WILLEMSTAD – Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Sithree van Heydoorn will travel to Miami from March 5 to March 9, 2026, for a working visit that combines academic cooperation and support for the Kingdom of the Netherlands baseball team during the World Baseball Classic.
The minister will be accompanied by Sidney Justiana, director of the Curaçao Student Finance Foundation (SSC).
During the visit, Minister van Heydoorn will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Florida Institute of Technology and attend games of the Kingdom team competing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The agreement with the Florida Institute of Technology is intended to create new opportunities for Curaçao students pursuing higher education in the United States. According to the ministry, the partnership will offer more favorable tuition rates, promote the exchange of knowledge and experience, strengthen international academic ties and expand opportunities for local students to study abroad.
The collaboration is also expected to encourage the development of local talent at an international level while giving Curaçaoan students greater access to higher education opportunities in the region.
The signing of the agreement was made possible through the efforts of Curaçao’s Minister Plenipotentiary in Washington, Jèrôme Beeldsnijder, who helped facilitate the partnership.
According to the ministry, the initiative aligns with the government’s policy of strengthening educational opportunities within the region, allowing students to remain closer to home during their studies while also improving the chances that graduates will return to Curaçao and contribute to the island’s development.
In addition to the academic agreement, Minister van Heydoorn will attend games played by the Kingdom of the Netherlands team in the World Baseball Classic in Miami.
The tournament holds particular significance for Curaçao, as many players on the Kingdom team have roots on the island and the team is led by Curaçao-born baseball legend and Hall of Famer Andruw Jones.
The ministry said the minister’s presence at the tournament reflects the government’s recognition of sports as an important tool for inspiring young people, strengthening national pride and increasing Curaçao’s visibility on the international stage.
Officials added that both the educational partnership and the support for international sports contribute to the broader development of Curaçao’s economy and tourism sector.