Latin America academic training
The European Commission, DG I, has published a call for submission of applications in the framework of the ALFA (Latin America Academic Training) programme. The programme was approved by the Commission on 10 March 1994. The programme runs over 5 years and began on 1 November 1994. ALFA's main objectives are: - To encourage cooperation between Latin America and Europe in the field of higher education in order to make up for the deficiencies and overcome the disparities and imbalances between those 2 regions by improving the scientific, academic and technological potential of Latin America; - To promote cooperation programmes through networks of higher-education institutions from Europe and Latin America with a view to carrying-out common academic activities, facilitating the exchange of postgraduates and university students and other activities thus contributing to the regional integration of Latin American countries and to the reinforcement of exchanges among those countries. Its activities are grouped in 2 sub-programmes. These are: - Sub-programme A: cooperation for institutional management in the following areas: . Academic and administrative management; . Academic recognition of grades, titles and degrees; . Improvement, adaptation and, if needed, harmonization of curricula; . Cooperation between institutions of higher education and companies; . Innovation and systematization of the educational task; . Institutional assessment. - Sub-programme B: cooperation for scientific and technological training aims at: . Supporting curricula for: . Advanced training (PhDs, master's degrees and professional specializations); . Complementary training (of students from the last 2 years of a higher-education (degree)); . Devising common research projects. Alfa will give priority to academic projects related to: - Economic and social sciences in general and, in particular: . Company management; . Public service; . Economics and economic law; . Environmental studies; . Regional integration; . Rural development; . Regional and urban planning; . Social and educational policy; . Engineering science; . Medicine and other health sciences. The higher-education institutions from the Member States of the European Communities and from the countries of Latin America are invited to submit projects under sub-programme A or sub-programme B. The Guide of the ALFA Programme and the forms for submitting projects can be obtained through the Technical Assistance Office of the ALFA Programme, the Offices of the European Commission in the Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission in Latin America, or from: BAT/CEEETA 36 rue Joseph II (4Deg) B-1040 Brussels Tel. +32-2-2190453; Fax +32-2-2196384