The New School News

Second Annual President Nestor Kirchner Fellowships Awarded in Buenos Aires

Argentine Ambassador to Portugal Jorge Arguello, UNSAM Rector Carlos Ruta, Awarded Fellow German Linzer, TNS President David Van Zandt, Argentine Ambassador to the US Cecilia Nahon.

On August 15 in Buenos Aires the new PNK Fellows for the period 2013-2014 were announced by New School President David Van Zandt and Carlos Ruta, Rector of the Universidad Nacional de San Martin in Buenos Aires. Both University Presidents were members of the final jury of public figures and intellectuals in the region which awarded honorable mentions to six of the 100 candidates from 10 countries. The scholarship includes a two-week visit to The New School in New York.

Germán Alejandro Linzer (Argentina), María Villa (Colombia) and Fernando Kleiman (Brazil) are the winners of the 2013-2014 President Nestor Kirchner Fellowship. They will travel to New York for two weeks to do research, training and networking activities hosted by the Observatory on Latin America at The New School.

The ceremony took place in Casa Patria Grande in Buenos Aires in the presence of David E. Van Zandt, Carlos Ruta, Cecilia Nahón, Argentine Ambassador to the United States, Jorge Argüello, Argentine Ambassador to Portugal; Margarita Gutman, Director of the Observatory on Latin America (OLA), and the Argentine Undersecretary of Management and Civil Service, Andres Gilio.

The Argentine winner, German Linzer, an economist with a Master’s Degree in Science, Technology and Innovation Management, said, “I am very excited. We are at a point in which the access to new knowledge implies an opportunity but also a big responsibility. This fellowship aims for regional integration; it sets Latin America as a point of reference of critical and autonomous thinking that generates new alternatives for other countries, and for the world.”

David Van Zandt noted that one of the goals of the university is to “see young people in action”, and he added: “For the PNK Fellows to be in a different environment, to discuss with other people, to make contacts, and to create new agendas is very productive. We hope that it is meaningful for young Latin Americans to have this experience outside of Latin America”.

Carlos Ruta observed that: “it is necessary to train and promote young people and intellectuals who have a call for public service and who understand the idea of the common good. The first common good is knowledge.” He emphasized the synergy of the Universidad Nacional de San Martín with the New School as the US counterpart in this effort.

The winning essays were: “Notes on the Conception of Technology Development for Argentina and Latin America” (Linzer), “Meaningful Experiences and Art Mediation Research Laboratories” in art and education (Villa) and ” Productive Inclusion – Decent work as a right and not an obligation” (Kleiman).

Honorable mentions were given to Pamela Verónica Morales (Argentina), Miranda Patricia Cassino (Argentina), Glauciene Diniz Lara (Brazil), María Beatriz Rocco González (Uruguay), Gerardo Alberto Arce (Peru) and Inés Barboza (Argentina).

In closing remarks, Gilio -Argentinian Labor Undersecretary- said: “we are all winners with this initiative, because only through supporting science and investing in education and knowledge can we aim to have an integrated society, economic development, and a fully democratic society”. Ambassador Cecilia Nahon stressed that: “young intellectuals who work in the public sector of our region often have the chance to go to United States to be trained, to learn and to listen to new ideas. But the important thing here is that there is a two way dynamic which also gives to these young researchers who serve their respective countries the opportunity to be spokesmen and women of what happens in Latin America”.