Signing of the agreement with UASD rector, Dominican Republic Minister of Education, and the UMH Vice Rector for International Relations.

This collaboration focuses on the Doctorate of Agri-Food Sciences at the public Caribbean university.

The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) has strengthened ties with the Dominican Republic following the signing of an important trilateral collaboration agreement between that country’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MESCyT), the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), and the UMH. The agreement was signed by Dominican Minister of Education, Franklin García Fermín; UASD rector, Emma Polanco Melo; and UMH Vice Rector for International Relations, Vicente Micol. Representing the UMH and witnesses to the signing included the director of the Ibero-America Espejo Program, Joaquín Julián Pastor, along with UMH professor, Fernando Borrás. Other attendees at this institutional ceremony included Spanish Ministry Advisor from the Spanish Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Luis Mateos; various MESCyT vice ministers; vice rectors and the director of cooperation and national & international relations at the UASD; in addition to a large representation of academic authorities from that university.

The agreement establishes collaboration between the MESCyT, UASD, and UMH in the Doctorate of Agri-Food Sciences offered by the UASD Faculty of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences. With this agreement, the Dominican Ministry also commits itself to provide funding for 24 student grants in this doctoral program. The main repercussion of this agreement is to consolidate academic cooperation between the UASD and UMH by strengthening the Doctorate of Agri-Food Sciences through participation by UMH faculty in it. This international cooperation will create stable ties for lasting and beneficial academic and scientific cooperation for both institutions and will strengthen the UMH strategy within that Caribbean country.

UMH faculty, Vicente Micol, Joaquín Julián Pastor, and Fernando Borrás, with authorities from the Dominican government and UASD.

The UASD is currently working on furthering similar initiatives with the MESCyT, within which the UMH will also participate, for the doctorates of the environment & sustainability, art, statistics, and health sciences. This action is part of a strategic action of UMH internationalization and expansion within the Caribbean country started with the UASD, that country’s most important university, with more than 220,000 students.

This action runs in line with strategic policies established by the UMH in terms of internationalization and sustainable development, and it promotes fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. More specifically, these include SDG 4, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; SDG 8, Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; SDG 10, Reduce inequality within and among countries; and SDG 17, Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

The YouTube video of the event is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSTxdbXhkNs.