The training of professionals at postgraduate levels is one of the initiatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Innovation to encourage innovation in the country and the generation of employment for people specialized in an area.
With this program ‘High level’, Between 2019 and November 2021, the Ministry has awarded 2,538 scholarships for training at the doctoral level both in the country and abroad. Likewise, they have been granted 4,597 master’s degrees.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Tito Crissien, He explained what the scholarship goals are for this year and what programs promote research for the benefit of the country and the private sector, through incentives for hiring this population of professionals.
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What are the goals for the generation of postgraduate scholarships for this year?
The National Development Plan has a goal of 3,680 doctoral scholarships and about 5,400 in master’s degrees. Last year we awarded 2,800, we have about 800 doctorate scholarships to be awarded. So, we have opened a call through the general system of royalties for 60,000 million pesos, which seeks to deliver 600 doctoral scholarships in universities nationwide.
Is there some kind of agreement with other organizations?
Yes. We have an alliance with Colfuturo, we are talking about 40 doctoral scholarships at universities in the United States, which are in the 500 of the Shanghai ranking, among the best in the world. In addition, we have the scholarship program for masters in Colombia and abroad.
How much do these programs contribute in terms of guiding the country towards a knowledge society?
The training of human talent is very important since it is the doctors, the researchers, who generate the processes of science, technology and innovation. If we want to have a country that changes its model to being a knowledge society, it is first necessary to have that human talent, researchers trained to lead innovation.
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In that order of ideas, how is the scholarship program in bioeconomy?
The bioeconomy is a sector that has to do with all kinds of products that have some biological element, be they plants or animals.
That is why the different bioproducts have to do with pharmaceuticals and with the issue of cosmetics that come from our biodiversity. We also have the subject of agriculture.
Last year 54,000 million pesos were invested in topics of the bioeconomy division and this also includes a training package for doctoral programs related to this area.
How is the awarding of scholarships in this area?
We recently awarded 234 doctoral scholarships, through the ‘I am Profe’ program, in which 100% of the enrollment in Colombian universities is covered. We are going to deliver 600 new ones, of these, 80% must be in areas related to science, technology, or mathematics. In the science part there is everything related to the bioeconomy.
Another of the flagship programs is that of scholarships for the regions. What is the balance in its implementation?
We seek to have an equity at the national level, through the regions where some quotas are protected. Obviously the main regions in the country in terms of doctorates are Bogotá and Antioquia, but the Caribbean and Valle del Cauca have also been growing.
But we want to have a greater distribution, that is why some quotas were established by regions, so that no one is left behind.
Tito Crissien, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Private file
How is linking these professionals to the private sector?
It should be noted that more than 90% of the scholarship holders complete their training processes. In addition, they are mainly inserted in the academic world. However, we have been increasing the percentage of researchers working in the productive sector. The National Development Plan set a goal for 2.5% of researchers to be in industry, and we are now at 2.7%.
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What incentives are given to companies?
We have a database of doctors that are available to companies. In addition, there are tax benefits such as the recognition of 125% of the doctor’s salary to employers that can be deducted in taxes, so let’s say that this is also a very important tool for recently graduated doctors.
How to close the gender gap in access to postgraduate courses?
In Colombia 34% of researchers are women. That is why we have prioritized this population in the scholarship studies.
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JULIANA PEÑA
Portfolio Journalist
