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TIES Phase I Project at UGA Universidad Veracruzana-University of Georgia: A Partnership for Rural Economic, Educational, and Human Capital Development, August 2004-September 2007
U.S. Agency for International Development—Training, Internship, Exchanges, and Scholarship (TIES) Program What Is TIES?
 The TIES initiative, funded by USAID, allows universities in the United States and Mexico to form educational exchange partnerships for the purpose of creating economic and social growth in Mexico.
The program provides scholarships and exchange opportunities for Mexican graduate students to study development issues at American universities, as well as providing continuing education opportunities for farmers and other workers. Areas of study include agriculture, trade, agribusiness, communications technology, health and nutrition, and workforce and business development. TIES educational partnerships are mutually beneficial to both Mexico and the United States. U.S. faculty and students develop a better understanding of global issues through collaboration, contributing to global stability, while U.S. markets benefit from the experience gained in engineering, agriculture, environmental management, microenterprise development, and other areas. Meanwhile, government funding for TIES is matched dollar for dollar by participating universities and private sector partners (Source: USAID, "United States and Mexico: University Partnerships for Prosperity").
History The TIES (Training Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships) program was created in 2001 between the US and Mexico. President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox issued a joint statement announcing the a new scholarship program, predicting that the initiative would "harness the power of free markets to boost the social and economic well-being of citizens, particularly in regions where economic growth has lagged and fueled migration." (USAID, "United States and Mexico: University Partnerships for Prosperity"). Thirty-seven higher education partnerships between universities in Mexico and the United States had been developed through the TIES initiative as of 2005, with a goal of establishing 50 collaborations by the initiative's end. The partnerships are funded by USAID, with additional support from participating universities, foundations, and the private sector.
The UGA TIES project is a perfect complement to agricultural diversification and competitiveness policies and programs being initiated by the Commission on Commercialization of Agricultural Enterprises in Veracruz (COVECA) and the Universidad Veracruzana (UV). On May 23, 2003, Governor Miguel Aleman Velazco launched a program of agricultural diversification for small-scale, marginal, coffee farmers in Veracruz. The objective of this effort, the Project on Productive Diversification for Marginal Zones, is to promote alternative crops and products for marginal coffee producers. The diversification program envisions coffee farmers planting alternative high-value, commercial crops such as citrus, fruits and vegetables, and forest products.
The TIES Project at UGA The University of Georgia, in partnership with the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico, received a TIES grant of nearly $300,000 for developing Mexico's rural economy through educational exchange. The UGA project, "A Partnership for Rural Economic, Educational, and Human Capital Development" is administered by Director of International Public Service and Outreach Glenn Ames.
The project goal is "strengthening the competitiveness of Mexico's trade-led rural economy through product diversification and agricultural niche marketing."
This TIES project links UV and the University of Georgia in a comprehensive program of master's level training, curriculum development, collaborative and applied research in agricultural diversification, and outreach programming. At the end of the TIES project, UV will have implemented sustainable improvements in its outreach programs to rural areas, its agricultural curriculum, and the expertise of its faculty. UGA and UV will have jointly trained a cadre of promising students with expertise to aid Mexican farmers. Most importantly, UV will have developed the long-term capacity to strengthen Mexico's trade-led rural agricultural economy and improve the socioeconomic standing of rural communities.
Through the partnership, seven graduate students from the University of Veracruz were selected to receive scholarships and complete master's training at UGA. As of 2006, four of the students are currently studying at UGA. These students are: Carmen Antonio, Middle School Education; Katia Romero Leon, Agribusiness; Mayeli Peralta Contreras, Food Science and Technology; and Saul Abarca Arozco, Agriculture and Applied Economics.
Upon their return to Veracruz, these promising students will be better equipped to advise rural farmers on agricultural niche marketing for both domestic and international markets, and how to meet international food quality standards, and able to share their expertise with UV faculty, graduate students for outreach programming and improved curriculum. IPSO believes the long-term impact of the project will be a more competitive Mexican rural economy and an increased standard of living for Mexican rural agricultural communities. Student Activities TIES students Carmen Antonio, Katia Romero Leon, and Mayeli Peralta Contreras have been actively involved in developing a local service-learning project, the Learn & Serve Hispanic Healthcare Pilot Program in Athens. The project is designed to help bring healthcare information to the Latino population in Athens.
In partnership with IPSO, UGA College of Public Health, Athens Regional Medical Center, and the Public Library Community Learning Center, the program at Oasis Catolico-Pinewoods Estates is designed to improve Latinos' access to healthcare information through a series of health seminars.
The students have also participated in a variety of internships, assistantships, and research projects related to their majors. Research papers and activity reports include the following:
The Importance of TIES at UGA With one of every five Mexicans involved in farming, Mexico's agricultural economy directly impacts the country's economic and political stability. Over half of Mexican farmers reside in the rural countryside and grow crops on farms of 10 acres or less; more than 40 percent of rural Mexicans (estimated at 25 million total) earn less than $1.40 a day.
As a result, rural farmers are abandoning the countryside. Mexican farmers must become globally competitive in order to improve their quality of life and fully benefit from the integrated North American markets.
However, there are barriers impeding Mexico's rural agricultural producers from diversifying and becoming competitive. Among the recognized barriers is a lack of marketing knowledge on the part of Mexico's small-scale producers. A second barrier is the lack of understanding on the part of rural farmers of phytosanitary measures and the importance of producing products that meet international food quality standards. Assisting Mexico's farmers to overcome these barriers may well be the key to rural Mexico's social and economic problems.
The long-term impact of the UGA TIES project will be a strengthened international competitiveness of Mexico's trade-led rural agricultural economy and increased standard of living for Mexican rural agricultural communities by creating new economic opportunities.
This project is a long-term investment in human capital. Through better understanding of how to market and sell their agricultural products, rural farmers can improve their socioeconomic status. Without the skills an investment in human capital provides, they will be unable to capture the benefits or respond to the competitive challenges of NAFTA. Rural Education and Outreach in Veracruz
An important objective of the diversification project is to strengthen rural education in Mexico and its contribution to economic diversification. Universidad Veracruzana and University of Georgia are partnering to develop rural education through teacher education and training in Veracruz State, Mexico.
UGA and UV faculty have also participated in faculty exchanges with a focus on curriculum development, joint research and joint supervision of master's candidates, and outreach related to agricultural diversification.
Project Objectives Through this project, UGA and UV will strengthen the competitiveness of Mexico's trade-led rural economy and improve the economic situation of Mexican rural communities by:
These objectives will be accomplished by:
The anticipated results of project activities include:
More Information about TIES at UGA
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