Zamorano's Regional Reach and Institutional Pillars Address Gender Equity, Youth Education and Employment, and Resilient Agriculture
In April 2017, the USAID-funded Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education (InnovATE) project convened a workshop on Opportunities for an International Teacher Certificate Program in Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) in Central America at EARTH University in Costa Rica. Forty-two representatives from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the United States participated. They included ATVET teachers and directors, policy makers from the Ministries of Education and Agriculture, industry as well as support ATVET organizations, such as donors, implementers and consultants. These organizations were invited to make presentations on the work they were doing. We wanted to share some of what we learned with a larger audience.
We asked Zamorano University in Honduras about partnerships. Zamorano was represented at the workshop by Maria José Baires, who presented “System of Technical Education at Zamorano”. Martin Schwarz responded to our questions for this post below in English and Spanish.
How does Zamorano support agricultural technical vocational education in Honduras? What partnerships are important for Zamorano’s success as an institution for agricultural education and training?
The Pan American Agricultural School — better known as Zamorano — is a private international university and nonprofit organization established in Honduras in 1942 to serve tropical agriculture in the Americas and the world. Zamorano offers academic programs at the engineering level in Agricultural Science and Production, Food Agroindustry, Agribusiness Management and Environment and Development. It currently has 1,250 students from 20 countries. Institutional pillars are academic excellence, "learning by doing," the development of values and character, and Pan-Americanism.
Zamorano maintains a proactive and recognized projection in Central America and the Andean region, which integrates sound agronomic and environmental science with effective strategies and methodologies for training and technical assistance on campus and on site. Among the institutional priorities are the promotion of gender equity, youth education and employment opportunities, and resilient agriculture to achieve greater food and nutritional security. Conceptually and in practice, Zamorano addresses the agricultural value chain and responsible management of the environment and natural resources.
Thousands of rural families, extension workers, agricultural technicians, educators, decision makers and researchers participate in the projects led or supported by Zamorano, carried out with governmental entities, universities, international and local development organizations, and industry and community associations. These are financed by multiple multinational and national donors. Zamorano integrates full-time professionals (often graduated) with university faculty in the short term and fourth-year students in internships and study-work programs. Participation and local decision-making are emphasized to ensure collaboration and empowerment of projects by rural families.
Zamorano is a major partner in the Honduran government's "South-South Cooperation" program, building on its experience and capacity in agricultural technical education in the country and the region. The training and technical assistance focus on several thematic areas, mainly:
- Integrated pest management
- Innovation for the production of vegetables and fruits
- Biologic control
- The Bean Research Program
- Dairy production
- Aquaculture
- Food technological innovation
- Business development
- Management of water resources and watersheds
- Renewable energy
- Strengthening and integration of middle education at the technical-agricultural level
For additional information, please contact: Martin Schwarz, Adviser, Zamorano, [email protected].
¿Cómo apoya Zamorano la enseñanza técnica y técnica agrícola en Honduras? ¿Qué asociaciones son importantes para el éxito de Zamorano como institución de educación y capacitación agrícola?
La Escuela Agrícola Panamericana – más conocida como Zamorano - es una universidad internacional privada y una organización sin fines de lucro establecida en Honduras in 1942 para servir a la agricultura tropical de las Américas y el mundo. Zamorano ofrece programas académicos a nivel de ingeniería en Ciencia y Producción Agropecuaria, Agroindustria Alimentaria, Administración de Agronegocios y Ambiente y Desarrollo. Actualmente tiene 1,250 estudiantes originarios de 20 países. Los “pilares” institucionales son excelencia académica, “aprender haciendo”, el desarrollo de valores y carácter, y Panamericanismo.
Zamorano mantiene una proactiva y reconocida proyección en América Central y la región andina, que integra una sólida ciencia agronómica y ambiental con estrategias y metodologías efectivas de capacitación y asistencia técnica en campus e in situ. Entre las prioridades institucionales están la promoción de equidad de género, oportunidades de educación y empleo para la juventud, y una agricultura “resiliente” ante el Cambio Climático para lograr mayor seguridad alimentaria y nutricional. Conceptualmente y en la práctica, Zamorano aborda la “cadena de valor” agropecuaria y el manejo responsable del medio ambiente y los recursos naturales.
Miles de familias rurales, extensionistas, técnicos agropecuarios, educadores, tomadores de decisiones e investigadores participan en los proyectos liderados o apoyados por Zamorano, llevados a cabo con entidades gubernamentales, universidades, organizaciones internacionales y locales de desarrollo, industria y asociaciones comunitarias. Estos son financiados por múltiples cooperantes multinacionales y nacionales. Zamorano realiza su proyección integrando equipos “eje” de profesionales a tiempo completo (a menudo graduados) con facultad universitario a corto plazo y estudiantes del cuarto año en pasantías y programas de estudio-trabajo. Se enfatiza la participación y toma local de decisiones para asegurar la colaboración y el “empoderamiento” de proyectos por parte de las familias rurales.
Zamorano es un socio principal en el programa “Cooperación Sur Sur” del gobierno de Honduras, edificando sobre su experiencia y capacidad en enseñanza técnica agrícola en el país y la región. La capacitación y asistencia técnica se enfocan en varios campos temáticos, principalmente:
- Manejo Integrado de Plagas
- Innovación para la producción de Hortalizas y Frutas
- Control Biológico
- El Programa de Investigación de Frijol
- Producción Lechera
- Acuacultura
- Innovación Tecnológica de Alimentos
- Desarrollo Empresarial
- Gestión de Recursos Hídricos y Cuencas Hidrográficas
- Energía Renovable
- Fortalecimiento e Integración de la Educación Media a Nivel Técnico-Agrícola
Para información adicional favor contactar a: Martin Schwarz, Asesor, Zamorano, [email protected].