The commitment of the Organisation of Educational Cooperation (OEC) and the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua to build together a third way to achieve development through education is at the center of attention in the Central American nation these days.
An OEC delegation, headed by its Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Manssour Bin Mussallam, took the pulse of the various academic and scientific programmes being developed by the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Unan-Managua) and the Centre for Aquatic Resources Research (CIRA).
“Today we have shown the Secretary-General a little of Unan-Managua and all the activity that we carry out in the faculties, the projects that we have through a video, aq well as the early childhood education programme with the pre-school, and the High School programme. We have also visited the National Centre for Open Innovation “Carlos Martínez Rivas” so that he could appreciate what we are doing in alliance with the ministries and State institutions in order to strengthen the human development that we need”, explained the Rector, H.E. Ramona Rodríguez.
Bin Mussallam mentioned the Universidad en el campo (UNICAM), an initiative aimed at the inhabitants of rural areas, as a true model of democratisation of education, while he praised the work carried out by the Higher Education authorities with research and training centres that have a direct social impact on individuals, families and the Nicaraguan community.
In his tour of the Open Innovation Centre at UNAN-Managua, he noted that this space promotes new ways of generating public value; finding solutions to challenges and real needs of companies in the country through research-experimentation, and that, in turn, functions as a cross-cutting support system for the management of innovation between the productive sectors, academia and government.
The delegation also learned about the studies carried out by CIRA to strengthen environmental policies aimed at reducing the risk of exposure to mercury.
In accordance with the commitments contained in the Universal Declaration on Balanced and Inclusive Education (UDBIE), Bin Mussallam said that he hopes to work together with the University and the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity to support the regionalisation of these research centres and make them visible.
For his willingness to strengthen Higher Education in all its areas, in the creation of strategic alliances that benefit all sectors of the Nicaraguan population, the UNAN-Managua awarded the Honorary Title of DISTINGUISHED VISITOR to the Secretary-General of the OEC, H.E. Mr. Manssour Bin Mussallam.
