchers, scientific managers and policy makers and to make Ibero-American science a reliable partner in the public policy decision-making process.
