Colombia and China sign a new bilateral agreement in the field of agricultural education
Photo: Ministerio de Educación de Colombia en X.
According to an official statement from the Ministry of Education of Colombia, the South American country reached a new bilateral agreement with the People’s Republic of China, specifically with the South China Agricultural University. The objective is to enhance the presence of technology, science, and advanced training in rural areas, and to contribute to the development of Colombia’s countryside through a knowledge-based approach in this sector.
As part of this new agreement, the China–Latin America Joint International Institute will be launched, with support from the Ministry of Education of Colombia, universities from the South American country, and universities from the People’s Republic of China.
The Institute aims to strengthen education in the agricultural sector, promote talent in this field, encourage joint research, and facilitate academic exchanges for Colombian youth from rural areas who have an academic focus in the agricultural sector.
Likewise, this new Institute will allow the development and funding of dual-degree academic programs between Colombian universities and the South China Agricultural University, through scholarships. These programs will focus on areas related to agro-industrial production and agrarian reform.
It is worth noting that some colombian higher education institutions that joined the Latin Asian Agricultural Innovation Network include the Public University and the University of Antioquia—the latter becoming the 75th in the region and the 20th in the country to join the China–Latin America Agricultural Innovation and Research Alliance. This participation will enable specialized cooperation in the agro-industrial and rural sectors.
This agreement is part of a broader goal to strengthen an empathetic ecosystem that promotes a form of education that is supportive, relevant, and committed to addressing the social challenges currently facing rural Colombia and the country’s agro-industrial sector.
Similarly, the agreement includes the creation of two agricultural education demonstration zones in Colombia. These zones are expected to apply cutting-edge technologies for the cultivation of various products, such as rice, in order to boost food security while strengthening the work of rural communities through the exchange of new knowledge.
This new agreement adds to the memorandums of understanding that the Ministry of Education of Colombia previously signed with three Chinese higher education institutions: Beihang University, Tianjin University of Technology, and the South China Agricultural University, with the aim of promoting academic mobility through exchanges and international scholarships, and increasing bilateral cooperation in the scientific field.
Main Source:
Ministerio de Educación de Colombia y Universidad Agrícola del Sur de China pondrán en marcha Instituto Chino-Latinoamericano para formar talento agrícola y transformar el campo – Ministerio de Educación Nacional de Colombia
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