SAN JOSE - In a recent development, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) undertook an assessment of meteorological studies conducted at the physics faculty of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The WMO, in its periodic review, visited the National Meteorological Service and universities in the country, reconfirming their status as Regional Training Centers (RTCs).
Meteorological Services commonly collaborate with various universities and institutes at the national level to provide training for their personnel in diverse branches of meteorology and climatology. Recognizing the regional demand, WMO actively promotes the availability of training facilities in member countries, facilitating personnel from other nations in the region to undergo specialized training. This collaborative effort involves a process where countries nominate national institutions to be designated as regional training centers, subsequently eligible for financial support and student scholarships provided by the WMO. To ensure the continued excellence of these programs, WMO routinely evaluates the offerings of these institutions functioning as RTCs.
In light of this, a delegation representing WMO recently visited RTC Costa Rica to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the participating institutions. The delegation, led by Mr. Paul Bugeac, WMO's education coordinator, and Mr. Albert Martis, Director of the Meteorological Service Curaçao, acting as a representative of the WMO Executive Council's Capacity Development Panel, engaged with the national meteorological service, the University of Costa Rica, and the national electricity institute as a key client. Preliminary findings suggest that the institutions are maintaining the high standards of the WMO program and have introduced new initiatives tailored to the specific needs of diverse countries in the region. In the forthcoming months, the approval process is slated to occur at the main office in Geneva, formalizing the reconfirmation of RTC Costa Rica.
This accomplishment opens avenues for employees of meteorological services in Central America and the Caribbean, including Curaçao, to access scholarships from WMO for meteorological studies at the University of Costa Rica. Minister Charles Cooper expressed satisfaction with this significant stride, emphasizing its importance for Curaçao and, specifically, for the employees of Meteo.