Yesterday, Thursday, June 15, the launch event of the Center for the Internationalization of Subnational Governments and Social Organizations (CIGSOS), belonging to the School of Government of the Universidad Austral.
The ceremony was presided over by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law and Director of the Master's Program in Public Policy, Celina Cantú, accompanied by the Director General of the Center and Professor of the Master's Program in Public Policy, Fernando Straface, and by the former Mayor of Quito and member of the International Council of the Center, Mauricio Rodas.
The opening of the meeting was led by Celina Cantú, who expressed her gratitude, offered a few words of welcome, and continued: “We understand that this new center has enormous potential both within and outside the School of Government. Internally, because of its cross-cutting themes; we primarily focus on three areas: public policy, international relations, and environmental management and quality, and therefore this theme is transversal to all of these areas, allowing for significant synergy in all the activities of the School of Government. And externally, because the center will naturally be the place where academia, researchers, professors, students, and graduates connect with the public, private, and civil society sectors.”
For his part, Fernando Straface shared the center's vision as a dynamic space for the production of academic knowledge, the exchange of best practices, and policy dialogue among policymakers. CIGSOS will foster collaboration and joint learning, thus promoting a comprehensive approach to the internationalization processes of public and private actors.
The event culminated with remarks from Mauricio Rodas, who thanked the EDG for their invitation and emphasized: “This Centre fully aligns with my position regarding the importance of promoting the internationalization of local governments, subnational governments, provinces, cities, and social organizations, and the fact that this initiative comes from the AU makes it even more valuable, so thank you very much.”
The work of CIGSOS is framed within the intersection of three approaches—research, training, and technical assistance—that aim to provide a comprehensive approach to the internationalization processes of public and private actors. In this way, the Center becomes a national and regional benchmark in the field of institutional internationalization, and a valuable space for dialogue and collaboration between academia and the public-private sector.
The center has the support and advice of a prestigious International Council made up of experts and personalities: three former mayors (Mauricio Rodas from Quito, Jan Vapaavuori from Helsinki; David Miller, Toronto); representatives from academia (such as Genie BirchProfessor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Juan Luis Manfredi-Sánchez from Georgetown University) and international organizations (Resilient Cities, C40, OECD, IDB, World Bank, Brookings Institution); and diplomats, such as the Chancellor Jorge Faurie.
We especially thank the Organization of Ibero-American States already its Director in Argentina, Luis Scasso, for their support and assistance in this exciting project.
