On March 19, Regional Governor of Arequipa, Peru Dr. Rohel Sanchez hosted IREES leadership, Executive Director Dr. Tim Filley and LASI Managing Director Dr. Victor Maqque, for a series of high-level dialogs to strengthen the partnership between the State of Arequipa and the University of Oklahoma. The meeting included wide-ranging discussion of opportunities in sustainable management of natural resources, agricultural development, innovation in renewable energy sources like green hydrogen, and cooperation on knowledge and technologies for preservation of cultural patrimony. The conversation that included the Arequipa State’s Secretary of Science, Research, and Technology Dr. Irina Salazar and other State government officials led to a draft of priority areas for collaboration and interdisciplinary research, which will be further developed over the summer. The focus areas discussed also compliment the newly funded capacity building and technical cooperation for the Arequipa Global Change and Human Health Institute (GCHHI), that OU and UNSA jointly lead at the University of San Agustin campus in Arequipa.
