IlCA provides technical cooperation for agriculture in hemispheric, regional, and national projects in accordance with the priorities identified by its Member States. Some of these cooperation activities, linked to the themes of the 7th Summit of the Americas, are:
• Promotion of knowledge-intensive agriculture through networks, grants, and information systems. Of special importance is the approval of 301 grants to enable students to take master’s and doctoral degree courses under the program with Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), and the enrollment of 121 students in the master’s degree program in food security operated by the Open and Distance University of Mexico.

100 Scholarships Annually
The Government of Mexico, aware of the need to contribute, along with IICA, to the strengthening of technical capacities in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in terms of giving high priority to agriculture, has agreed through CONACYT, to offer 100 scholarships per year to professionals in LAC who wish to undertake postgraduate programs in sustainable agriculture.

Activities:
Under IICA’s agreement with Mexico’s National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) to provide scholarships for students of agriculture, by year’s end 98 professionals from 20 LAC countries were engaged in doctoral studies (21), master’s degree programs (73), and specialization courses (4) in Mexican higher education institutions. As many as 1153 applications were received, demonstrating the high demand for such opportunities in LAC.

www.iica.int/Eng/becasconacytiica/Pages/default.aspx

Beneficiaries:
20 Latin American and Caribbean Countries. A total of 98 professionals were awarded

Partners and financing:
Mexico’s National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT)