Prospects for Paraguayan social development through cooperation in science and technology within MERCOSUR

• Gabriela Dorneles Ferreira da Costa

  Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brasil

This study aims to contribute to the debate on non-traditional aspects of international cooperation within MERCOSUR. Specifically, it addresses the issue of social development through Cooperation in Science and Technology. The hypothesis adopted in this research is that, beyond the traditional economic aspect, this type of international cooperation has the potential to transform the social reality of Paraguay through direct positive impacts on education, productive inclusion, improvement of working conditions and the fight against inequalities. The choice of Paraguay is related to the perception that Cooperation in Science and Technology can offer benefits beyond the improvement of strictly economic indicators. In addition, it is argued that MERCOSUR would be the best place to promote this kind of cooperation, since it is the most institutionalized institution for promoting integration and regional cooperation in South America and is responsible for most initiatives similar to the presented in this work. From the social point of view, this work fulfills the task to prove the necessity of continuity of social projects even during periods in which international institutions, especially MERCOSUR, undergo reformulations of their priorities, returning to an action more restricted to the commercial area. 

1. Gabriela Dorneles Ferreira da Costa, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brasil

   De nacionalidad brasileña. Graduada en Relaciones Internacionales por la Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Tiene experiencia en el área de Relaciones Internacionales, con interese específico en Política Exterior Brasileña y en procesos de Integración y Cooperación Regional Latinoamericanos.

• PDF (Portuguese)