Author: mario de leon

Closing Diploma in Economic Integration

Central America November 18, 2022

Today the Diploma in Economic Integration culminated, which aimed to train more than 160 teachers from the universities that make up the Central American University Confederation, with the purpose of integrating university teachers in the subject in order to be able to replicate the importance of integration in the students of the public universities of the SICA region.  This initiative being one of the actions to be carried out collaboratively between SIECA and CSUCA.

In the closing remarks, Edith Flores, Director of the Center for Knowledge Generation Studies at SIECA, expressed the importance of the diploma in economic integration, being a tool that is now part of the knowledge of a significant group of teachers ?To socialize economic integration among the teachers from the universities that make up the CSUCA, 181 teachers participated in this training activity, with the interest of making economic integration available as an input in the new cadres of experts who will lead the states of the region?.

For his part, Carlos Alvarado, Secretary General of CSUCA, called on the participants to share their impressions of the diploma, taking into account that this is only the first step that is being worked collaboratively with SIECA,  Was the opportunity seen to exchange efforts through this training exchange, allowing the necessary changes for the Central American region, building a representative space of substantive aspects, where we have a meeting point between peace and justice in our societies? , mentioning that this exchange generates a greater articulation that promotes its own integration discourse, being a true development in scenarios of joint collaboration.

The closing ceremony culminated with two conferences, the first being ?State of the Central American Economic Integration process, Perspectives? by Edith Flores, Director of SIECA's Center for Knowledge Generation Studies and the second ?Initiatives and importance of Central American Integration in Higher Education? by Francisco Alarcón, Deputy Secretary General and Academic Director of CSUCA.

XXVI SIIDCA Meeting

On Thursday, November 10, the XXVI meeting of the Integrated Central American Documentary Information System -SIIDCA- was held virtually, with the purpose of consolidating the interconnection processes of the Library Systems of the universities that make up the Central American Higher University Council.

SIIDCA seeks the enrichment of collections, the strengthening of services to offer information that responds to the needs of the university community, giving special attention to the control, digitization, protection and dissemination of Central American university institutional memory.

Among the actions carried out at this meeting, the conference ?CSUCA Perspectives on the challenge of open science? by Francisco Alarcón, Deputy Secretary General of the Central American Higher University Council, as well as the presentation of the report of the General Secretariat of CSUCA, by Aníbal Martínez, Director of Administration, Finance and Management of CSUCA.

For the generation of this meeting, we sought to work from two spaces within which the work has been developed collaboratively, the first being a space for library directors where objective 4 of the program ?Research, science, technology and innovation for regional integration and development? of the Fifth Plan for the Regional Integration of Central American higher education and the Dominican Republic, as well as the presentation of the report on repositories and collective catalogs and new competencies in the services of hybrid Libraries.

Within the second space, a space was created for computer scientists and cataloguers where they presented the monitoring and follow-up of the repository and collective catalog by country, as well as the updating of the metadata guide, likewise, they reviewed the cataloging part that refers to the guide of metadata policies, with the aim of presenting proposals to organize the metadata guide.

To finish, the computer and catalogers report was presented in the joint space and the agreements of such an important meeting were developed.

IV REDCUPS

On November 9, 10 and 11, the IV Meeting of the Central American and Caribbean Network of Health-Promoting Universities -REDCCUPS- will be held with the purpose of generating a space for cooperation, exchange of experiences and knowledge to promote the movement of Health Promoting Universities among the higher education institutions of the Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano -CSUCA-.

To open the meeting, remarks were made by Ayax Irías, Vice Chancellor of Orientation and Student Affairs of the National Autonomous University of Honduras, who expressed, ?We hope that this event promotes and generates a rich and fruitful exchange of experiences that consolidates strategic alliances from universities with local governments, deepening the processes of intra- and inter-university integration?.

For his part, Carlos Alvarado, Secretary General of CSUCA, in his speech, made reference to the fact that ?Through the network of health-promoting universities, institutional bases of support and collaboration are created to become healthy universities,? in reference to collaborative work that exists at the regional level through the 24 public universities that make up the CSUCA and that is generated through the different systems. While Jorge Cortez, President of the Regional Council for Student Life, reflected ?The issue of mental health is important, that is what we must guide, to have well-rounded students who can have good health for academic development,? taking into account the crisis that caused the pandemic in the mental health of the population of the entire world. At the same time, Piedad Huerta, PAHO representative in Honduras, congratulated the role that universities have had in the development of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Is this precept important to promote health? from the universities?

To end the opening remarks, Francisco Herrera, Rector of the National Autonomous University of Honduras commented that ?Prevention is not Latin America's forte, so the formation of these networks forces us to prepare the university community on this issue? , mentioning the importance that exists from the universities and their support for the contribution of the development of Central American societies.

The Meeting is held in a hybrid mode, with the presence based at the National Autonomous University of Honduras, with 12 presentations, in which topics such as ?Student leaders in health: An experience of the University of Panama?, ? A bonus in a pandemic: promoting health and self-care in the face of the COVID-19 health crisis?, ?Empathy and synergy: pillars in the training of student leaders in health?, ?Back! Experience of the Costa Rican Network of Health-Promoting Universities, post-COVID-19 pandemic?, among others.

Through this meeting, the formation of the National Networks of Health Promoting Universities is sought, the integration, implementation and execution of a Regional Action Plan, as well as promoting research in the component of health promotion in universities. that make up the REDCCUPS and National Networks of Health Promoting Universities of the CSUCA.

 

LIII General Assembly of SICEVAES

On November 8 and 9, 2022, the LIII General Assembly of the Central American System for the Evaluation and Harmonization of Higher Education -SICEVAES- will take place, which brings together the Vice Chancellors and Directors of Teaching of the CSUCA universities.

SICEVAES is the system that promotes a culture of quality, evaluation and accountability to society in member universities, using evaluation and accreditation as a change management strategy, modernization and improvement of universities.

The opening of the General Assembly was attended by Francisco González, President of CSUCA and Rector of the National University of Costa Rica, who indicated ?As CSUCA we are about to celebrate 75 years of working on higher education at the regional level, being the institution oldest integration work in the region, this should prompt us to recognize our actions and the role of higher education for our societies?.

For his part, Felipe Alpízar, President of SICEVAES and Vice Chancellor of Teaching of the University of Costa Rica, expressed, ?We are starting the assembly of this body where I hope that the challenges of our universities will be discussed, taking into account that from the day activities began yesterday through the University Education Workshop ?Innovate in a simple and fruitful way? What shows us that the innovation that unites us today is the effect of a scenario that allows us today to share our ideas?

The development of the session will include the presentation of the conference ?Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (PEA), as well as a dialogue between the members of SICEVAES and the participants of the University Education Workshop, in order to be able to present the results obtained from this meeting of teachers.

Likewise, a report will be presented by the CSUCA General Secretariat of the project "Strengthening inclusive science and innovation systems in Latin America through a collaborative research network", the election of members of the Technical Commission and the work in commissions permanent by strategic objective.

It should be noted that the General Assembly takes place in a hybrid mode with attendance at the University of Costa Rica.

University Education Workshop ?Innovate in a simple and fruitful way?

The 7th and 8th of November give rise to the University Education Workshop ?Innovate in a simple and fruitful way? which is developed in a hybrid way, with attendance at the University of Costa Rica, which has the objective of publicizing various experiences that invite reflection on the academic processes of the member universities of the Central American Higher University Council.

With the words of Felipe Alpízar, Vice Chancellor of Teaching opened the workshop, offering a welcome to the facilities of the University of Costa Rica, for all those teachers who are in person at the workshop and offered a warm greeting to the authorities and teachers who meet virtually.

Within the opening remarks, Gabriela Valverde, representative of the Vice-Rector for Teaching at the University of Costa Rica, expressed: ?Innovate is a word that is often given a meaning focused on technology, when we can really innovate from different perspectives, how do you do it and come to share with us in this workshop, one of the most valuable expected contributions of this activity, that you can build contributions in community?

For his part, Francisco Alarcón, Deputy Secretary General, stated ?I congratulate you for going that extra mile, for innovating in the teaching methods that you share in teaching, simple innovations to be realistic and at the same time sustainable, aimed at contributing significantly to didactics, aimed at developing skills such as critical thinking, the possibility of solving problems, creativity, responsibility, moral and ethical training, leadership, entrepreneurship, among others, human skills that are needed today more than ever at the time of automation?

Also, Iris Danowski, representative of the Conference of Rectors of Germany -HRK- explained ?Scientific knowledge, personal development and social commitment are objectives of university education, therefore, the study houses have to be attentive to the new challenges and new needs with a commitment to quality and constant growth, the impact on the processes is imminent, it is essential to continue developing and updating university teaching processes, to open a space for innovation and strengthen the academic processes of students?

While Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA, made the reflection ?Today public universities live in a new reality, a situation that forces us to generate new skills, without a doubt we face important challenges, but integrating work will help us to meet these goals through the construction of tools that allow us to find answers and propose solutions in the short and medium term for our societies?

The methodology of the workshop consists of being able to present the projects that each of the teachers has worked on, with the purpose of being able to offer the different innovation processes and that other teachers can join in making use of these innovative methodologies within the different universities and the time to find joint mechanisms to develop inter-university innovation processes.