Honorary President of GFDD Visits to U.S. Academic Institutions seeking collaboration to increase technology training in the DR

The former President of the Dominican Republic and honorary President of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its sister institution in the DR, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), Dr. Leonel Fernández, visited various institutions of higher education and prestigious research centers in the United States, which pledged to work with the Dominican Republic in a variety of aspects, mainly related to technology, education and cultural
exchange.

In New Jersey, where he began his work agenda, the former President visited the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, where he was received by the President of the institution of higher learning, Joel Bloom. The NJIT works on various issues related to training and coaching programs in engineering and high technology. In this regard, Fernández and Bloom began to lay the groundwork for NJIT to provide support to Dominican businessmen who invest in
high-tech companies. Fernández said after the meeting, that his goal is to build a lasting relationship with the Institute, through which Dominican companies and universities can establish partnerships and learn from its technological expertise.

Fernández, who described the NJIT as a "world class university of the 21st century with global vision,"
said that by partnering with the NJIT, the Dominican Republic can make a giant leap towards economic development and high-tech. He also indicated that an inter-agency agreement would create the conditions for a large number of Dominican students to come to the U.S. to study at NJIT. After finishing their studies, they would return to use their education to foster technological innovation in their homeland.

The former President, who is traveling with a large delegation of
Dominican entrepreneurs, said that they are also going to work on the idea of establishing a center for economic development, where incubators for Dominican investors in the area of high-tech can be created.

Also in New Jersey, the former Dominican Head of State, along with FUNGLODE Executive Director, Marco Herrera, visited the Montclair State University and had a working meeting with its President, Dr. Susan Cole, in which they opened the possibility of a collaborative
exchange on issues related to education, teacher training, online education, and technology in education, among other topics, aimed at improving the training of Dominicans.
"Specifically, they talked of having a teacher training seminar on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) system for basic education, which will be held in the Dominican Republic before the end of the year and will feature experts in the technological and educational fields,"
said Marco Herrera, Executive Director of FUNGLODE.

Another academic institution that the former President visited in New Jersey was Princeton University. He had a working meeting with its President, Dr. Christopher Eisgruber, in which they began to lay the groundwork for establishing partnerships between FUNGLODE and the Center for Latin American Studies.
Also, the former Head of State met with Paul DeBenedetti, Dean of Research at Princeton University, as
well as with John Ritter, Director of the Office of Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property for the program "Innovation Across America," with whom he explored the possibility of an exchange in the areas of research and development.

In the State of New York, where he is continuing his work schedule, Dr. Leonel Fernández visited Columbia University on Tuesday. There, he held a working meeting with its authorities to coordinate cooperation
agreements, through the School of International and Public Affairs, on topics related to sustainable development.
The following persons participated in the working meeting: Maritza Colón, Executive Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS); Glenn Denning, from the Earth Institute; and, Dan McIntyre, from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

As part of his agenda in New York and in the framework of his contacts
in pursuit of exchanges of inter-agency collaboration, Fernández also visited the Schomburg Center of Research in Black Culture. There, he was received by its Executive Director, Dr. Muhammad Khalil, and by Library Head, Mrs. Maira I. Liriano.

The former President explained that the exchanges of inter-agency collaboration will take place through FUNGLODE, but with the active participation of the various Dominican universities.