International cycle of forums on entrepreneurship launched with Maya Foundation

(La Paz, April 24.) – CAF - Latin American development bank – will open on Thursday April 26 in La Paz a cycle of forums on international experiences in entrepreneurship, a regional initiative sponsored by the institution with the aim of developing all stages of entrepreneurship. In Bolivia, the activity is organized in partnership with the MAYA Foundation of Entrepreneurship and Finance.

The forum Bolivia Enterprise: the role of universities and their entrepreneurial capacity will feature top level international guests Adrian Magendzo, director of the Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Adolfo Ibáñez University (Chile), and María Luisa Parra, principal administrator of the Ideas Foundation (Venezuela).

The presence of these experts will help familiarize participants with the range and experiences related to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship courses which have been started in universities in Chile and Venezuela.

Emilio Uquillas, CAF director representative in Bolivia, said "the cycle of forums develops the agenda of actions aimed at strengthening entrepreneurial activity in each country with the participation of public, private and academic actors."

In the forum, the Maya Foundation will present its online virtual course on entrepreneurial innovation and development to be held for the first time in Bolivia for the staff of five state universities. Experience shows that creating incentives for entrepreneurial education in higher education institutions is fundamental for achieving significant cultural and social change.

Jorge Velasco, president of Maya Foundation, said the theme chosen for the forum in Bolivia highlights the role of academic training as a catalyst for entrepreneurial activity. "The purpose is to create incentives for change in the public and private universities of our country, showing that entrepreneurship and innovation are the best path to sustainable development," he said.

The other forums organized by CAF were held in May and June this year in Colombia, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The key themes to be covered focus on the role of public policy, finance and training, and corporate entrepreneurship. As in Bolivia, the multilateral development bank works with local partners in each country.

Bolivia Enterprise: The role of universities and their entrepreneurial capacity will be held on April 26 in the CAF auditorium from 8:30 AM.