Expanding educational opportunities in Science and Engineering - Mexico's pledge to the Americas

Students of the Americas wishing to pursue a master's or doctoral degree in science and engineering now have a new opportunity offered by the government of Mexico in cooperation with the OAS. On July 17, the Mexican National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) signed an agreement with the OAS-SEDI to provide 600 scholarships to promote innovation and competitiveness.

Governments in the region have repeatedly recognized the need for human resources training and education in these areas to effectively participate in today’s knowledge based society. Recent Ministerial policy dialogues (see OAS-SEDI-COMCYT) resulted in the Panama Action Plan 2012-2016, where authorities on Science and Technology called for “more and better prepared professionals and technical personnel in the field of science, engineering and technical fields for increased national and regional productivity and competitiveness.”

Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, applauded CONACYT and AMEXCID for their interest in "contributing to this important development effort for our people", adding that education and training "allows our countries to be more competitive and enables more people to aspire to a better quality of life". During 2012, the OAS provided more than 1,000 scholarships through its scholarship program and strategic alliances. This number is expected to grow in 2013.

Executive Director of AMEXCID, Juan Manuel Valle Pereña then noted that the focus of the cooperation is to expand educational opportunities in the Hemisphere and human capital development in Member States. “With this, Mexico reaffirms its commitment to the vision and principles of the OAS Democratic Charter, while laying new ground for regional development cooperation."

The socio-economic impact of investing in the development of human capital - particularly in science and technology - is observed in many emerging economies. Experience shows that as countries reach more advanced stages of development, competitiveness is increasingly driven by higher education and training. In line with this argument, in his remarks at the signing ceremony of the agreement, the Director General of CONACYT, Enrique Cabrero, emphasized that "the transition to a knowledge society and economy implies that capital, tradition and manual labor are replaced by ideas, knowledge and innovation." He added that "in this process the human capital component is essential, it is strategic."

Mexico’s offer of scholarships – one of the largest to date from a member State - is an example of how policy dialogue can lead to effective action with the support of member States and partners. Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OAS, Emilio Rabasa, emphasized his country's commitment to increase its presence in the OAS and added "I would like to call on member States, observer countries and all instances of the inter-American system to join efforts in programs like this one, in order to strengthen the OAS as an instrument of effective cooperation."

The CONACYT-OAS scholarships program is supported jointly by OAS-SEDI’s Department of Economic and Social Development and the Department of Human Development, Education and Employment. This illustrates the complementary and interlinked nature of one of the many challenges faced by our region and the Organization’s commitment to follow a coordinated approach.

The first call to apply for scholarships is open until October 25, 2013. Visit the OAS and CONACYT for additional information.

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