April 2nd, 2015 -- The Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) of the Organization of American States (OAS) today discussed in a regular meeting the relationship between education, innovation and workforce development, and the possible ways to strengthen it.
The meeting included presentations by the Dean of Professional Education at Georgia Institute of Technology, Nelson Baker and the President and Chief Scientist of Afilon Inc, Carlos E. Vela, who highlighted the importance of enhancing human capital through technological and educational resources to contribute to the personal, professional and social advancement of the citizens of the countries of the region.
In his presentation, the Georgia Tech Dean of Professional Education stressed that one of the great challenges of the knowledge economy "is how we find ways to educate our society to the level of demand and specialization that the industry requires." In this regard, he analyzed the evolution of learning in recent decades which has seen "an explosion of information" and broader access to education in general. However, he noted that in order to maintain global competitiveness it is necessary to stay informed and prepared. He added that it is necessary to have a global perspective and build a workforce capable of meeting the needs of today's changing labor market.
After presenting some of the achievements and initiatives undertaken at Georgia Tech, Baker concluded with a call to change the way higher education is conceived. "It's not just about preparing the entry level workforce, it’s about preparing youth for their career at the highest level," he said.
For his part, Carlos Vela called for the creation of strategic human capital "with the potential to revolutionize industries, countries and areas." In particular, he continued, there is a need to educate individuals in science who are "capable of enhancing leadership, vision and commitment to humanity." It is therefore important to include the humanist perspective in the training of professionals, because "one cannot create a scientist without giving him powerful tools such as philosophy, literature, art, and appreciation for human life." "It's about developing an intellectual leadership that can help our communities take off, self-taught scientists who engage in a constant process of self-education," he added.
Vela described the strategic human capital development paradigm implemented in some countries such as El Salvador, which focuses on teaching young people the logic of mathematics, pattern recognition and the development of intuition.
On another point on the agenda, the Council received a report from the Minister of Education of Panama, Marcela Paredes, on the Eighth Meeting of Ministers of Education, held on February 4 and 5 in the Central American country. Minister Paredes, who presented the report through a video, said the focus of the meeting was "the construction of an Inter-American educational agenda with equality for prosperity," noting that the event was attended by 27 senior officials from the education sector.
The Panamanian Minister said that Inter-American educational agenda will be the focus of articulation between the ministerial process and the Seventh Summit of the Americas, which will bring together 35 Heads of State and Government of the Americas in Panama on April 10 and 11. She also highlighted the main axes of the ministerial meeting: quality, equity and inclusion in education; strengthening teacher education; and comprehensive attention to early childhood education.
The Council also received an oral report presented by the Minister of Science and Technology of Guatemala, Armando Pokus, on the Fourth Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology (REMCYT), held on March 10 and 11 in Guatemala City. The Guatemalan Minister said, through a video message that "science, technology and innovation should be used to meet the needs of the people and reduce the inequality that exists within the countries of the region." The ministerial meeting, whose theme was "Inclusive Innovation," approved the following recommendations to be elevated to the Summit Implementation Review Group: "Coordinate efforts to achieve universal broadband access in all of our countries,” and “to continue creating conditions for increased public and private investment in research and development, and its science and technology infrastructure, to foster inclusive innovation and high-impact entrepreneurship.”
Moreover, the Council received a report from the President of the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), Hector Laiz, following the Fourth Meeting of the REMCYT. President Laiz said metrology, which is the science of measurement, cuts transversely across all other sciences that impact industrial development, trade and everyday life. "Measurements have an impact on local commerce, for example, consumer protection when loading fuel; it also impact international trade, for example when we talk about the millions of tons of soybeans or minerals our countries export. These tons are measured with instruments that must be calibrated," he said.
At the meeting, participants also agreed to convene the First Special Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) for June 29 and 30, 2015 at OAS headquarters in Washington DC, during which countries will continue the preparations for the Third Inter-American Meeting of Ministers and High-level Authorities on Sustainable Development to be held in Honduras in October 2015.
During the meeting, the delegations of El Salvador, Bolivia, Suriname, the United States, Dominica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Guatemala, Canada, The Bahamas, Chile and Honduras took the floor.
A gallery of photos of the event is available here.
The video news of the event will be available here.
The full video of the event is available here..
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
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