30 Years of Tertiary Titans COBEC
The Ministry of Education, members of the Consortium for Belize Educational Cooperation, met today in Belize City for the annual COBEC Winter Symposium. This year, COBEC celebrates thirty-years of existence and used the forum to discuss the strengthening and expansion of tertiary level education in Belize. We spoke with three members of COBEC about this year’s forum. They say research and new opportunities are being explored.
Emilia Hodge
Dr. Emilia Hodge, Co-Chair, COBEC (U.S.)
“It was established with three goals. The goals to professionalize higher education in Belize; the goal to internationalize higher education and also to build the organizational capacity of the Consortium in order for these things to happen. Research, that is one area. There are other areas of professional development, workshops, staff training, and teacher-education. So there are many areas in which the members collaborate. My colleagues love the opportunity and myself, I, love the opportunity for networking. We are meeting new members all the time. In fact, there is university that applied for membership and we are going to be voting on that soon. So, I believe the expansion of the relationships and the deepening and strengthening of those relationships that have already been established. I think those are some of the big takeaways from the conference.”
Karen Martinez
Dr. Karen Martinez, Belize Co-Chair, COBEC (Belize)
“What we also do, along with directly about education and how we can collaborate, we also have members of the Belizean community, when the US members are here with us, come in and talk to us about what is happening in Belize. So, today we have Mister Geban talking to us about tourism in Belize and what it is and what it can also do for us. A while ago, we also had Mister Mark Usher from PROTO talking about what they are doing and trying to help to ensure that our young generation get a good chance of becoming great and also be productive citizens of our country.”
Betty Flinchum
Dr. Betty Flinchum, Founder, COBEC
“We have an exchange, a very viable exchange. It is a study abroad programme and interaction. Students are coming here working in the schools and in other projects. A study abroad programme is very viable here and it’s through COBEC. It is a part of the objectives and important to COBEC.”
