MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' competition for students criticized by University of Buenos Aires

Last year the winner was Nicolás Aguiar, a 24-year International Relations student at the University of Rosario in central Argentina

Argentina's leading tertiary institution and one of Latin America's highest-rated for academic excellence, the University of Buenos Aires, UBA, has again, rejected the announced cultural project, “Why I would like to meet my neighbours from the Falkland Islands”, organized by the disputed Islands' government and the British embassy.

In effect the Superior Council of UBA, made up of Deans, professors, graduates and students, as happened with the first edition in Argentina of the so called Cultural Competition, officially repudiated the competition in a specific resolution.

Although the issue is controversial as happened last year with other universities, finally there was Argentine bachelor English speaking students interested in the competition. Last year the winner was Nicolás Aguiar, a 24-year International Relations student at the University of Rosario in central Argentina

Nicolas spent a week living with a family in the Falklands, learning about the disputed territory's culture, history and people, and “to experience first-hand the life in the Falklands”.

The application – open to students pursuing bachelor's degrees– requires students to film a one-minute video essay in English answering the question: ”“Why would I like to meet my neighbors from the Falkland Islands?”, and will be accepted through 11.59 pm on September 30.

The ideal winner should be active in social media and willing to share his/her experience about the Falkland Islands through these channels. The competition also encourages students who are particularly savvy with social media to apply.

The week-long trip will be fully financed by the government of the Falklands: transport, food, lodging and insurance. The Argentine candidate will be accompanied by fellow competitors, one each from Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, where similar invitations have been extended with the support of the local British embassies.