Dr. Leonel Fernández Urges Latin American Universities to Improve Quality of Instruction

Dr. Leonel Fernández Urges Latin American Universities to Improve Quality of Instruction
New York, October 3, 2012

During the roundtable “Regional Development in a Global Context,” organized by the Manhattanville College School of Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, Dr. Leonel Fernández, former President of the Dominican Republic and President of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), made the case on Wednesday that in order for education to have a positive impact on the development of countries in Latin America, it is necessary that the universities of the region center their efforts on revising their respective curriculums and providing their professors with quality training.

“We have to care for the quality of education, updating curriculums, realizing investigations and enhancing innovation, so that education has an impact on the development of countries,” asserted Dr. Fernández.

The former president declared that in terms of worldwide university ranking in the area of quality of instruction, the only Latin American universities that rank 200th or better are the University of São Paulo in Brazil and the Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Autónoma de México).

“We have to care for the quality of education, updating curriculums, realizing investigations and enhancing innovation, so that education has an impact on the development of countries,” asserted Dr. Fernández.

He affirmed that the universities of Latin America should strive to place at the top of the ranks at the global level. The former Head of State maintained that, in order to achieve this, institutions of higher education will need to focus on revising their curriculums and providing professional training to their teaching faculty.

Regarding faculty, Fernández inserted that universities must leave behind traditional education and begin focusing on the implementation of innovation and development strategies, stating that professors require new and enhanced training to ensure that they teach students how to think, not to memorize knowledge.

Impact of the Global Crisis on the Region

Addressing the topic of the global crisis, the former Dominican president posited that despite this situation, Latin America, including the Dominican Republic, has experienced important economic growth.

Dr. Fernández conveyed that Mexico, Brazil and Argentina took the lead in terms of growth rates, with GDP increasing by more than 2.3 billion dollars. However, he questioned if Latin America is capable of maintaining this level of growth during the coming decade, indicating that to achieve this education will have to play an important role.

Along these lines, the former president warned that if certain countries in Europe continue to implement the measures that they have been putting in place to confront the economic crisis, the economies of these nations will be placed on a path from recession to depression.

Fernández argued that instead of making reductions in spending, countries in crisis should instead focus on investing resources in order to stimulate their economies and generate new sources of employment.

He also referred to the notable growth rates that the Dominican economy has been experiencing during the last years, and attributed to the implementation of effective measures on behalf of the government, since last August.

“If we can maintain the growth that we have experienced in the last eight years, in 20 years we will have a tremendous economy, the Dominican Republic will be an important force in the market economy,” declared Fernández.

Later on, Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Anthony Davidson, underscored the public trajectory of Fernández and the valiant services that he has lent to the Dominican Republic and to other countries in the region.

Davidson spoke of the friendship that has developed between him and the former president over the course of many years — sufficient time to recognize the achievements obtained by the former Head of State during his three terms in office.

The Dean highlighted that during the twelve years of his mandate, Dr. Leonel Fernández prioritized the development of technology, macroeconomic stability, and the construction of important infrastructure projects, citing the construction of the Santo Domingo Metro as an example.

He also mentioned that Fernández was recently awarded the distinction of “Statesman of the Year” by the Canadian Council of the Americas, in recognition of his contributions to the international community.

“He brings a global perspective. He has a sharp understanding of the educational needs and a profound understanding of the Hispanic community, one the most important economic groups in Westchester and in the United States today,” added Davidson.

Davidson described the visit of Fernández to Manhattanville College as a milestone for the academic institution, stating that the visit is a testimony to the great strides that the college is taking with relation to education in the era of globalization.

Support to Hispanics

During his intervention, Davidson also recognized the contributions of citizens of Hispanic origin in the United States, that total 52 million, with Westchester County being one of the principal receptors.

In this respect, he pointed out that according to a United States Census Office report, 22.4 percent of the inhabitants of Westchester County are of Hispanic origin. Moreover, the number of Hispanic business owners in the county exceeds 10 percent.  

Davidson affirmed that the roundtable at Manhattanville College sought to provide an opportunity for Westchester County to reaffirm its compromise to continue serving as a point of cultural diffusion for various countries.

The event formed part of the activities realized during Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.

The former president was accompanied by Marsha Gordon, Presidentand CEO of theBusiness Councilof Westchester; Larry Gottlieb, Director of Economic Development for Westchester County; Fannie Alemán-Lansch, President of the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Louis Scamadella, New York State Small Business Development Center; and Anthony Davidson, Dean of the Manhattanville College School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

Business leaders from various sectors participated in the roundtable, and discussed the strategic advantages of Westchester County, in addition to the challenges and opportunities of this New York community in relation to the global market.

With regards to regional development, within a global context, which was the central topic of debate, the participants also responded to the special needs of the growing Hispanic population of Westchester, which has made an important contribution to the labor force and the consumption of goods and services.

Related links:
http://www.mville.edu/news-a-events/news/event-news/4045-roundtable.html
www.westchesterny.org
http://business.westchestergov.com/economic-development