Latin America
Visit to Montevideo, Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Asuncion, Paraguay
Global Initiatives Program | Faculty Reports
October 6 and October 14, 2019.
Manoj K Shukla and Mario Allegri (ACES Alumni)
Montevideo, Uruguay: Oct 6 to 8, 2019
October 6: meeting at the hotel to discuss the agenda
October 7: Meetings in Uruguay
NMSU Alumni, Manual Arocena discussed how he came to know about NMSU and the program. He shared his experience at NMSU. The scholarship from Inter-American Development Bank made it possible for him to come to NMSU.
Lalanne, the Rector of LEACH. The school specializes in “Social Science and related area”. Rector is interested in an MOU and be partner on the human dimension aspects of teaching and research. He would be interested to host students from Aggie Go Global program also.
Meeting with Carlos Mermot and Fernando Lopez. Fernando Lopez is a farmer and Coordinator of FIDA Mercosur (FIDA/IFAD). HCarlose is a very well-known leader with different farmer organizations. He is the chair of Family farmer Organization of Uruguay, which is more than 100 years old. The average size of family farms varies from 10 to 500 ha. He is highly involved with MERCOSUR farmers. Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru are the partner countries of MERCOSUR. Carlos would like to visit ACES during his trip to Mexico.
- Participate in F2F program of USAID, and
- Organize a farmer to farmer web-meeting with Spanish speaking farmers of New Mexico.
- Challenges and interests identified by the farmers groups are climate change, natural resource availability and management, sustainable systems and productions.
Carlos Mermot, Coordinator of Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola (FIDA/IFAD), will coordinate the MOU with NMSU along with other Uruguay Universities. He also wants to talk directly to small farmers over Internet or in person.
Consejero de la Universidad Tecnológica (UTEC) is a new University formed about 7 years ago. We met with Rodolfo Silveira, Mato, and Rafael Alvariza- International relations Officer. UTEC, mostly STEM focused, provides bachelor’s degrees, and in the process of expansion. UTEC has an agreement with MIT and they aim to provide a laptop to every child through that program. UTEC has a program by which they can host foreign faculty to visit their campus to teach. Currently, a faculty member from University of Florida teaches a course at their campus.
- Host ACES faculty for teaching a COURSE. They can provide up to $3000 as travel support and would be happy to host an ACES faculty.
- Water Management could be a potential topic of teaching, and this and other courses can be taught online.
- Student/ faculty exchange, host students from AGG program.
Claudio Williman is the Director of Universidad de la Empresa (UDE), which is a small school and provides bachelors and MS degrees. They have previously hosted a Professor from NCSU in an exchange program with USAID.
- Claudio Is highly interested to sign an MOU with NMSU.
- Start training programs with ACES especially in Spanish- along with University Saint Carlos Paraguay.
- Collaborate with ACES for MS and PhD degree in Ag Business.
- UDE is organizing an International Conference on Ag Business next year in collaboration with University. San Carlos, others, and would like to include NMSU also. There are no financial obligations to join other than finding NMSU faculty to participate.
University de Montevideo (UM) is one of the best universities in Uruguay. Dr. Claudio Ruibal is the Dean of faculty of Engineering. UM has eight academic units, and five UG programs. Some of the arrangements that benefit both UM and NMSU include:
- Center of Excellence on Water and Joint activities with Stanford, Tel Aviv University, and China Agricultural University in Beijing.
- Graduate students exchange agreement for one or two semesters of research at NMSU (noncredit). An NMSU professor can be the co-author on any publication generated through cooperation.
- NMSU undergraduate students can take part in the Global Supply Networks (GSN) Summer Program (http://www.um.edu.uy/international/courses/global-supply-program/). Through Aggies Go Global, NMSU can promote our GSN Program and send undergraduate students to UM for noncredit experience.
- For PhD program, UM and NSMU can agree on a 4 year PhD program or a special program where a student goes to NMSU for one year then comes back to UM to do the research in Uruguay for two years. The student goes back to NMSU for one semester to finish and defend the dissertation. Faculty from NMSU and UM serve on the grad committee and coauthor publications.
- Collaborate on grant proposals to support UM and NMSU students and faculty
Tuesday, October 8
Ruy Orcasberro– NMSU Alumni, Productor Agropecuario, ex Investigador de INIA met with us. He would be glad to host ANRS students to his ranch for an internship or trip. Options of work for meals are possible.
Gustavo Ferreira – Coordinador, Campus de Aprendizaje, Investigación e Innovación de Tacuarembó , Universidad de la Republica (UdelaR) is the Dean of a new small College and would like to host Aggies Go Global students and faculty exchange leading to a degree at NMSU.
Verónica Musselli – Coordinadora Relaciones Internacionales Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA). Veronica will be the main contact for starting cooperation on all aspects. INIA’s highest decision body has four members (2 farmers and 2 Government). USDA signed an MOU with INIA in 2000, and CSU people visited in 2015. The status is unknown and INIA and ACES will contact Ryan Moore, USDA, Beltsville to find more about it.
- Undergraduate students for short visit
- MS technicians in INIA to come to NMSU for a PhD through Fulbright-INIA Senior Scholar Program (Veronica is in charge)
- Identify partners in Uruguay and INIA
Wednesday, October 9: Meetings in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Lic. Marina Larrea – Coordinadora, Programa de Internacionalización de Educación Superior y Cooperación Internacional She will be the primary contact as she coordinates with all public and private colleges in Argentina.
- Students to do PhD at NMSU (Tuition fee is a concern)
- Identifying partners and researchers in Argentina
Jorge G. Tezon, Gerente de Desarrollo, CNICET- Argentina He is interested in setting up cooperation with USDA-ARS because no direct MOU can be signed with NMSU.
- Grant proposals with researchers in Argentina
- CONICET will support joint research on environmental issues, land degradation and management
- Support short term visit of researchers from Argentina to NMSU
Dr. Lucas Luchilo, Subsecretario Evaluación Institucional and Laura Martinez Porta, Directora Nacional de Objetivos y Procesos Institucionales. Similar to ACES, people have joint appointments.
Dr. Guillermo Sanchez, Gerente Relaciones Institucionales. The existing MOU with INTA was reviewed. It has performed really well over the past five years. However, researchers involved in NMSU/INTA Project suggested that there is a need to expand the collaboration to include Environment and other important aspects to bring together more INTA and ACES Faculty. More opportunities are needed to be sought through Fulbright for Argentina Scientists to pursue PhD at NMU.
Thursday, October 10: Meetings in Asuncion, Paraguay
Dr. Med. Vet. Carlos Chirife, Vice-Decano, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA). Interested in signing an MOU with ACES.
Luís Guillermo Maldonado - Decano, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA). The national university has about 20% faculty with a PhD degree.
- Interested to send faculty to ACES for a PhD especially if any arrangement can be made where research can be done in Paraguay and student has to stay at ACES for only 1.5 years.
- CONACYT can support students; however, tuition fee needs further discussion.
- Ares of research collaboration and exchange: agriculture pollution, natural resources, agriculture business
- Invited ACES to participate in 2020 International conference or co-organize in Paraguay
Luís Cubilla Ramos, Asesor Técnico de la Cámara Paraguaya de Exportadores de Cereales y Oleaginosas (CAPECO) and Mohan Kohli. CAPECO is a private non-profit organization started about 40 years ago. It represents producers, exporters and traders of grains and oilseeds.
- Support research activities related to cotton, soil erosion and salinization
- Consider sending one student fully supported to ACES
- Collaborate with ACES in research in Chaco area
Santiago Bertoni – Coordinador Técnico, Coordinación de Relacionamiento Internacional del Sector Agopecuario, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG). This is the most significant partner in Paraguay and Mr. Bertoni is highly interested to set up an agreement between CONACYT and NMSU. This will be the first time CONACYT will be signing an agreement with a foreign entity.
- Draft MOU is already circulated
- CONACYT is interested to improve the quality of research
- MAG is interested in capacity building and involving CAPECO and UNA
- CONACYT will fund grants written by ACES, CAPECO and UNA
Dr. Arturo Villate, Presidente de la Universidad San Carlos (USC) USC is a private University and offers degrees in Rural Administration, Forest Engineering, ES, animal production and agricultural engineering.
- Need ACES help to start PhD program
- Welcome ACES help in new MS programs
- Participate in USAIF F2F program with students being mainly from rural background
- ACES can help online bilingual course development and teaching
- Sabbatical exchanges among faculty from both Universities
- Research collaborations in Chaco area
- Invite ACES faculty to teach a course/courses in the campus
María Teresa Cazal, Directora de Relaciones Interinstitucionales e Internacionales, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología, Innovación y Calidad (CONACYT). Currently undergoing some restricting but will start funding from next year.
- Support grant funding grant proposals by ACES and Paraguayan Institutes.
- Support young faculty trips to ACES (noncredit)
- Limited support for sending young faculty for a MS/PhD program
Meeting with NMSU alumni over Dinner. About 13 of the 15 NMSU alumni were present at the dinner hosted. Everyone has good memories of NMSU and each one of them has risen to a very high position in Paraguay. Eloy Boggino, NMSU alumni, is one of the three Board of Directors on CAPACO. He will support ACES to work with CAPACO in Chaco. Mr. Bertoni from ministry will push CONECYT for research in Chaco on sustainable development. Chaco area has potential for soybean, cotton along with environmental and infrastructures. Very low population, Native, Mennonites, and others farm in this area where water scarcity, erosion, salinization are some of the pressing issues.