All ADEC Meeting at Minneapolis

1. All ADEC Meeting at Minneapolis Draft proposal for consideration Partnership for the Development and Utilization of Distance Education in Latin America to Foster Agricultural Innovation, Competitiveness and Sustainable Development Minneapolis, April 2008

2. Overview • Shorter version of last year’s presentation • This time we aim at: • Having All ADEC support of this initiative • Establishing a petite committee to have this proposal funded in the shortest time possible, integrated by: 2 US-ADEC members 2 LA-ADEC members Note: an advanced version of the full proposal has been already written

3. Introduction Let us quickly remember some of the World Bank objectives for the developing countries in the next couple of decades, shared by LA-ADEC members: • Reduction of poverty • Food safety and security • Rural education • Mikcrobusiness development (banking for the poor!!!) • Watershed management (insure water quality for future generations)

4. Can distance education provide an effective way for helping achieve such objectives in our region of influence? • Conventional attemps have resulted in a large divide between existing worldwide information and that utilized by producers and professionals from emerging economies • Prohibitive costs of traditional training and higher education programs • Historic opportunity: technologies are improving and costs are coming down – emerging digital culture • Dell and HP just announced $300 fully internet capable laptops, coming down during II semester of 2008 • Growing need among professionals for life-long learning • And thus we strongly believe that “It is now or never…”

5. Reasons for the Partnership • Members are convinced that networking together, we will better respond to the vast information needs in LAC, including our own • Each member has experiences and strengths to contribute to this Partnership • All members are committed to agriculture and sustainable rural development – years devoted to these tasks • All aspire to reaching a larger group of beneficiaries

6. Members of the Partnership • ADEC – needs no introduction • Zamorano – Leading agricultural university in the Region, devoting much effort to Distance Education – creation of distance education center • UCR – Leading university in Costa Rica and the Region, strong program in agriculture, commitment to distance education

7. Members of the Partnership • IICA – Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture, hemispheric international organization devoted to agriculture and rural sustainable development, policy issues • CATIE – Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, first Graduate School in tropical agriculture in LAC, dynamic research program, regional presence • EARTH – Soon to be included • AMEAS- 60 Ag Institutions from Mexico planning to join later on

8. Objectives of the Program • General Objective • To enhance capacity and utilization of distance education and training… to foster agricultural innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development in Latin America… through the productive collaboration of a partnership of institutions devoted to education and technical cooperation.

9. Specific Objectives (S. O.) (S. O.) 1. Strengthening institutional capacities Strengthen the capacities of the participants in the Partnership… to develop and deliver distance education and training in Latin America.

10. Specific Objectives (S. O.) 2. Mechanisms for promotion and delivery Creation of cooperative mechanisms… to promote and deliver distance education and training in Latin America.

11. Specific Objectives (S. O.) 3. Development of products and services Cooperative development and exchange of high quality, distance learning products and services.

12. Specific Objectives Specific Objective 4. Regional program implementation Increased utilization of distance education products and services… in the education and training programs of partner institutions.

13. Program organization Program Headquarters and offices • Central offices of IICA, specifically CECADI under the directorate of Technical Leadership and Knowledge Management. • Program will also be managed by each partner institution  • National offices of IICA (34 countries) and CATIE (seven countries) will play an important role: promotion of distance education courses, identification local trainers, link to graduates

14. Ever heard the saying?: Petting (killing not ecologically acceptable anymore) two birds with a single stone hand…

15. How about petting the whole flock!!!

16. IICA offices • Northern Region: • Canada – Mexico – USA (Washington D. C. & Miami) • Central Region: • Belice – Costa Rica – El Salvador – Guatemala – Honduras – Nicaragua - Panama • Andean Region: • Bolivia – Colombia – Ecuador – Perú - Venezuela • Southern Region: • Argentina – Brasil – Chile – Paraguay - Uruguay

17. IICA offices • Caribbean Region: • Antigua & Barbuda • Bahamas • Barbados • Dominica • Granada • Guyana • Haiti • Jamaica • The Dominican Republic • Santa Lucía • San Cristobal & Nieves • Saint Vincent and The • Granadines • Surinam • Trinidad & Tobago

18. We are glad to entertain questions, comments and accept suggestions Thanks…