CABEI, SICA and SIECA recognize research winners of the third edition of the "Call for Papers"

Central America, December 18, 2020.- Five research papers formulated by professionals, academics, civil servants and researchers committed to the process of Central American integration were awarded in this 3rd edition of the Call for Papers: Central American Integration towards the Bicentennial of Independence and 30 years of SICA".

On this occasion, ten honorable mentions were also awarded, among the most outstanding research works according to the program's criteria, which are recognized by an accreditation certificate.

The call for papers was launched on July 3 and closed on September 30 by the General Secretariat of SICA, SIECA and CABEI, with the support of four strategic partners: the European Union (EU), the ETEA Foundation, as the Development Institute of the Loyola Andalucía University, the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), with the aim of generating a high-level space for the generation of knowledge and specialized research on integration.

The five winning articles are awarded funds totaling US$20,000, granted according to the eligibility criteria of the call, in the following order:

First place: USD 7,500.00

Second place: USD 5,000.00

Third place: USD 3,000.00

Fourth place: USD 2,500.00

Fifth place: USD 2,000.00

First five places

1.  First place: Scientific Mission of the Morazán Satellite: Regional integration through space cooperation for the monitoring of hydro-meteorological risk in Central American hydrographic basins. Authors: Ana María Araya Castro, Costa Rican; Daniel Gutiérrez González, Costa Rican; Tracy Campos Robles, Costa Rican; María José Molina Montero, Costa Rican; Javier Mejuto, Honduran; Oliver Sierra Pac, Guatemalan.

2.   Second place: Central America: Towards a Bioeconomy Enhanced by Preserved Biodiversity. Authors: Roger Midence, Nicaraguan; Francisco Serrano Bernardo, Spanish; Alessandra Bonoli, Italian

3.   Third place : A methodological framework to assist in the renewable energy policies of the Central American countries based on the Analytical Network Process (ANP). Autor: Juan Carlos Murillo Castellanos, hondureño.

4.         Fourth place: Industry 4.0 in Central America: Current status and efforts to bring it closer to SMEs in the face of new challenges and opportunities after COVID-19. Author: Silvia Marcela Segura González, Costa Rican

5.   Fifth place: Central America and the Association Agreement with the European Union: A look at how to take advantage of the agreement in the trade of goods Author: Carlos Alberto Melara Cañas, Salvadoran

Honorable Mentions

•   Towards a Central American Industrial Policy. Author: Jesús Francisco Quevedo Osegueda, Salvadoran

•  Reflections for Central America in the framework of COVID-19: A historical review of the regional labor market with a gender perspective. Author: Eduardo Enrique Samayoa Alvarado, Guatemalan

•   Gaps in the strengthening of civil power and the inclusion of gender in Security Sector Reform processes within the framework of the Democratic Security model in the Central American region. Authors: Astrid Villatoro, Guatemalan and Sara Alonzo, Guatemalan

•  Re-energize Central American Integration, anticipating the 2031 development agenda Author: Carlos Eduardo Cortés Zea, Mexican.

•   Challenges of Central American Integration: Preserving the cultural identity of the original peoples and those of African descent 200 years after independence  Author: Krissia Lorena Flores Navarro, Salvadoran

•  Trade between Central America and the European Union: Impact on trade liberalization and total factor productivity Authors: Laura Angulo, Nicaraguan, Raúl Godínez, Nicaraguan and Axsell López, Nicaraguan

•  Incidence of poverty on Food and Nutritional Security in Central American countries Authors: José Serafín Menjívar Menjívar, Honduran and Kathia Eunice Cañada Luque, Honduran

• Trade and Technological Change in Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic: 1990-2018 Authors: Danilo Rivera, Colombian, Elpidio González, Panamanian and Giancarlo Roach, Panamanian

•  Generating Public Policies in Central America from the schemes of Science Diplomacy: Building bridges requires two sides, science and diplomacy. Authors: Karina Aquino, Honduran, Claudia Widmaier, Uruguayan and Luisa Echeverría, Colombian

•   Crisis and challenges in the preservation of the cultural identity of the native peoples and afro-descendants of Central America. Author: Oscar Arístides Alonso Castilla, Nicaraguan.

All the articles were evaluated by an Editorial Committee made up of officials from the General Secretariat of SICA, SIECA and CABEI, as well as specialists in the thematic areas of the call for papers, in order to ensure compliance with the guidelines on form, editorial standards, thematic relevance and appropriate structuring of the article.

In cases of co-authorship, the award will be divided and given to each co-author in equal shares.

Likewise, in order to strengthen the impact of the knowledge generated in the call, a two-day academic seminar will be held in which master lectures will be given on the thematic areas of the three editions of the Call for Papers competition, with the participation of the winners and honorable mentions from previous editions of the competition, so that they can present their research.

The call sought to encourage applied research on Central American integration issues in order to promote prospective discussion of integration issues and facilitate a platform of ideas, proposals and knowledge that will make it possible to enhance the functionality of SICA and support progress in the regional agenda. For this reason, the call for research articles focused on substantive issues of the regional integration agenda in line with the Bicentennial of Central America's Independence, the 35th anniversary of the Esquipulas I Agreement and the 30th anniversary of SICA was of particular interest).