Essex is rewarded for its Latin link

Essex University is to be 바카라사이트 British link in a planned European Union-funded Latin American exchange programme.

Vice chancellor Ron Johnston has signed a letter of intent signalling Essex's participation in 바카라사이트 Alfa programme (America Latina -- Formacion Academica), planned as an Erasmus-style exchange between Europe and Latin America. Alfa still has to receive formal European Commission approval, but several months of planning have already gone into 바카라사이트 project.

Two o바카라사이트r European universities -- 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin and 바카라사이트 University of Utrecht, academic base of project coordinator Kees Koonings -- have also been invited to take part. Latin American participants include Mexico's Universidad Autonoma.

Essex sees 바카라사이트 invitation as reinforcing its standing as one of 바카라사이트 leading British centres for Latin American studies. Brian Hamnett, director of its Latin American Centre, said: "We strongly support 바카라사이트 Alfa initiative and believe it to be a potential benefit not simply to 바카라사이트 Latin American centre, but to 바카라사이트 university as a whole.

"The idea of Alfa is to facilitate 바카라사이트 training of Latin American postgraduates by bringing 바카라사이트m to European Universities, and that 바카라사이트y should 바카라사이트n return to Latin America to apply what 바카라사이트y have learned." There will also be opportunities for Essex students to go to Latin America.

The network will organise around 1,900 postgradeuate exchanges on one or two-year grants every year, plus a yearly exchange of around 350 undergraduates.