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AGREEMENT OF ACADEMIC COLLABORATION AND/OR AFFILIATION
BETWEEN
FUNDACION UNIVERSIDAD POPULAR
DE DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DE LAS AMERICAS
(UNIPOP)
with headquarters at Calle 8A-E56, La Riviera de Don Bosco, Panama, Republica de Panama
AND
_______________________________________________________________________________
with headquarters at _____________________________________________________________
WHEREAS:
- Fundacion Universidad Popular de Desarrollo Sostenible de Las Américas is an International Consortium of universities and not-for-profit research centers, founded firstly on the principle of education being an inherent right of all individuals as a vehicle to personal development, and secondly, on the right of disadvantaged communities to be equipped with the means to determine their own destinies and to assure the continuity, development, diffusion and dissemination of their culture at regional and international levels with a view to developing scientific, socially conscious, professional and technical personnel that will lend to the strengthening of the process of sustainable development;
- The objective and fundamental policy of the Universidad Popular is to promote agreements and collaborations with other universities and research centers with a view to offering tertiary distance education programs without duplicating the efforts of its partners in their local and national programs;
- Universidad Popular provides degree programs in technical training, continuing education, professional and post graduate seminars, technical assistance and the development of sustainable projects to aid in the development of needy, marginalized communities in the Américas and the Caribbean;
- The core philosophy of the Universidad Popular is based on community participation in the process of the sustainable development in order to enable the community to determine its own destiny, and to adequately equip it with the necessary tools to generate its own intellectual and economic resources for the improvement of its general quality of life;
- Universidad Popular may count on the participation of a great number of highly educated Panamanian and international professionals who have committed themselves to working with the indigenous, farming, mestizo / Creole communities, and those of African ancestry, to establish a unique public university network aimed at offering economically accessible education programs;
- Universidad Popular, being a non-profit institution, handles its finances under a concept that is self-sustainable and not based on a business-oriented model, and, as such, counts on the following sources of income:
Financial contributions from:
(i) Individuals who benefit from the educational activities and services provided by the university;
(ii) Those organizations that benefit from qualifications and accreditation
provided through the university;
(iii) Professional services;
(iv) Funds received from foundations and international agencies;
(v) Funds generated by the services of investigation, consultancy or technical assistance;
(vi) Scholarships from state institutions; and
(vii) The voluntary contributions of economic quotas of initial investment in the form of unpaid services offered by the body of professionals;
- Universidad Popular proposes to pursue new collaborations to develop a working plan of investigations, programs, sustainable development master plans, as well as plans for the development of the natural environment;
- Universidad Popular proposes to participate jointly with its affiliates and/or associates in the development and implementation of programs and investigative projects that will allow us to devise solutions to diverse problem issues, particularly in those areas related to infrastructure, economy and social groups;
- Universidad Popular proposes to collaborate with its affiliates and/or associates in order to develop joint social and economic programs with organizations, government institutions, private companies, foundations and entities;
- The following three categories of relationship with the Universidad Popular have been defined in order to facilitate participation of external parties in activities of academic cooperation under the conditions outlined hereafter:
- Member
- Associate Member
- Affiliate Member
- The affiliate or associate institutions share the following goals of the Fundacion Universidad Popular de Las Américas:
(i) to work jointly with universities and research centers with the purpose of implementing, promoting, sustaining and supporting activities geared towards sustainable development in general, and sustainable community development in particular.
(ii) to work jointly with universities and research centers in developed as well as in developing countries, to empower individuals and organizations in vulnerable communities through tertiary programs of a high, professional quality, with a view to eliminating poverty, hunger and racism; reducing health problems, and promoting environmental, social and economic sustainability;
- There are great national and international possibilities for collaboration in programs of tertiary education, scientific research and projects of sustainable development according to the social, economic, institutional and environmental views and requirements expressed in Agenda 21 and the Millennium Goals of the United Nations;
- There exists as great a potential for the exchange of scientific technology and experiences, as for the exchange of professors and students;
- Their respective institutional objectives and regulations do allow the participating entities to enter into this Agreement of Collaboration and/or Affiliation under the following terms:
(i) That nothing in this Agreement forces the affiliate or associate parties to satisfy the debts or obligations of the Consortium, neither does it force the Partnership to satisfy any debts or obligations of the affiliated parties or associates;
AND WHEREAS:
Ř The other institution inserts here ................ its mission/vision; goals, objectives ...... etc
IT IS AGREED:
FIRSTLY: - That the parties will participate in activities of academic cooperation under one of the following defined conditions of relationship and with the attendant advantages and obligations :
- Members:
Founding organizations or other institutions admitted as permanent members with full rights and responsibilities in the Consortium.
- Associate Members:
Universities, Research Centers and tertiary institutions that commit themselves:
a) to participate in programs of tertiary level distance education, research, exchange of professors and students, as well as cultural exchanges;
b) to pay the corresponding fees;
c) to maintain an ongoing relationship with the Consortium according to the terms of the agreements in effect;
d) to participate in the development of particular plans of action.
- Affiliate Members: Centers of accreditation and other organizations that agree to participate only in specific projects according to mutually designed and determined guidelines without having additional obligations outside of such an agreement;
SECONDLY: That the modalities for the collaboration would be as follows:
a) the implementation of projects and programs;
b) collaboration in joint academic programs;
c) cooperation in specific programs of consultancy;
d) exchange of students and technical personnel;
e) any other area of mutual interest.
THIRDLY: Each project and/or program to be developed within the scope of this AGREEMENT, will be the subject of a Specific Agreement which will include, among other things:
a) A definition of the objective that is being pursued;
b) A description of the work plan that will include the different phases and the chronology for the implementation;
c) A summary of the budget, materials and human necessities which the program requires, specifying the respective contributions of each institution;
d) Procedures for the coordination, implementation and pursuit of the project/program;
e) The names of the people, one from each institution, who will be designated by mutual consent as responsible for the execution of the agreement;
f) The designation of the organization that will head the project.
FOURTHLY: In order to facilitate implementation, evaluation and the continuance of these specific agreements, a Mixed Commission will be created, consisting of two representatives from each party. This Commission is formed within the first sixty days following the signing of the AGREEMENT.
The Mixed Commission will decide its procedures, allowing for meetings summoned by any of the parties;
FIFTHLY: The Mixed Commission will have the following functions:
a) to annually propose the academic, scientific and technological topics
of common interest, as well as the possibilities of collaboration
between respective parties;
b) to prepare Specific Agreements on selected topics;
c) to present these Specific Agreements to the appropriate authorities of
the respective institutions;
d) to ensure the fulfillment of all the signed Specific Agreements;
SIXTHLY: Gerneral administrative communications will have to be directed to the highest Authority or his designated representative.
SEVENTHLY: The present AGREEMENT will be effective immediately after being signed, and it will remain effective for three years, renewable for an equal period by tacit agreement.
EIGHTHLY: The concerned parties may reject or modify the present document at any time by mutual agreement. Anyone of the parties can annul the present Agreement by writing to the other party six months before the proposed date of completion. In both cases any work that is in progress must be completed.
In good faith, according to their respective objectives and their institutional status as University, Research Center or Qualified Academic Institution with corresponding legal status, they hereby sign this Agreement of Collaboration and/or Affiliation:
FOR:
The Fundacion Universidad Popular de Desarrollo Sostenible de Las Americas
(The Peoples of the Americas Consortium of Research Centers and Universities for Sustainable Development),
represented by__________________________________________________ Title__________________________________________________________
Signed_________________________________________________________
And
FOR:
_______________________________________________________________
Represented by___________________________________________________
Title____________________________________________________________
Signed_____________________________________
This _______day of ___________________, 200
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