The Dominican Republic assumed the Pro tempore presidency of the Ibero-American ministries of higher education, science, technology and innovation on Tuesday, ahead of the XXVIII Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will host in 2022.
The Minister of MESCYT, Franklin García Fermín assumed his directive role, during the International Meeting of Energy Transition for Sustainable Development in Ibero-America, Answers of Science, Technology and Innovation, led by the Ibero-American Secretary General, Rebeca Grynspan, a meeting that It is part of a series of virtual and face-to-face activities in preparation for the macro event that will take place in the country in 2022 and will be headed by President Luis Abinader.
During his speech, García Fermín highlighted that MESCYT through its National Fund for Scientific and Technological Research and Development (FONDOCYT) has taken certain steps in promoting and supporting research related to sustainable development.
This translates into financing for projects in search of biofuels from domestic organic waste and from the agro-industrial sector, from the academic perspective of research and training of human resources at the highest level.
“Every year in collaboration with HEIs and research centers, MESCYT holds the International Congress of Scientific Research, which encourages the development of activities, as well as the presentation and dissemination of topics that directly affect new energy sources and domain of others already known, this year with the notable participation of the Nobel Prize winner in Physics, David Gross ”, stressed the minister.
García Fermín also emphasized that the ministry has proposed alternative solutions in other regional forums and is taking steps to carry out joint research projects.
For his part, the Secretary General of the Ibero-American University Council (SEGIB), Félix García-Lausín, stressed that for the Dominican Republic as a country that assumes the challenge of leading this stage, it represents a challenge to advance in the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on the solutions that science can provide to overcome these challenges.
“The last Summit of Heads of State and Government, based in Andorra, established the Ibero-American Innovation strategy, approved by the ministers and high authorities of science and technology and innovation in our region, aiming to contribute to innovation, based on a transversal approach that provides solutions to our problems ”, argued García-Lausín.
The country assumed the pro tempore general secretariat last April, with the main objectives of addressing the challenges facing the coronavirus and innovation for sustainable development.
The activity carried out in the virtual modality, had the participation of the ambassador, Marcos Pinta Gorra; the director of energy of the Inter-American Development Bank, Ariel Yépez, as well as the vice ministers of the MESCYT, Carlos Mendieta and Juan Francisco Viloria; the Director of the Cabinet, Juan F. Medina, and other representatives of the region on energy and sustainable development.
