BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—The Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the government of Paraguay have signed a partnership agreement that will result in greater collaboration between the two organizations and provide substantial academic opportunities for students and scholars.
Manuel Maria Caceres, the Paraguayan ambassador to the United States, and Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School signed the agreement March 10 in Bloomington.
The agreement results in substantial scholarships for up to 20 Paraguayan students per year to enroll in any of the O’Neill School’s master’s programs. Those selected will have their tuition covered by the government of Paraguay. Additionally, current master’s students in Paraguay will have the opportunity to visit the O’Neill School for up to six months to work on their research, while doctoral students will have the opportunity to visit for a year to gain experience in specific areas of their research.
The O’Neill School anticipates its first Paraguayan students to begin classes as early as this fall.
In Bloomington, up to five O’Neill School master’s students will have the opportunity to travel to Paraguay each summer to complete an internship requirement for the O’Neill program. The government of Paraguay will assist in placing O’Neill students in internships across various Paraguayan ministries. The Paraguayan government comprises a dozen ministries, offering multiple opportunities for O’Neill students to intern in areas like finance, foreign affairs, public works and communications, and education and culture.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for both our students here in Bloomington as well as for our friends in Paraguay,” said Mooney. “Indiana University already has significant ties to Latin America, and I’m pleased we’re able to bolster that even further through this agreement. Our students will gain international experience at a very high level in some of the 12 ministries in Paraguay.”
“The O’Neill School is internationally recognized as one of the world’s premier schools of public and environmental affairs,” Caceres said. “This opportunity for some of our top students in Paraguay will help further their careers as they seek to become local and national leaders here one day.”
Mooney offered personal thanks to Executive Associate Dean Brad Heim and Professor Claudia Avellaneda for her work on the partnership.
The agreement comes less than two years after Indiana University opened its Mexico Gateway, which provides the university with a physical presence in a major Latin American economic and cultural center and a point of access to other countries within the region.
About the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington
The O’Neill School (formerly SPEA) is a world leader in public and environmental affairs and is the largest school of public administration and public policy in the United States. In the 2021 "Best Graduate Public Affairs Programs" by U.S. News & World Report, O’Neill ranks first in the country. Additionally, six of its specialty programs are ranked in the top-five listings, including the number one nonprofit management program.