EVALUATION OF GRADUATE ECONOMICS EDUCATION PROJECT (512-11-660-263.1)

VANDERBILT UNIV (VU) ASSISTED THE INSTITUTE DE PESQUISAS (IPE) DEVELOP ITS POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM. USAID & LOCAL FILES WERE EXAMINED & 30 INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH STUDENTS,FACULTY & CITIZENS. IPE HAS DEVELOPED FROM AN INSTITUTN WHICH WAS UNAWARE OF HOW TO ORGANIZE A GRADUATE PROGRAM INTO ONE OF THE LEADING ECONOMIC SCHOOLS IN LATIN AMERICA. ALTHOUGH PROJ HAS INITIALLY PROGRESSED EFFICIENTLY & RAPIDLY, THE NEW MA PROGRAM WILL REQUIRE PROFS TO DEDICATE MORE TIME TO GUIDING STUDENTS IN RESEARCH & THESIS WRITING. LIBRARY COLLECTNS MUST ALSO BE EXPANDED,& CURRENT RESEARCH PUBLISHED. PLANS FOR ADDING A PHD PROGRAM ESSENTIAL FOR IPE'S MORALE MUST WAIT UNTIL FACULTY & FUNDS ARE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED. STUDENTS ARE TRAINED AT IPE, VU & OTHER SELECTED US UNIVERSITIES. MOST TRAINED IN THE US HAVE RETURNED TO IPE FACULTY POSITNS. IPE STUDENTS ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR TRAINING & ACCESS TO PROFESSORS WHO,ALTHOUGH YOUNG,HAVE MORE PRACTICAL ECONOMICS EXPERIENCE THAN PROFESSORS MUCH OLDER IN US INSTITUTNS. IPE'S CURRICULUM IS COMPARABLE IN MOST CASED TO A FIRST YEAR US PROGRAM,EXCEPT IT OVERLY EMPHASISES ECONMETRICS & IS WEAK IN FISCAL & MONETARY POLICY. TWO WELL-KNOWN ECONOMISTS SHOULD BE RECRUITED EACH SEMESTER TO IMPROVE IPE'S EXPOSURE TO DIFFERENT ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES. EVALUATOR RECOMMENDS USAID & FORD FOUNDATN CONTINUE FUNDING IPE 2 MORE YEARS UNTIL IT CAN SOLICIT FUNDS. IPE FINANCES ONLY 25 PERCENT OF HER COSTS LARGELY DUE TO LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR & OTHER INCOME FROM GRANTS,CONTRACTS,& INTERNATNAL ORGANIZATNS. EVALUATOR RECOMMENDS FINANCES BE IMPROVED BY SOLICITING FUNDS,CONVERTING SCHOLARSHIPS TO REPAYABLE LOANS DUE AFTER GRADUATN & EMPLOYMT,& REQUIRING UNIVERSITIES BENEFITING FROM IPE'S EXTENSN ACTIVITIES TO PAY THE COSTS. EVALUATOR FEELS STUDENTS SHOULD BE SCREENED FOR ADMISSION AFTER THE ENTRANCE EXAM BY INTERVIEW & THAT STIPULATNS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED REQUIRING APPLICANTS HAVE BS'S IN ECONOMICS. EVALUATOR ALSO RECOMMENDS IPE INCREASE ITS ENROLLMENT TO 25 STUDENTS PER YEAR, AND THAT VU USE AID FUNDS TO SPREAD TRAINING TO OTHER US CAMPUSES.