CATIE and Universidad Rafael Landívar of Guatemala met to exchange cooperation opportunities

• Universidad Rafael Landívar is part of a network of universities of Jesuit identity and Ignatian inspiration that interacts synergistically with global, regional, national and local actors for the welfare of society.

August 22, 2022. On August 17 of this year, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) received a cordial visit from the Universidad Rafael Landívar (URL) of Guatemala, to discuss and strengthen cooperation alliances between both institutions, as well as to learn about the different projects developed by the Center from each of its thematic units, within the framework of the cooperation agreement recently signed between the two institutions.

The Guatemalan delegation was led by the rector of the university, Miquel Cortés Bonfill, accompanied by Martha Pérez, academic vice-rector, and Juventino Gálvez, vice-rector for research and outreach.

During his stay, which took place from August 17 to 19, he shared with CATIE researchers and technicians a tour of the international coffee and cocoa collections, the commercial farm and the Botanical Garden to exchange experiences on the work carried out by the institution in the areas of food security, strengthening livelihoods, research and conservation of biodiversity.

The Center's general director, Muhammad Ibrahim, together with Juan Carlos Méndez, deputy general director; Leida Mercado, director of the Research Division for Inclusive Green Development; Roberto Quiroz, director of the Education Division; and Carlos Araya, director of Strategic Alliances, received the delegation at a welcome meeting, where the different areas of research developed by CATIE in Latin America and the Caribbean were also presented.

During the session, the projects in Guatemala and the region with entities such as the Swedish International Development opportunities for implementing Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Central American Integration System (SICA, its Spanish acronym) were highlighted.

"It is important to be at CATIE, because it is not the same to know about the Center on paper as it is to see the campus. We are very impressed," said Cortés.

As centers of study with a long academic trajectory in the region, discussion sessions were also held on the possibility of managing master's, doctoral and diploma programs in agro-biodiversity and food security, sustainable tourism, agribusiness, and Central American integration, among others.

Rector Cortés also gave a conference entitled "Guidelines of Ignatian leadership for university work in the 21st century", aimed at students, researchers and teachers of CATIE, where he stressed the importance of a social link and commitment between academia and civil society for a more egalitarian progress of the region, as well as the access of the majority of people to higher education.

"Our role as universities is fundamental in the construction of the Central America we dream of, what happens is that we have to articulate ourselves leaving aside what differentiates us, and looking for what unites us," concluded Cortés.