A virtual signing ceremony of the MoU with the Paraguayan Ministry of Finance for the National Fellowship Program “Don Carlos Antonio López” (BECAL), took place on 29 June 2021.
With a view to providing scholarship opportunities for Paraguayan students to pursue postgraduate and other research programmes at the ICGEB, Dr. Lawrence Banks, ICGEB Director-General signed the agreement at ICGEB HQ in Trieste, Italy.
Chaired by Mr. Gabriel E. Pereira, BECAL Financial and Investment Technical Advisor, the ceremony was also attended by H.E. Mr. Roberto Carlos Melgarejo Palacios, Ambassador of Paraguay in Italy, and Mr. Federico Mora, BECAL General Coordinator, who expressed their delight at the budding collaboration, as well by as Ms. Marianna Maculan, ICGEB Chief, External Relations. Dr. Banks addressed the participants, welcoming the opportunities offered by the fellowship program and expressing his wish to meet the participants in person as soon as conditions allow; he then proceeded to apply his signature to the MoU.
The MoU aims to increase bilateral cooperation and strengthen ties between the ICGEB and the Republic of Paraguay in education, as well as to provide a framework for future joint course work and research postgraduate fellowship opportunities for students within the BECAL who attend the ICGEB.
The National Program of Scholarships Abroad for the Strengthening of Research, Innovation and Education in Paraguay “Don Carlos Antonio López”, has the general objective of increasing the generation and application of knowledge in the areas of Science and Technology and education through the improvement of Advanced Human Capital in these areas.
The Don Carlos Antonio López Program aims to increase the number of researchers with a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Science and Technology, as well as other areas of knowledge relevant to Paraguay’s development, and to increase the number of educators with a Master’s Degree in Education and with training in various fields. The scholarships are aimed at persons whose current and / or future plan is to do research, engage in teaching and / or technology transfer for development.
Paraguay first signed the ICGEB Statutes in 2002 and is currently pending full membership. Dr. Banks stated that the collaboration on the BECAL fellowship program would certainly contribute to furthering relations between Paraguay and the ICGEB, who is eager to welcome the new addition to the ICGEB family.
