WILLEMSTAD - Minister Sithree van Heydoorn, representing the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport (ESKD), continues with his mission to secure affordable study financing for local students, ensuring that upon completing their studies, they will not be burdened with astronomical debts. As previously announced, an agreement was signed with the University of West Florida on Monday, June 5, 2023. On Tuesday, June 6, Minister van Heydoorn met with representatives from the University of Central Florida (UCF), including UCF Global Vice President Ms. Nataly Chandia, UCF Global Director Mr. Mark Hartman, and Dr. Robertico "Tico" Croes, a professor at UCF and Rosen College. The objective of this meeting was also to work towards enabling local students to receive "Instate Tuition" for the academic year 2024/25.
During the meeting, the minister provided UCF with an overview of the importance of studying in the region and what specific achievements Curaçao aims to accomplish in the future. They reached an agreement that further discussions will continue in the coming months, with the intention of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) no later than the first week of December 2023, which will come into effect for the academic year 2024/2025. Additionally, the minister met with the Assistant Dean of Research at the Rosen College, Mr. Manuel Rivera, and Dr. Robertico "Tico" Croes, to explore a possible collaboration between our country and the mentioned institute. Mr. Rivera has a good understanding of Curaçao, as he has conducted extensive research on the island y in the past. They assured that they will do everything possible to provide the students with sufficient opportunities to study at UCF under favorable payment conditions.
Minister Sithree van Heydoorn also mentioned to UCF that soon, there will be collaboration with the University of Curaçao (UoC) regarding student exchanges, internship opportunities, and exchange programs for faculty members related to academic and professional aspects. Minister Van Heydoorn guarantees that the relationship with UCF will provide positive benefits to our students from the Curaçao Study Financing Foundation (SSC), which is crucial for Curaçao’s development. These types of agreements are of great importance, especially for the youth.