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Board hears update on Paraguay connections and Hays Scholarship; embassy contact could prompt new visits
Summary
Ohio Wesleyan and the city maintain a relationship with Paraguay through the Hays Scholarship; board members heard that the Paraguay embassy will rename a conference room after Rutherford B. Hayes and may invite Delaware representatives, and the committee discussed exploring sister/friendship ties in Paraguay.
The advisory board received an update on ongoing ties with Paraguay, including the Hays Scholarship at Ohio Wesleyan University and recent outreach from the Paraguay embassy in Washington.
Lisa Ho described a memorandum of understanding between Ohio Wesleyan and Paraguay that created the Hays Scholarship, which provides one full scholarship and several partial scholarships; the university has welcomed five Paraguayan students since 2021, with two graduates and three students currently enrolled. Ho reported a recent introductory Zoom with Alejandro, a first secretary at the Paraguay embassy, and said the embassy plans to rename a conference room in Washington after Rutherford B. Hayes; she expects an invitation for a dedication ceremony and suggested the board consider inviting the new ambassador to Delaware.
Ho noted prior discussions about identifying a Paraguayan municipality that might be a good match for a sister-city or friendship arrangement — one local contact had suggested a city near Iguazú Falls but no firm proposal has been advanced. Committee members agreed that a new ambassador is an opportunity to revisit Paraguay ties but that any visit or sister-city pursuit should be tied to a clear purpose or event.
Ho said she will follow up with the embassy about the conference-room dedication and discuss potential visits, and she flagged ongoing university ties (including an existing cooperation agreement between Ohio Wesleyan and Kansakara University in Japan) as background that could support future exchanges.
