OAS and Florida International University Sign Scholarship Agreement
MIAMI – The Organization of American States (OAS) today signed an agreement with Florida International University (FIU) that will enable students from the Western Hemisphere to apply for scholarships in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the institution based in Miami.
The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, said that with the understanding with FIU, there are now 41 U.S. universities that have educational agreements with the hemispheric institution. “The five-year agreement with FIU will offer ten partial scholarships to doctoral students and an unlimited number of partial scholarships to undergraduate and master’s degree students,” said the Secretary General.
The OAS leader highlighted the proximity of Miami to many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and the large number of Latino students available to the study center. “FIU students that come from our region are a value added in terms of strengthening hemispheric relations,” he said during the signing ceremony held at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC.
Secretary General Insulza also said the agreement adds “meaningful value to our ongoing efforts to contribute to the development of all our member countries through the education of our citizens.”
For his part, the President of FIU, Mark Rosenberg, expressed gratitude on behalf of the university for the opportunity to work together with the OAS and stressed that the university is “a microcosm of our Hemisphere.” “As you know, we live and breathe Latin America in Miami,” added President Rosenberg, who noted that FIU includes people from all the countries of the Western Hemisphere, taking into account students, faculty and the staff of the university. He also noted the importance of the scholarship program of the OAS, and recalled that his first grant was awarded by the hemispheric Organization for research in Latin America.
The agreement between the OAS, through its Department of Human Development, Education and Employment, and FIU extends for five years.
The signing ceremony included the participation of the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin; the Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS, Sherry Tross; several representatives of OAS member states; and several students and former students of FIU.