Eduardo Doryan - Public Service in Costa Rica

Public Service in Costa Rica

Mr. Doryan served as Costa Rica's Deputy Minister for Science and Technology from 1986 to 1990, during which time he promoted a substantial increase in the number of students pursuing masters and doctoral-level studies in leading North American and European universities. He also played an active role in the efforts to upgrade levels of science and technological research, laboratory facilities, and strengthening the linkages between academia and private companies.

Afterwards, he became Minister of Education from 1994-1998 duringJosé María Figueres' presidency. During that time, among some of the important initiatives implemented were those to establish technical education programs to upgrade the skills of the country's workforce, widespread use of computers in primary and secondary schools, the extension of the school year, and the introduction of more challenging curricula to the classroom. He was part of the team at the highest level of the Government that led the attraction of a new wave of foreign direct investment with a higher technological content.

After 6 years abroad, he became Executive President of the CCSS from 2006 to 2010. The CCSS is a public social sector agency—the largest public or private entity of the country, which is responsible for both the national health insurance and the national retirement/pension insurance; two central pillars of the social protection network that cover the majority of the inhabitants of the country. Following the election of Laura Chinchilla he was appointed to the Costa Rican Electricity Institute, which until recently also had a state monopoly over telecommunications in the country.