Central American Open Science Forum

Guatemala City, March 23, 2023

With the purpose of creating a space for reflection and awareness about the importance of open science, its benefits and opportunities for improving the social impact of research, the ?Central American Open Science Forum? organized by the National Secretariat of Science and Technology -SENACYT-, the General Directorate of Research of the University of San Carlos de Guatemala -DIGI- and the Central American Higher University Council -CSUCA- with the support of the Network of Open Access Repositories to Science -LA Reference-.

The topics to be addressed are:

·         What is Open Science? Advantages, opportunities and challenges in the Central American region, by Andrea Mora, President of LA Referencia and representative of the National University of Costa Rica -UNA-, taking place from 9:10 to 10:10 in the morning.

·         The importance of Open Science for the CSUCA and Mexico: planned and ongoing actions, by Francisco Alarcón from CSUCA, Andrea Mora from UNA and Martha Vergara from the University of Guadalajara, Mexico -UDG- from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. .

·         Citizen Science: opportunities and challenges for Central America, by Bianca Amaro from the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology -IBICT- from 12:00 to 12:45.

·         Research data management by Bianca Amaro from IBICT and Andrea Mora from UNA, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

·         Technological tools of Open Science, repositories, scientific journals and CRIS Systems, by Lautaro Matas from LA Referencia, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

It is important to highlight that Open Science, as a new paradigm of scientific research, promotes collaboration, transparency and free access to research results, thus allowing scientific progress to be accelerated and helping to solve local and global problems.

The activity is being transmitted virtually from CSUCA's Facebook Social Network and you can participate through the link https://www.facebook.com/csuca.

Second Technical Congress of the VIII edition of JUDUCA

Central America March 15, 2023

On March 15 and 16, the second technical conference of the organization of the eighth edition of the Central American University Sports Games -JUDUCA- will take place in El Salvador, during the month of July 2023.

Every two years the Central American University Confederation celebrates the JUDUCA, being a biennial multi-sports competition that is carried out with the common objective of promoting sport and thus contributing to the strengthening of integration, solidarity and peace among the CSUCA member universities. Games organized by the Regional Student Life Council -CONREVE-, body of the Central American Higher University Council -CSUCA-.

?The JUDUCA are constituted in that opportunity to verify our student communities, more than a competition it is a reunion of our young people, as well as the opportunity to build the unity that as a region we must have? mentioned Roger Arias, Rector of the University of El Salvador, welcoming the different commissions that participate in face-to-face and virtual modality.

Indicating the importance of the preparation that is generated by the second congress, prior to the celebration of the Central American University Sports Games, Carlos Alvarado, Secretary General of CSUCA expressed ?These games seek to develop promotional activities, participation, through an important integration , supported by educational and cultural values that contribute to their educational formation, and what better than to develop them within the framework of the 75th anniversary of CSUCA?.

Due to the health crisis that was experienced throughout the world, the VIII edition of the JUDUCA could not be held during the year 2020, as planned. For this reason, since 2022, the University of El Salvador, together with CSUCA authorities, recognizing the work of Jorge Cortéz, President of CONREVE, Miguel Gutiérrez, Assistant Secretary for Student Affairs of CSUCA and the Regional Student Life Council, have made its effort in order to resume this activity that allows the development of students from public universities in the countries of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Is it a historical fact that the University of El Salvador is once again the headquarters of the JUDUCA, with the representation of the 24 universities that make up the CSUCA? Jorge Cortez, President of CONREVE, pointed out, mentioning that these games are one of the best representations that are being given by the Regional Student Life System -SIREVE- and CONREVE in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of CSUCA.

The Central American University Confederation was created on September 20, 1948, commemorating its 75th anniversary in 2023, being the first regional integration organization in Central America.

Image shared by the University of El Salvador (UES).

Signature of cooperation agreement CSUCA and ICAP

Guatemala, February 23, 2023

With the purpose of contributing to the expansion of the institutional and human capacity of the public sector to improve the management of public higher education for the sake of sustainable development in the Central American region and the Caribbean, the Central American Higher University Council -CSUCA signs a cooperation agreement - and the Central American Institute of Public Administration -ICAP-.

The interest of the parties is to join efforts for the execution of regional projects in terms of technical assistance, research and academic programs that lead to the strengthening of knowledge, tools and methodologies that allow promoting the integration, education and training of the population of the region. for the economic and social development of SICA member countries.

During the signing of the agreement, Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA mentioned ?It has been proven that if we work collaboratively and in solidarity we can meet the objectives of our institutions, to strengthen our societies where future decision makers are located. ?.

For his part, Osvaldo De la Guardia Boyd, Executive Director of ICAP pointed out ?For us the signing of this agreement is very important, since the only way to face the present and the future is through these strategic alliances that help us to create working mechanisms?

The signing of the agreement took place at the facilities of the General Secretariat of CSUCA and has a stipulated duration of five years, during which it is expected to obtain great results for the benefit of the sustainable development of the SICA region.

Comprehensive Research and Development for the Control of Chagas Disease in the SICA countries

Central America January 30, 2023

 

In order to present the development history of the control of vectors that transmit Chagas disease in the countries of Central America, today the Exchange of Experiences on Comprehensive Research and Development for the Control of Chagas Disease in the countries of the SICA region, within the framework of the commemoration of the World Day of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency -JICA- has promoted collaborative scientific research work through the ?Integrated Research and Development for the Control of Chagas Disease? project. And on this occasion, the efforts of the SATREPS-CHAGAS Project, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of El Salvador -MINEDUCYT-, the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America -SE COMISCA- and the General Secretariat of the Higher University Council join forces. Central American -SG CSUCA-, for the generation of said event.

To start the exchange of experiences, there was the participation of Alejandra Acuña Navarro, Executive Secretary of COMISCA; Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA; Yasutoshi Kido, Professor, Department of Virology and Parasitology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine and Researcher the SATREPS-CHAGAS Project; Masaru Kozono, Chief Representative of JICA El Salvador; Ariyoshi Katsuhide, Ambassador of Japan in El Salvador and Ricardo Cardona Alvarenga, Vice Minister of MINEDUCYT, Director of the SATREPS-CHAGAS Project.

?For our countries to move forward, we must work collaboratively and in solidarity, uniting all sectors to face the context of our societies,? said Carlos Alvarado, CSUCA Secretary General.

Within the process of exchanging experiences, the conference ?Neglected Tropical Diseases? by Yasutoshi Kido, ?Historical development of the control of vectors that transmit Chagas disease in El Salvador? by José Eduardo Romero, ?Results of the SATREPS-CHAGAS project? by Yuko Nitahara, Tatiana Ascencio, Marvin Núñez and Carmen Arias, ?MINEDUCYT perspective on scientific research applied to Chagas disease in Central America? by William Ernesto Mejía and the panel ?Exchange of experiences with other countries in the region on Chagas disease research? with the participation of Carlota Monroy, Marvin Stanley Rodríguez Aquino, María Mercedes Rueda, Concepción Zúñiga Valeriano and Manuel Gómez.

It should be noted that Chagas disease is an endemic parasitic disease in Latin America. More than 80% of infections are transmitted to humans through blood-sucking insects known as bedbugs, which live in houses with thatched roofs and cracks in mud walls. The majority of people who contract Chagas disease tend to be people with limited economic resources and belonging to the most vulnerable segment of the population.

In Central America, more than half of the population is at risk of contracting it. Although Chagas disease can be treated during the acute phase, the medication has strong side effects.