During the weekly event organized by the Foundation for Private Universities in the Chancellery, national and international academics analyzed the challenges and opportunities faced by higher education institutions in the field of internationalization of research.
Santiago, October 27, 2023.- With renowned experts in national and international science, research and innovation and with the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs as setting, the Private Universities Corporation (CUP) The symposium was organized on October 26 “Internationalization of Higher Education: Current Trends and Challenges”whose primary objective was to analyze the challenges and opportunities faced by higher education institutions in this field which is very important for the development of the nation.
Today included the central presentation of Dr. Maria Soledad Origionia prominent Argentine researcher and academic specializing in science, technology and society, working in National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina. His keynote address focused on the importance of knowledge production and dissemination networks in the context of internationalization of research.
The event also witnessed the participation of entities and academics from public and private institutions related to scientific research. He was among the committee members Christian Nazer, President of CUP and Rector of Vines Terra University; Dr. Iván Suazo, Vice Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies at the Autonomous University of Chile; and Ambassador Julio Bravo, Director of the Department of Science, Energy, Education, Innovation and Astronomy of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speakers highlighted the importance of internationalization of higher education in the current context. For example, Ambassador Julio Bravo stressed the importance Supporting the internationalization processes of higher education institutions in Chile How does this contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, which It seeks to ensure equal access to quality education and improve the skills of youth and adults to access decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, CUP President and Dean of U. Finis Terrae, Christian Nazer, emphasized the necessity “Reflecting on the essential role we play in training new generations of researchers and professionals. Internationalizing research not only broadens our perspectives, but also challenges us to address global issues collaboratively.
Low investment in scientific production
During your presentation Dr. Maria Soledad Origioni He stressed the importance of the link between internationalization and research, noting this 74% of researchers in Latin America are associated with universitiesAnd that 57% of investment in research and development in the region comes from governments. Despite the recent crises the world has witnessed, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, Scientific production in Latin America continues to grow, although investment in research in the region is only 2.3% compared to other parts of the world..
In this regard, he noted that ““The resources we have are not minimal.”There are diverse material, cognitive and institutional resources. “In Latin America we have a great diversity of natural resources, Biodiversity, essential and indispensable for knowledge production. but, “There is a need to maintain and increase public funding for research.”Detained.
In the same way, Dr. Ivan Suazo He stressed the importance of the budget in scientific and technological development. Pointing out that Chile invests only 0.34% of its GDP in this field.
“Chile is lagging behind in terms of investment in science and technology (…) The 2024 budget is not expansionary, it is growing less in terms of science, which is worrying.”He stressed during his speech.
He further added that “Ibero-America produces 9% of the world’s science. If we take out Spain and Brazil, we are left with 3%. Chile produces 0.4%, which is a small level, Medium with objective standards for scientific production. He stressed that scientific production carried out in international cooperation is not the same as that carried out locally.
He also extended a call to work “with universities outside Croce; In Chile, Cruch does not represent the entire university system; 30% of the science we do in Chile is done by private universities and we are the only system that is growing in the introduction of researchers. In fact, the two main universities in international cooperation are private universities.
The symposium he sponsored International Relations Committee of the Union of Private Universities He stressed the need to promote the internationalization of higher education and research in Latin America, highlighting the essential role of universities in this process, as well as the importance of increasing public investment in research and strengthening international cooperation in the scientific and technological field.
