Costa Rica

Partners situated in Costa Rica

None.

Costa Rica in a nutshell

(sourced from Wikipedia)

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica) is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Among Latin American countries, Costa Rica ranks 4th in terms of the 2007 Human Development Index, and 48th worldwide.[3] Costa Rica is ranked 5th in the world in terms of the 2008 Environmental Performance Index, up from the 15th place in 2006.

In 2007 the government of Costa Rica stated that they want Costa Rica to be the first country to become carbon neutral by 2021.

Costa Rica is a democratic republic with a strong constitution. Although there are claims that the country has had more than 115 years of uninterrupted democracy, their presidential election history shows otherwise. Nonetheless, the country has had at least fifty-nine years of uninterrupted democracy, making it one of the most stable countries in the region. Costa Rica has been able to avoid the widespread violence that has plagued most of Latin America.

Costa Rica is a republic with three powers:

1. executive responsibilities are vested in a president
2. legislative power is vested on the Legislative Assembly, and
3. Judicial power is vested on the Supreme Court.

There also are two vice presidents as well as a cabinet designated by the president. The president, vice presidents, and fifty-seven Legislative Assembly delegates are elected for four-year terms. A constitutional amendment approved in 1969 limited presidents and delegates to one term, although delegates were allowed to run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.

The Supreme Electoral Body, the Office of the Comptroller General, the Office of the Procurator General of the Republic and the Office of the Ombudsman also enjoy a lot of independence.

Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 81 cantons ("cantón" in Spanish, plural "cantones"), each of which is directed by a mayor. Mayors are chosen democratically every four years by each canton's people. There are no provincial legislatures. The cantons are further divided into districts (distritos). The provinces are:

1. Alajuela
2. Cartago
3. Guanacaste
4. Heredia
5. Limón
6. Puntarenas
7. San José

Costa Rica has a population of 4.1 million of which 94% are White (including Mestizo), 3% are Black/Afro-Caribbean, 1% Amerindian 1%, Chinese and 1% other. The exact amount, however, is not known because the Costa Rican census combines whites and Mestizos in one category. The white population is primarily of Spaniard ancestry with significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish and Polish descent.

Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent. The majority of the Afro-Costa Ricans are Creole English-speaking descendants of nineteenth century black Jamaican immigrant workers, as well as slaves who were brought during the Atlantic slave trade.

The indigenous or Amerindian population numbers around 1%, or over 41,000 individuals. A significant portion of the population descends from a bi-racial mix of local Amerindians and Spaniards, most live in secluded indian reservations in the Cordillera de Talamanca or Guanacaste.

There is also an expatriate community of people of all ages from the United States, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Britain, and other countries.

Costa Rica hosts many refugees, mainly from Colombia and Nicaragua. As a result, an estimated 10% of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans, most of whom migrate for seasonal work opportunities and then return to their country. Moreover, Costa Rica took in many refugees from a range of other Latin American countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 80s - notably from Chile and Argentina, as well as those from El Salvador who fled from guerrillas and government death squads.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Costa Rica, and Roman Catholicism is the official state religion as guaranteed by the Constitution of 1949. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are Christian and like many other parts of Latin America, Protestant denominations have been experiencing rapid growth. However, three in four Costa Ricans still adhere to Roman Catholicism.

Due to the recent small but continuous immigration of communities from Asia, the Middle East, and other places, other religions have grown, the most popular being Buddhism (because of an increasing Chinese community of 40,000), and smaller numbers of Jewish, Muslim, Bahá’í and Hindu adherents.

The only official language is Spanish. There are two main accents native to Costa Rica, the standard Costa Rican and the Nicoyan. The Nicoyan accent is very similar to the standard Nicaraguan accent due, in part, to its vicinity. A notable Costa Rican pronunciation difference includes a soft initial and double [r] phoneme that is not trilled as is normal in the Spanish speaking world.

Jamaican immigrants in the 19th Century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the Mekatelyu creole dialect.

Costa Rica education policy

(The sections on education are sourced, with care and cross-checks, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Costa_Rica)

The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96%, one of the highest in Latin America, and both elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. This literacy rate is based on "The percentage of people aged 15+ who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement related to their everyday life."

According to art. 78 of the Constitution:

Preschool education and general basic education are compulsory but not enforced. Though the system is said to be free, many cannot afford the required uniforms and rural schools have no books for students. The length of time daily spent in school is 3.5 hours since the school class schedule is divided into two sessions in order to accommodate the students. These levels and the diversified education level are, in the public system, free and supported by the Nation. Public expenditure in State education, including higher education, shall not be less than six percent (6%) per annum of the gross domestic product, in accordance with the law, without detriment to the provisions of Articles 84 and 85 of this Constitution. The State shall facilitate the pursuit of higher studies by persons who lack monetary resources. The Ministry of Public Education, through the organization established by law, shall be in charge of awarding scholarships and assistance.

Costa Rica education system

School is divided in six year grades. It covers all the basic knowledge in mathematics, social studies, language (Spanish) and science, as well as some minor topics as music, religion, physical health and arts.

There are only a few schools in Costa Rica that go beyond the 12th grade. Those schools that finish at 11th grade receive a Costa Rican Bachillerato Diploma accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. Schools that offer classes to the 12th grade offer either the International Baccalaureate Diploma, accredited by the IBO in Geneva, Switzerland or USA High School Diploma, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Private schools in Costa Rica offer a robust education meeting international standards aimed to help increase student opportunity for continuing studies abroad or finding work in the international market. Amongst the programs available to students studying in private schools is the chance to take the SAT exams (US) or partake and receive the International Baccalaureate diploma through special studies in their Junior and Senior years.

There are several private schools that cater from kindergarten to high school.

Higher education

There are four public universities in Costa Rica:

1. Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)
2. Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR)
3. Universidad Nacional Autónoma (UNA)
4. Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED - but we cannot use this abbreviation as UNED is reserved for the one in Spain)

There are also several private universities:

1. Instituto Centroamericano de Administracion de Empresas (INCAE)
2. United Nations University for Peace
3. Universidad de EARTH
4. Universidad de Iberoamerica (UNIBE)
5. Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica (UACA)
6. Universidad Católica de Costa Rica
7. Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
8. Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología (ULACIT)

Universities in Costa Rica

(sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_Costa_Rica)

Public universities

Currently Costa Rica has four public universities, each assigned to cover specifics areas of knowledge and academic methods. A fifth university known as Universidad Técnica (UTCR, Technological University) is still being developed.

All public universities are members of the Consejo Nacional de Rectores (CONARE, National University Presidents Council) and cooperate among themselves in various activities.

1. Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR, Costa Rican Institute of Technology): also known as the TEC, is located in Cartago, Costa Rica. It has the mission of: "To contribute to the integral development of the country, by means of the formation of human resources, research and extension; keeping the scientific-technical leadership, the academic excellence and the strict attachment to the ethical, environmental and humanists norms, from a state university perspective of quality and competitiveness at national and international level". The ITCR has a partnership with Intel which allowed the Institute to upgrade its curricula and place its best students within the company.
2. Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR, University of Costa Rica): its main campus is located in San Pedro, in the province of San José. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious institution of higher learning in Costa Rica. Approximately 40,000 students attend UCR throughout the year.
3. Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED, Distance State University): focused on distance learning it is well known to have its main offices in Sabanilla and many local branch campuses for classes and exams.
4. Universidad Nacional (UNA, National University): this university located in Heredia has a strong department of life sciences.

Private Universities

1. UAM (Universidad Americana): Universidad Americana (UAM) offers a wide range of study possibilities, all approved by Conesup. Its main campus is located in Los Yoses, Montes de Oca. Where the Goethe Institut used to be. It was created in 1997 and started officially in 1998 in San José and Cartago simultaneously, after a few months another campus opened in Heredia.
2. UCIMED (Universidad de Ciencias Medicas): Universidad de Ciencias Medicas (UCIMED) is a famous medical school[citation needed] located at San Jose,Costa Rica. UCIMED was founded in 1978 and has had a legacy of excellency in the teachings of medicine[citation needed]
3. Universidad EARTH: Located in Pocora, Limon. Specialises in Agriculture and the Environment. Approximately 400-500 students. It attracts a whole range of nationalities including American and British interns who often study at the university for a semester to a year. The web page can be located at www.earth.ac.cr
4. Universidad Hispanoamerica: The Universidad Hispanoamerica is private university dedicated to medical studies - specifically driven towards doctors and nurses. The programs, techniques, and facilities are modern - creating driven professionals with internationally recognised bachelor degrees. Based in San Jose, Universidad Hispanoamerica has campuses in several other provinces including Cartago and Heredia.
5. Universidad Latina:The Universidad Latina (abbreviated ULatina) is a private university located in Costa Rica. The university has several campuses around Costa Rica, although the main campus is located in San Pedro, in San José. As most private universities in Costa Rica it has remained solely as a teaching university. It does not have an admission exam and even admits students who have not passed the "Bachillerato" exams (basic education exams high school stuents must aprove in order to graduate).
6. University for Peace: The University for Peace was created in 1980 by the United Nations “to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations.” It is the only University in the UN family able to grant degrees and it has eight master's programs related to conflict resolution and peace building. Its main campus is in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica, about 40 minutes outside of San Jose.

Polytechnics in Costa Rica

No information at this stage.

Higher education reform

No information available.

The Bologna Process

No information available.

Administration and finance

To be added.

Quality assurance in Costa Rica

There is an excellent overview presentation on THE CENTRAL AMERICAN QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM at http://www.hrk.de/de/hrk_international/3819.php

See also http://web.guni2005.upc.es/interviews/detail.php?chlang=en&id=1115

Costa Rica HEIs in the information society

Towards the information society

To be added.

Information society strategy

To be added.

Virtual initiatives in HE in Costa Rica

To be added.

References

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