AMBASSADOR WAYNE MEETING WITH ARGENTINE MINISTER OF

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002538 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR ECA DPOWELL AND TFARRELL, WHA/PDA MDCONNERS, R E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO SCHUL SOCI AR SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR WAYNE MEETING WITH ARGENTINE MINISTER OF EDUCATION DANIEL FILMUS ¶1. SUMMARY: The Ambassador met November 8 with Minister of Education Daniel Filmus to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on education and to expand academic exchange opportunities. The Ambassador briefed the Minister on two new Embassy program initiatives - the Southern Cone Youth Ambassadors Program and an English-learning micro-scholarship program. The Minister promised his Ministry's support for these programs and in turn outlined new education initiatives the GOA planned to unveil soon. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Taking advantage of the visit to Argentina of the Secretary's Science and Technology Advisor George Atkinson, the Ambassador hosted a lunch November 8 at which Minister of Education Daniel Filmus was the featured guest. The Ambassador met privately with Filmus after the lunch and expressed his strong interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation on education and expanding academic exchange opportunities. The Ambassador also briefed the Minister on two new Embassy initiatives - the Southern Cone Youth Ambassadors (YA) Program and the Sarmiento-Mann English Learning Micro-scholarship Program. Funded by WHA/PDA the Southern Cone YA program will bring five secondary school students from each of the five countries of the BSC to the U.S. for two weeks (January 13-27) to meet with U.S. officials and learn about U.S. society and culture, and to share Argentine culture with Americans. The Sarmiento-Mann Micro-Scholarship Program, now under development, is a post-funded initiative that will help talented secondary school students from underprivileged backgrounds learn English at local Binational Centers. Filmus promised his Ministry's support for these programs, noting that the U.S. and Argentina have a long history of working well together on the education front. He cited as an example our cooperation on Fulbright programs. ¶3. The Minister then outlined for the Ambassador several of the Ministry's own new initiatives. The first was the imminent publication of a book in English designed to highlight study opportunities in Argentina. He invited the Ambassador to attend the book launch, expected to be held at the Presidential palace later this month. The Ministry plans a worldwide distribution of the book (the brainchild of the Argentine CG in New York, Hector Timerman) through the GOA's overseas missions. ¶4. He also advised of the creation of a new government body reporting directly to the Ministry that would act as a national clearing house for information about university-level international academic exchanges currently in place in Argentina. Filmus noted that his Ministry kept such information, but that it was incomplete and that circumstances changed so rapidly that Argentina needed an organization devoted solely to coordinating with local universities to collect the data. The Ministry's long-term goal is to promote Argentine universities abroad by strengthening their international affairs offices and by sending Argentine missions to select countries to increase awareness of study opportunities here. ¶5. The Minister concluded by describing a new proposal which will make study of a second language mandatory in primary schools. Such a regulation is currently in place at the secondary school level, but will now be implemented in the lower grades. The new National Education Law is expected to be sent to Congress tomorrow for approval. One of the provisions in that law includes mandatory bilingualism in primary schools. ¶6. COMMENT: Minister Filmus was very knowledgeable and forthcoming in describing the Ministry's upcoming projects and his overall efforts to strengthen the Argentine education system, which many observers here perceive to be in crisis. He also expressed his firm commitment to working closely with us to strengthen bilateral education cooperation and academic exchanges. He noted that before joining the government he started and ran a university exchange program with the U.S. as part of his academic responsibilities. The program began with 5 students annually and grew to 200 or so each year. END COMMENT. ¶7. To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires WAYNE