Panamanian Start-ups that Propel Research and
Higher Learning
LAURDS
International Conference: Perspectives on Culture, Research Strategies and
Doctoral Studies in Latin America Panama City, Panama July 26-27, 2018
1,2,*Nanette Archer
Svenson, 3Gladys Bernett, 4Guillermina de Gracia,
1<=
span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;mso-ansi-lan=
guage:
ES-PA'>Researcher, Centro de
Investigación Educativa (CiEdu), Ciudad del Saber, Panamá.
2Associate Researcher, Universidad Católica Santa M=
aría
La Antigua (USMA), Panamá.
3Researcher, USF Health Panamá, Ciudad del Saber,
Panamá
4Researcher, Asociación de Antropología e Historia =
de
Panamá (AAHP), Panamá
5Fundación ProEd, Panamá
6Director, Instituto de Investigaciones Avanzadas y
Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT), Ciudad del Saber, Panamá.
*Autor para correspondencia. Email: nanette.svenson@gmail.com
Recibido:
14 de agosto de 2018
Aceptado:
22 de octubre de 2018
__________=
_________________________________________________________________
Resumen
La
República de Panamá puede presumir de un aumento constante del PIB con una =
de
las tasas de crecimiento económico más altas de la región, un sector de
servicios internacionales en expansión, sistemas financieros y bancarios
sólidos, y una relativa estabilidad política y seguridad ciudadana. Desafor=
tunadamente,
ninguna de estas ventajas ha conducido a un sistema educativo sólido o a una
extensa agenda de investigación y desarrollo. Tanto en educación como en
investigación, Panamá se encuentra entre las más bajas tasas de la región, =
en
estos órdenes. Sin embargo, algunas iniciativas avanzadas en la última déca=
da
son prometedoras en cuanto a cambiar esta tendencia, al menos en ciertos
sectores. Este documento explora varios de estos esfuerzos, todos los cuales
involucran componentes internacionales sólidos con respecto a las alianzas,=
la
transferencia de conocimientos y la programación colaborativa que contribuy=
en a
la sostenibilidad de estos programas, el desempeño en línea con los estánda=
res
establecidos a nivel mundial y el papel en el desarrollo de la capacidad
nacional. Estas iniciativas innovadoras son las siguientes: 1) INDICASAT, un
instituto público-privado de investigación científica y servicios
de alta tecnología que se concentra en el estudio biomédico; 2) la Fundació=
n ProEd,
una organización no gubernamental local que ha desarrollado e implementado =
el
único programa de capacitación de maestros K-12 basado en estándares
internacionales reconocido por el Ministerio de Educación; 3) el programa de
University of South Florida Health Panama en Ciudad del Saber, que desarrol=
la
cursos regionales e investigación internacional en áreas relacionadas con la
salud pública y la educación; 4) la Asociación Panameña de Antropología e
Historia, una asociación académica joven que está impulsando y promoviendo =
la
investigación en las ciencias sociales; y 5) CIEdu, un nuevo concepto que se
está desarrollando actualmente para un Centro nacional e independiente de
investigación para la educación. El documento concluye con recomendaciones =
para
apoyar este tipo de nuevas empresas impulsadas por la investigación y ampli=
ar
su potencial de colaboración. También destaca cómo la Ciudad del Saber de
Panamá, una zona franca internacional de educación, está en una posición ún=
ica
para impulsar estas iniciativas de educación superior para el país y la reg=
ión.
Palabras Clave: Investigación científica, Educación Superior, Emprendimientos,
Innovación, Ciudad del Saber, Panamá.
Abstract
The Republic of Panama can boast of a steadily rising GDP
with among the highest economic growth rates in the region, an expanding
international services sector, robust financial and banking systems, and
relative political stability and citizen security. Unfortunately, none of t=
hese
advantages has led to strong education system or an extensive research and
development agenda. In both education and research, Panama ranks among the
lowest in the region. Nevertheless, certain initiatives advanced over the p=
ast
decade show promise for shifting this tendency, at least in certain
sectors. This paper explores several of these endeavors, all of which&=
nbsp;involve strong international components with regard to
partnerships, knowledge transfers and collaborative programming that serve =
to
contribute to these programs' sustainability, performance in line with glob=
ally
established standards, and role in national capacity development. These
innovative initiatives are the following: =
1)
INDICASAT, a public-private institute for scientific research and high
technology services that concentrates on biomedical study; 2) the ProEd
Foundation, a local non-governmental organization that has developed and
implemented the only international standard driven K-12 teacher training
program recognized by the Ministry of Education; 3) the University of South
Florida Health Panama program at the City of Knowledge that develops region=
al
courses and international research in areas related to public health and
education; 4) the Panamanian Association for Anthropology and History, a yo=
ung
academic association that is driving and promoting research in the social
sciences; and 5) CIEdu, a new concept currently being developed for a natio=
nal,
autonomous Center for Education Research. The paper concludes w=
ith
recommendations for supporting these types of research-driven start-ups and
expanding their collaborative potential. It also highlights how Panama’s Ci=
ty
of Knowledge, an international education free-zone, is uniquely positioned =
to
propel these higher learning initiatives for the country and the region.
Keywords:=
Scientific Research, Higher Education, Startups, Innovation, City of
Knowledge, Panamá.
Introduction
The Republic of Panama is a land of
contrasts, in ways that are both positive and negative. One of the sharpest=
and
most paradoxical of its negative disparities is the fact that over the past
several decades Panama has had one of the highest economic growth rates in
Latin America, alongside one of the weakest education systems in the region.
Panama enjoys a steadily rising GDP, an expanding international services
sector, robust financial and banking systems, relative political stability,=
and
strong citizen security. But none of these national advantages has led to a
world-class education system or robust research and development agenda. Wit=
hout
strong fundamentals in education and research, Panama’s upwardly inclined e=
conomic
trajectory would seem to be threatened.
The Panam=
anian
education and research context
The table below presents these two
realities with selected indicators for Panama’s economic and education
situations, juxtaposed against the same situational indicators for Chile, a
leader in the Latin American region with regard to both economic and educat=
ion
development, and the US and Finland, two distinct models from the Organizat=
ion
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Panama fairs
reasonably well with regard to gross national income (GNI) per capita, at l=
east
compared with Chile, but its GINI coefficient indicates a high degree of
inequity within the country—even within a region infamous for income inequa=
lity.
The gap widens between overall national economic success and the potential =
for
individual success within Panama when we look at the education indicators.
Though Panama and Chile, along with most OECD countries, have achieved near
universalization of primary education completion, the statistics for access=
and
completion shift significantly at the higher levels. At both high school and
post-secondary levels, Panamanian enrollment figures are far below Chile’s,=
not
to mention those of the US and Finland—and though completion data is extrem=
ely
limited, rates are estimated to be much lower (Table 1).
Table
1
Selected statistics, economic and education
comparisons, 2018
|
|
GDP per capita (USD) |
GINI index |
Net HS enrollment |
Gross HE enrollment |
PISA average |
|
Panama |
15,088 |
50.4 |
70 |
47 |
369 |
|
Chile |
15,347 |
47.7 |
87 |
90 |
443 |
|
USA |
59,532 |
41.5 |
91 |
89 |
488 |
|
Finland |
45,703 |
27.1 |
96 |
87 |
523 |
Source: World
Bank Open Data, 2018
Added to this, Panama’s education qu=
ality
at all levels is a grave concern. Evidence of this is reflected in the most
recent scores on the Programme for International
Student Assessment (PISA), a worldwide OECD study conducted in bo=
th
member and non-member countries to evaluate educational systems by measuring
15-year-old students’ performance on mathematics, science, and reading
assessments. As shown in Table 1 above, compared to Panama, Chile’s PISA sc=
ores
are 20 higher, with the US and Finnish scores, respectively, 32 and 40 perc=
ent
above those of Panama. This does not speak well for the Panamanian education
system and given Panama’s reliance on global activity for a large part of i=
ts
national production, it does not bode well for the country’s competitivenes=
s.
This
unfortunate scenario is intrinsically related to Panama’s higher education =
and
research capacity. While there has been significant growth in the number of
universities established from the 1990s onward—beyond the five public
universities and single Catholic university—most of this growth has been in=
the
for-profit sector and without stringent national quality assurance systems =
in
place. Today, there are over 100 universities listed in Panama’s public
registry; of these, less than half are recognized by the authorities and fe=
wer
than that are accredited by the national accreditation council (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universit=
aria
de Panamá, CONEAUPA) or by international
accreditation agencies (Arjona, 2009; Svenson & De Gracia, 2017).
Thus,
Panama now faces an oversupply of higher education institutions, an undersu=
pply
of credentialed professors, an incipient quality assurance system, stagnant
enrollment growth, low completion rates and miserable (not far above minimum
wage) starting salaries for graduates (Svenson & De Gracia, 2017). All =
of
this works to thwart research efforts, which even among the accredited
institutions are extremely limited.
According
to 2013 figures provided by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), only=
two
percent of the Panamanian population holds a Master’s degree and an almost
negligible 0.3 percent holds a doctorate degree (UIS, 2017). Without adequa=
te
graduate and post-graduate knowledge and training in Panamanian academia, i=
t is
difficult to develop much of a research culture. Also, the resources for
funding research are minimal. In the past decade, Panama has invested only
between 0.1 and 0.2 of its gross national product (GDP) in research and
development (UIS, 2017).
That
is roughly 20 times less than what an OECD country invests on average. Juxtaposed against worl=
dwide
trends for R&D investment, examining researchers per million inhabitants
and R&D expenditures as a percentage of GDP, Panama looks even worse and
appears quite literally at the bottom of the world (Figure 1).
And if lack of training and resource=
s were
not sufficient to deter research efforts, the traditionally teaching
orientation of Panamanian higher education would provide the nail in the
coffin. Most professors, even those with Master’s or doctorates, are typica=
lly
forced to spend so much of their time teaching—often between multiple
institutions—that contemplating any meaningful dedication to investigative
activity is practically financially impossible.
Figure
1
R&D
spending by country
Source:
UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), 2017
Examples of exceptional start-ups
In spite of the challenges to higher=
education
and research in Panama presented above, certain initiatives advanced over t=
he
past decade show promise for shifting this tendency, at least in some niche
areas. This section explores several of these endeavors, all of which opera=
te
through different legal and organizational modalities: INDICASAT, a
national public-private institute for scientific research and high technolo=
gy
services that concentrates on biomedical study and clinical trial coordinat=
ion;
the ProEd Foundation, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that has
developed and implemented the only international standard driven K-12 teach=
er
training program in the country recognized by the Ministry of Education; the
University of South Florida (USF) Health Panama program at the City of
Knowledge that develops regional courses and international research in areas
related to public health issues and education systems; the Panamanian
Association for Anthropology and History, a young academic association that=
is driving
research in the social sciences; and CIEdu, a new concept currently being
developed for a national, autonomous Center for Education Research (Centro =
de
Investigación Educativa). The following sub-sections offer additional
description on these enterprising outliers.
INDICASAT
INDICASAT
(Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología), a
public-private institute for scientific research, was originally establishe=
d in
2002 as a government agency and became an “association of public interest
(AIP)” in 2008 to allow for receipt of tax-exempt donations for research
purposes and provision of technical services for corporate as well as
government entities under SENACYT, Panama’s national secretariat for scienc=
e,
technology and innovation. Shortly after INDICASAT’s conversion to AIP stat=
us,
the decision was taken to hire an international director in an effort to bo=
ost
cross-border connections and the incorporation of international research
standards and protocols. Dr. Jagannatha Rao, originally from Ind=
ia,
was selected for the position and continues to head INDICASAT today (INDICA=
SAT,
2018). He also holds adjunct faculty and board advisory positions in US uni=
versities
and serves on the editorial board of 25 academic journals, all of which has
enabled the development and strengthening of INDICASAT’s global reach.
INDICASAT
concentrates on biomedicine and biodiversity but also incorporates an array=
of
interdisciplinary studies in its mission is to serve as a platform for the =
advancement
of science and technology in Panama and formation of research capacity in a=
reas
crucial for national and regional development. INDICASAT now has one of the
most complete biochemical research installations in all of Central America =
with
30 full time scientists, 40 doctoral students, 25 undergraduate and Master’s
students, 30 international and 25 national adjunct faculty members and one
Nobel laureate. It has over 40 clinical investigations currently underway a=
nd
has registered more than 300 peer-reviewed publications to date. It has
received dozens of international recognitions and awards in the past decade
along with 50 research grants from SENACYT and has registered four patents
(Rao, 2018).
Through the
development of numerous international academic partnerships, INDICASAT has
become one of Panama’s primary producers of scientific Master’s and PhDs. P=
artner
institutions for joint doctoral and graduate degrees and research include t=
he
University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) in the US, Acharya
Nagarjuna University in India, Beijing Genomics Insti=
tute (BGI)
in China and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechno=
logy
(ICGEB) in Italy. With regard to =
ICGEB,
INDICASAT now hosts the ICGEB-Regional Research Centre in Panama, unique for
Latin America. INDICASAT is also working with local universities to integra=
te
some of this knowledge transfer and doctoral training into existing national
programs. For example, its MD-PhD in biomedicine with the University of Pan=
ama
offers a three-year program in English—the first of its kind in Latin
America—with one year of study in Panama and two years abroad. Similarly, j=
oint
PhD programs in biotechnology and bioscience are currently being discussed =
with
the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP). INDICASAT has also developed a
broader strategic plan for a national Biotech Park, which it is beginning to
carry forward (Rao, 2018).
INDICASAT furthers these efforts by active engagement with academic
conferences and hosted the international Conference on Biomedicine and
Interdisciplinary Science with UK funding in Panama in February of 2016. It=
has
also been invited to present at the upcoming World Expo 2020-Dubai as a mod=
el
institute. INDICASAT is working toward making Panama a scientific hub for t=
he
region and showing how this reality can be accelerated through dynamic
utilization of international partnerships and programming.
ProEd
Foundation
An unfortunate reality of Panama’s weak=
education
system manifests in the great disparities evident between the public and
private schools. From major differences in infrastructure and instruction to
standardized test scores and employment opportunities, Panamanian public sc=
hool
students are failing to make the grade. A large part of this has to do with
teaching and administrative capacity.
Established in 2002, the ProEd
Foundation (Fundación ProEd), a local NGO with a mission to support and imp=
rove
education in Panama, has turned its focus over the past decade to bridging
educational inequality through the continuous professional development of
teachers and school leaders. Toward this end, ProEd has pioneered a number =
of modular
courses designed to systematically educate educators on international stand=
ard
pedagogy, methods and strategies. The Panamanian Ministry of Education (MED=
UCA)
recognizes and credits ProEd programming in its teacher evaluation system a=
nd
both MEDUCA and SENACYT have partnered with ProEd on numerous occasions.
ProEd’s most recently launched initiative, the New Teacher Certification
Program: Innovative Strategies for Teachers, offers a course with a broader focus, deeper experience, more long-=
term
perspective and a weightier qualification. Seeking to create a new
generation of teacher’s adept in leadership and active learning, this progr=
am
operates over a 10-month period and provides 220 hours of theory,
demonstration, practice, feedback and coaching (Joyce & Showers, 2002;
ProEd 2018). The hope is to scale this program through MEDUCA and train
increasing percentages of the public school educators.
Over the past five years, ProEd has
also incorporated research and scientific metrics to measure its efforts us=
ing
World Bank and Gates Foundation methods and indicators. The results of these
studies imply that students trained by ProEd teachers are superior to those=
of
students taught by teachers not trained by ProEd. Using inputs from Stanfor=
d,
Harvard, the University of Missouri and others, ProEd equips teachers with
effective state-of-the-art tools for facilitating learning in all grades. M=
ore
importantly, ProEd facilitators, trained in Panama and abroad, teach and
monitor these programs locally (Psychoyos, 2018).
In acknowledgement of these success=
es,
ProEd has won multiple prizes. In 2014, they received the UNESCO Hamdan
bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enh=
ancing
the Effectiveness of Teachers; in 2015, ProEd was a top four finalist (out =
of
800) for the Latin American ALAS Foundation-Inter-American Development Bank
prize for Best Educational Innovation; in 2012, ProEd’s founder and CEO, Dr.
Debbie Psychoyos, was selected as one of Panama’s National Heroes, a social
engagement recognition; and also in 2012, ProEd won the HSBC Future First
prize. Alongside these accolades, in Panama’s recent National Competition f=
or
Excellence in Education (Concurso Nacional por la Excelencia Educativa), wh=
ich
awards schools for academic achievement, three of the finalists were centers
with ProEd trained teachers (Psychoyos, 2018). While still a start-up and
struggling to scale its reach and impact, ProEd is an example of what can be
achieved—through the application of international research, methods and
partners—for advancing research and higher learning in the education sector=
.
USF
Health Panama
The Univers=
ity of
South Florida (USF), ranked in the top 50 US research universities, ninth a=
mong
public institutions and 21st worldwide for those granted US util=
ity
patents, opened the USF Health Panama program in 2006. Dr. Arlene Calvo, a
Panamanian alumna of the USF College of Public Health, established its offi=
ces
in Panama’s City of Knowledge as a non-profit foundation with a mission to
expand education, research, and professional development opportunities for
students and faculty from USF and partner higher learning/research
institutions. Its aim has been to build capacity for sustainable developmen=
t in
Panama and Latin America.
Since 2006,=
the USF
Health Panama program has signed numerous collaborative agreements, engaged=
over
1,300 USF and 300 non-USF student participants (nearly three quarters from =
the
health sector) in international field experience, study abroad and research
programs, and appointed eight Panamanian affiliate faculty members. It has
trained over 2,000 Panamanian health and education professionals through
conferences, workshops, seminars and continuing education programs and has
executed over $1.6 million in local and international research and program
grant funding. It has also facilitated the channeling of a number of Panama=
nian
scholars (funded by the government through SENACYT) to the USF College of
Public Health in Tampa for completion of Master’s and doctoral degrees (Ber=
nett,
2018).
The USF Hea=
lth
Panama program provides local and international faculty and students an
opportunity for knowledge exchange in research, public health instruction a=
nd
specialized clinical training. It also conducts hands-on training and
population-based research in at-risk and vulnerable communities of Panama. =
The
USF Health Panama program includes a strong network of local collaborators,=
such
as the Gorgas Memorial Health Research Institute, INDICASAT, SENACYT, the U=
niversity
of Panama and the City of Knowledge, as well as various international public
and private partners. They work closely with indigenous, inner city and
semi-rural communities to transfer healthcare learning and know-how, focusi=
ng
mainly on a range of women’s and infant health issues. Programming includes=
work
with shelters for high-risk pregnant women, training of lay midwives and ca=
pacity
building for Ministry of Health nurses and other health professionals (Bern=
ett,
2018; Calvo and Rebollón, 2018).
The USF Hea=
lth
Panama program also organizes and supports national and international
conferences and symposia on topics ranging from vaccine research to nursing
practice to infectious disease. In 2017 with faculty support from the USF C=
ollege
of Public Health Policy Department, an international training session was
offered on big data to explore use of electronic medical records for monito=
ring
public health, treatments and outcomes. The event was well received and
attended by health practitioners from the Gorgas Institute, the national So=
cial
Security system, private practice, City of Knowledge, NGOs and pharmaceutic=
al
companies. Likewise, in 2018, the USF Health Panama program offered medical
simulation certification training to 40 Panamanian public health clinicians=
at
USF in Tampa. Alongside the instructional and research work, the USF Health
Panama projects have produced numerous academic publications (Bernett, 2018;
Calvo and Rebollón, 2018).
Current USF
Panama efforts have begun to include collaborations with the USF College of
Education as well. A recent project with local partners focused on improved
mathematical modeling for standardized tests and production of data for pub=
lic
policy decisions. Another project introduced a series of teacher training a=
nd
coaching initiatives in the area of science related instruction for over 100
public schools throughout Panama.
Panamanian
Association of Anthropology and History
The Panaman=
ian
Association of Anthropology and History (AAHP, for its acronym in Spanish) =
was
officially established in 2015 in response to recommendations put forth dur=
ing
the first Panamanian Anthropology Conference in 2013 and has quickly grown =
to
attract scholars from multiple disciplines of the social sciences. With 38
permanent members and affiliates in both local and international universiti=
es,
the AAHP is beginning to fill a void in Panama’s academic community (AAHP,
2018; De Gracia, 2018).
Professional
associations worldwide are non-profit organizations founded with the express
aim of furthering the indicated profession in terms of current state-of-the=
-art
practice, networking opportunities, communications and visibility. In acade=
mia,
these associations form around a specific discipline or collection of
disciplines and typically propel inter-institutional collaboration, research
dissemination, knowledge exchange and professional development. Unfortunate=
ly,
little of this exists in Panama for any academic disciplines. Within the so=
cial
sciences, especially, there is a very limited research culture, few platfor=
ms or
spaces for the dissemination of research results, and a lack in the continu=
ity
and regularity of dissemination proposals (De Gracia, 2018).
In its firs=
t few
years of operation, the AAHP is beginning to address these issues. Its
organizational objectives are to bring together professionals in the
disciplines of anthropology, history, their respective sub-disciplines, and
other related areas of scientific study; to offer an official channel for
communication of the informed opinions of its members and associates; drive=
the
development of and work produced by these academic areas; and foster and
promote research on, communications related to, and protection of the count=
ry’s
cultural patrimony (AAHP, 2018; De Gracia, 2018). A follow-up international
conference was implemented in 2016 with far greater funding, many more
participants, and a much broader range of research presentations. Similar p=
lans
are ongoing for a 2019 event. Other smaller events have been co-sponsored w=
ith
local and international universities, research projects have been launched =
with
SENACYT and the City of Knowledge, among others, and AAHP has facilitated
international conference participation as well for its members.
Challenges =
to
AAHP sustainability and growth are comparable to those of the other
professional organizations in every country: the constant fundraising neces=
sary
for new research projects; promotion of improved participation, commitment =
and
contribution among its members; and increased frequency and quality of its
activities related to capacity development and research dissemination.
CIEdu
The concept for Centro de Investigac=
ión
Educativa (CIEdu), an independent center in Panama that focuses on education
research, is relatively new. Over the past two years, several leaders invol=
ved
with diverse individual efforts to conduct and convey research on education=
at
various levels have come together and begun to develop ideas for the
operational objectives of such a body. To date, this endeavor has been loos=
ely
configured and enacted with the hope that through the articulation and
promotion of goals, priorities and possible structures, a more permanent or=
ganization
may evolve.
The idea is to convene education
professionals and organizations—national and international, public and
private—that are already engaged in research for promoting (1) the producti=
on
of more independent, empirical, solutions-oriented work on specific priority
issues in Panamanian education, and (2) informative communications on such
research that has the potential to propel better decision-making, public po=
licy
and education practice. Targeted objectives for CIEdu include the following=
:
·&nb=
sp;
Generation
of a collective national research agenda
·&nb=
sp;
Establishment
of an Education Research Association
·&nb=
sp;
Expansion
of international partnerships to drive education research
·&nb=
sp;
Provision
of continuous learning opportunities and training for researchers
·&nb=
sp;
Increased
media coverage for both CIEdu and its work
·&nb=
sp;
Production
of policy briefs and white papers on priority issues
·&nb=
sp;
Participation
in pertinent national and international conferences (De Leon, 2018).
Possibilities for a sustainable CIEdu
structure include a Panamanian AIP (Asociación de interés publica), a
public-private research center jointly funded by government and private sec=
tor
sources; a national or regional not-for-profit non-governmental organization
(NGO); and a private foundation, among others. Steps toward this end will b=
egin
in earnest now that CIEdu recently won one of the 2018 SENACYT grants award=
ed
to expand and develop national think tanks for better informed public polic=
y. Regardless
of modality, the main challenges will be to secure sufficient, continuous
financing for CIEdu activity and attract/train the necessary human resource
base.
Conclusion and recommendations
The mini case studies presented abov=
e on
INDICASAT, ProEd, USF Health, AAHP and CIEdu demonstrate that it is possibl=
e to
develop world-class, international standard academics and research in Panam=
a.
In just over a decade, these programs have begun to revolutionize higher
learning and research capacity for the country and collectively have trained
hundreds of highly qualified professionals. With increased support and
continued integration into national education systems, these programs and
others like them hold considerable hope for advancing Panamanian higher
education and research.
Returning to the paradox with which =
this paper
began, Panama is not a poor country and therefore should not have poor educ=
ation
and research systems. This is neither justifiable nor intelligent from the
perspective of national development strategy, especially for the long term.=
Failing
to invest adequately in education and research not only extends the acute
income inequality and social exclusion already apparent in Panamanian socie=
ty
but also jeopardizes future national competitiveness.
Despite Panama’s rather bleak perfor=
mance
in education, particularly at the higher levels and for R&D, there are
significant efforts underway that are producing results, as the start-ups
described above exemplify. These types of initiatives need to be recognized,
supported and expanded. And in spite of the challenges detailed here, Panama
has numerous resources at its disposal with which to propel its burgeoning
higher learning and research advances.
First and foremost, given its high m=
iddle-income
status along with its increasing GDP and tax base, Panama’s government must
increase investment in education and, especially, R&D, where current
expenditures are ridiculously low. This should be done beyond MEDUCA and
SENACYT to include other government bodies such as the ministries of foreign
affairs, social development and commerce, among others, and with sufficient
oversight systems linked to desired results. Also, efforts should be made in
connection with and alongside government spending to propel private sector
investment in research. Panama has little experience (or tax incentive
structures) with which to further this but must contemplate modernization of
legislation in this regard.
Additionally, stronger support for a=
nd
better utilization of the City of Knowledge could also serve to leverage
national and regional R&D efforts. The City of Knowledge, a former US
military base located beside the Panama Canal’s Pacific entrance, is now a
private foundation led education-research-human development center. Its man=
date
and operating platform, which is an education free-zone legally separate fr=
om
both MEDUCA and University of Panama bureaucracy and inefficiencies, already
serve to channel and develop both public and private research financing and=
this
activity could be expanded considerably. This is all the more reasonable a
proposition given the array of international organizations and education
institutions based there. The City of Knowledge’s de facto housing of the
humanitarian hub for Latin America and the Caribbean make it a valuable (and
highly underutilized) knowledge resource (City of Knowledge, 2018; Svenson
& Montoto, 2012). Similarly, more dynamic administration of SENACYT fun=
ds,
better linkage of these with national development priorities and improved
dissemination of the results produced would also leverage the existing R&am=
p;D
activity and valid work beginning to get off the ground.
Interestingly, all of the start-ups
discussed in this paper are situated within and/or work closely with both t=
he
City of Knowledge and SENACYT. The City of Knowledge is uniquely positione=
d to
support these and similar initiatives to push forward research and higher
learning in the country and in the region. SENACYT as an autonomous nationa=
l public
entity could be an even stronger partner in this effort with more fluid
administration of its mission and resources. All of these ends, and more, m=
ust
be explored quickly and committedly if Panama is to maximize its human reso=
urce
development, further its research capacity and preserve its national
competitiveness. Ignoring this imperative will doom Panama to developing
country stagnation and waste its immense potential for bettering the lives =
of
its own citizens as well as those of its neighbors in the surrounding regio=
n.
References
Arjona, E. (2009). Globalización =
del
sistema universitario de Panamá: Naturaleza, causas, consecuencias y futuras
implicaciones (Globalization of the Panamanian university system: Nature,
causes, consequences and future implications). Retrieved
from https://www.academia.edu/22527317/Globalizaci%C3%B3n_de_l=
as_Universidades_en_Panam%C3%A1.
Asociación de Antropología e Hist=
oria
de Panamá (AAHP). (2018). La Asociación. Retrieved from http://aahpanama.org/asociacion/<=
/span>.
Bernett, G. (2018). USF
Health Panama. Presented at the LAURDS International Conference:
Perspectives on Culture, Research Strategies and Doctoral Studies in Latin
America. Panama City, Panama, July 26-27, 2018.
Calvo, A. & Rebollón, A. (2018). Improving maternal
health status in indigenous communities of Panama: Community-based participatory research and interventions among the
Ngäbe-Buglé people of Panama. Chapter in Maternal health,
pregnancy-related morbidity and death among indigenous women of Mexico and
Central America: An anthropological, epidemiological and biomedical approac=
h. D.A. Schwartz (ed).
City of Knowledge. (2018). About us.
Retrieved from http://ciudaddelsaber.org/en.
De Gracia, G. (2018). Las asociaciones profesionales y su papel en el
fomento de la cultura de la investigación (Professional associations and th=
eir
role in the development of a research culture). Presented
at the LAURDS International Conference: Perspectives on Culture,
Research Strategies and Doctoral Studies in Latin America. Panama City, Panama, July 26-27, 2018.
De Leon, N. (2018). Gener=
ando y
comunicando investigación para una educación basada en evidencia
(Generating and communicating research for evidence-based education). Presented at the LAURDS
International Conference: Perspectives on Culture, Research Strategies and
Doctoral Studies in Latin America. Panama City, Panama, July 26-27, 2018.
Fundación
ProEd (2018). Programs. Retrieved from http://www.fundacionproed.org/.
INDICASAT (Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servici=
os
de Alta Tecnología de Panamá). (2018). History and objectives. Retrieved from
Joyce,
B. & Showers, B. (2002). Studen=
t achievement
through staff development. Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Psychoyos,
D. (2018). The implementation of international standard driven teacher trai=
ning
in Panama. Presented at the LAURDS
International Conference: Perspectives on Culture, Research Strategies and
Doctoral Studies in Latin America. Panama City, Panama, July 26-27, 2018.
Rao,
J. (2018). INDICASAT: Research and education with a view to innovation. Presented at the LAURDS International Conference:
Perspectives on Culture, Research Strategies and Doctoral Studies in Latin
America. Panama City, Panama, July 26-27, 2018.
SENACYT (Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnonolgía e Innovación)
(2018). Re=
trieved
from http://www.senacyt.=
gob.pa/sobre-nosotros/.
Svenson,
N. & Montoto, L. (2012). Universities and the
knowledge hubs of the developing world: An in-depth look at the City of
Knowledge in the Republic of Panama. Educación Global 16: 53-69.
Svenson, N. & De Gracia, G. (=
2017).
Las ciencias sociales en la República de Panamá:
Oferta en la academia versus demanda del mercado laboral (The social sciences in the Republic of
Panama: Academic supply versus labor market demand). Retrieved from <=
span
lang=3DEN-US>http://aahpanama.or=
g/2017/06/las-ciencias-sociales-en-la-republica-de-panama-oferta-en-la-acad=
emia-versus-demanda-del-mercado-laboral/.
UNESCO
Institute for Statistics. (2018). Education and Literacy. Retrieved from http://uis.unesco.org/.
UNESCO
Institute for Statistics. How much does your country invest in R&D?
University of South Florida (USF) Health Panama (2018). S=
ervices.
Retrieved from http://health.usf.edu/international/panama/our-services.
World
Bank Open Data. (2018). Education Statistics (EdStats). Retrieved from http://datatopics.worldbank.org/educatio=
n/.
Invest. pens. crit. (ISSN 1812-38=
64)
Vol. 6, No. 3, septiembre- diciem=
bre
2018
pp. 68-79
_______________________________________________________________________=
____
Invest. pens. crit. (ISSN 1812-3864)
Vol. 6, No. 3, septiembre- diciembre 2018
pp. 68-79
_______________________________________________________________________=
____
Invest. pens. crit. (ISSN 1812-3864)
Vol. 6, No. 3, septiembre- diciembre 2018
pp. xx-xx
_______________________________________________________________________=
____