TOPIC: PROPOSAL OF A MODEL OF ACADEMIC AND SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF ECUADOR AND CANADA

Abstract

Increasing the quality of Higher Education has been a major concern in the last couple of years for governments around the world. Establishing the bases of an educational system that met the requirements of a more interconnected world has become the first thing in the agenda of the latest summits about education. The governments know that it is an obligation to provide a better education to the future professionals that are the ones with the responsibility of leading the future societies in this global community. Internationalization has become an important strategy for universities in order to provide a quality education. This has become a trend for universities around the world as they are in the search of qualified students from different backgrounds to enrich their university community. This research is a study on the cooperative agreements that universities can undertake in order to achieve global academic success. Interuniversity Cooperation and University Development Cooperation are two defined types of actions that a university can participate in. Inter-university Cooperation normally occurs between universities located in developed countries; these universities share many academic similarities and are recognized for their quality of education. University Development Cooperation is primarily for Universities of different backgrounds, however, a primary university is used to mentor another in developing and sustaining its educational curriculum. Canada and Ecuador share many academic similarities in their higher education structure and many have been developing a solid relationship over time within different priority areas. Ecuadorian and Canadian universities are continuing to develop academic and mobility agreements with the opportunity of sharing experiences and improving cooperation while simultaneously allowing for the evolution of their education systems. The academic and scientific agreement developed in this research project is meant to help all the parties that take part in the higher education system of both of these countries. It is already implied that education is the pillar of future societies; and that the exchange of information and development of technology can help to achieve a better quality of life.