REDCAPA presented

REDCAPA is a non-profit Association of Latin American and overseas universities and research institutions concerned with teaching Agricultural Economics and Policies and Rural Sustainable Development. The network promotes South- South cooperation, produces a scientific magazine and two electronic information bulletins distributed to more than 10.000 professionals, runs a virtual library and data bases, redistributes scientific publications between its members and publishes teaching material. REDCAPA supports the exchange of lecturers and the preparation and execution of international joint research projects.

The network offers a complete platform for distance education through the internet that is used by its member institutions to offer courses throughout the region on a variety of themes. The network secretariat supplies a server and a virtual campus, announces the courses to a great number of e-mail contacts and on the web, administrates the courses, organizes a presential exam in more than 100 cities of the region and certifies the courses through its member institutions. Most courses at graduate and post-graduate level are of short extension, but MBA's and a PhD are offered too.

REDCAPA aims at contributing to the improvement of teaching and research in Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, the Environment and Agricultural Information, support institution building and improving national and international cooperation between its members. To this end, REDCAPA supports the permanent evaluation of education programmes formation, supporting and the introduction of new methodologies, interchange of lecturers and students and the organization of joint seminars and workshops. REDCAPA executes joint international research. While constituting a network of organizations, REDCAPA focuses on supporting lecturers and research staff.

REDCAPA was officially established in 1993, when its statutes and rules were signed by 18 founding organizations including 13 universities, 3 governmental institutes, one NGO, and one international organization (FAO), representing 11 Latin American countries and the Caribbean region. The network has since experienced growth, and now includes many member institutions amongst which several european universities as well as institutions from the US.

The organic structure of REDCAPA is based on equality between its members. Any institution dedicated to studying and teaching the themes of REDCAPA may join in wherever it is based in the world. More than one centre of an institution may obtain membership as can several institutions from the same country. The internal organization of REDCAPA stimulates an executive spirit while assuring democratic monitoring; communication procedures are designed to strike a balance between formality and agility. The Council, where all members are represented, meets every three years to decide on policy matters, incorporate new members and choose network authorities. The Board of Directors joins representatives from five different latin american countries and monitors the Executive Secretariat in between Council meetings. The International Director -appointed for five years and responsible for the preparation and execution of workplans and the general administration of the network- manages the Executive Secretariat and represents the Association. The Executive Secretariat is currently hosted by the CPDA (Postgraduate Course in Development, Agriculture and Society) of the UFRuralRJ (Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). The Association is officially registered in Brazil.