Mario De Le – Page 24

57th General Assembly of the CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN REGIONAL RESEARCH AND POSTGRADUATE SYSTEM (SIRCIP) of the CSUCA

As part of the actions related to the development of research and postgraduate programs in the Central American and Caribbean region, the 57th SIRCIP General Assembly is held.

The day began with the presence of Mrs. Ramona Rodríguez, President of CSUCA, who stated, "We are all convinced that to the extent that we strengthen research and postgraduate studies, we are going to get involved in the development of our societies."

While Mr. Carlos Alvarado, Secretary General of CSUCA pointed out ?PIRESC V is a think tank that generated a dynamic, legitimizing and giving certainty to the thinking of the university community, marking the roadmap of higher education for the next years?.

At the same time, Mrs. Dayra Blandón, President of SIRCIP, reflected on the "Transformation of educational models, redesign of academic and administrative processes, from the public universities of the region we work collaboratively, to strengthen educational institutions superior?.

Among the actions that were developed in the 57th Assembly, the virtual conference ?Open Science: What is it, why is it so important for our region and what could be the main steps to achieve it? presentation made by Mrs. Bianca Amaro, President of LA Reference.

Presentation and approval of the Evaluation Guide to grant recognition of the Central American Regional Category. SIRCIP Technical Commission.

Presentation of the SIIDCA-CSUCA Central American Repository and the Comprehensive Research Monitoring System Platform -SISIC- as a basis for the SIRCIP-CSUCA Observatory, as a result of the SIRCIP Technical Commission.

At the end of the 57th SIRCIP General Assembly, it was decided to celebrate the 6th. BIENAL meeting, in Nicaragua, being the host university, UNAN-Managua in 2023 and the 58th General Assembly of SIRCIP, on October 27, 2022.

Learning Innovation and Qualifications Frameworks for Higher Education

Central America April 26, 2022

With the purpose of presenting the experience of the Qualifications Framework for Central American Higher Education -MCESCA- and that of the National Qualifications Frameworks of Costa Rica, with a perspective oriented towards learning innovation and regional academic harmonization, the day of Today the virtual conference "Innovation of Learning and Qualifications Frameworks for Higher Education" was held.

To start the activity, the general secretary of CSUCA, Carlos Alvarado, expressed ?In the current situation, higher education must anticipate and prepare itself to fulfill its role with societies, a situation that invites us to break with traditional models of education through innovative activities for our educational systems?

Representing the German HRK Rectors' Conference, Iris Danowski indicated ?A qualifications framework offers a whole set of possibilities and perspectives, one of the most important aspects is that this tool must be the starting point for reflection on the current situation?

For her part, Juana Machado, academic vice-chancellor of UNAN-León and president of SICEVAES pointed out, "It is important to strengthen continuous improvement in our study centers, to face the challenges of scientific and technological advances presented by higher education."

The virtual conference was attended by Francisco Alarcón, Deputy Secretary General and Academic Director of CSUCA, as a speaker from MCESCA MCESCA, and Katalina Perera, representative of OPES-CONARE, who presented Costa Rica's experience with National Qualifications Frameworks.

To view the virtual conference, you can enter Facebook through the following link: https://fb.watch/cDRql87uTW/ and to download the Qualifications Framework for Central American Higher Education -MCESCA- you can access the following link: https://csuca.org/es/download/marco-de-cualificaciones-para-la-educacion-hica/.

The activity was developed within the framework of the actions of SICEVAES, a system that promotes innovation and the improvement of higher education by the member universities of CSUCA.

First Regional Meeting on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Transfer

Central America April 20, 2022

With three days of academic work, the ?First Regional Meeting on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Transfer? organized by the General Directorate of Research of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala -USAC-, with the support of the Central American Higher University Council -CSUCA- and the member universities University of El Salvador -UES-, National Autonomous University of Honduras -UNAH- , National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, Managua -UNAN Managua-, University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast -URACCAN-, University of Costa Rica -UCR-, National University of Costa Rica -UNA-, University of Panama -UP- , Technological University of Panama -UTP-, Specialized University of the Americas -UDELAS- and International Maritime University of Panama -UMIP-.

The activity began with words of welcome by the general director of research of the USAC, Mr. Hugo Pérez Noriega ?In commemoration of world entrepreneurship day, world intellectual property day and world creativity and innovation day, celebrates the First Regional Meeting of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Transfer, from the DIGI, we appreciate the support of the Central American universities, which have been part of the organization and academic committee of this important activity, as well as the General Secretariat of the CSUCA already Engineer Liuba Cabrera, for coordinating such an important event?

While Mr. Francisco Alarcón, representing the General Secretariat of CSUCA, expressed ?research is carried out with different purposes, according to the substantive functions of higher education institutions, generating skills such as the development of critical thinking, the ability to solve problems, teamwork, develop their entrepreneurial capacity, among others, which is why it is important to involve students in the processes of innovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer?

For his part, Mr. Juan Pablo Oliva, acting rector of the USAC, opened the meeting by expressing his gratitude ?to the national and international speakers, who will enrich their knowledge to generate new opportunities within the participating universities, due to the importance of the innovation that exists from the technical, health and social humanistic careers, as well as the qualities of entrepreneurship and the development that they generate for societies?

The academic day will take place on April 20, 21 and 22, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., via zoom, with different presentations dedicating the first day to innovation, starting the morning session with a forum of experts on the subject, later with the following presentations: Incidence of the vocal technique in the performance of intonation in seventh grade students of the Francisco Ramón Díaz Zelaya National Conservatory of Music, health innovation unit, application of earth observations as a tool of management of productive landscapes and tree cover in Costa Rica, innovating from the universities: the commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Costa Rica, measurement of agricultural innovation from the territories: a conceptual and methodological proposal, experiences in the seasons of open innovation at FAREM Estelí, strengthening of learning exchanges through multidisciplinary innovation projects ion in FAREM Estelí, open innovation process in the evaluation of the biocidal activity of soursop extracts (Annona muricata L.) for the control of Aedes aegypti L and comprehensive program of science, technology, innovation and intercultural community entrepreneurship: A proposal from the experience of URACCAN Las Minas.

The second day will be dedicated to entrepreneurship and the third to the transfer of knowledge and technology. For more information and to see the full agenda of the meeting, visit the official website of the event, https://encuentroregionalinnovacion.weebly.com/, if you have not yet registered, you can do so through the following link https://bit.ly/encuentroIETC.

UNED received students from the universities of Central America and the Dominican Republic

In the context of the project Distance education: an opportunity for all, led by the State Distance University (UNED) of Costa Rica and financed by UNESCO, was contemplated as part of the activities, the realization of an internship for academics who, through the project, are trained in distance education , this in order to know the development and the substantial strategic areas of the educational model of the UNED.

The project began with the participation of 25 academic officials from the following universities: National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua), Technological University of Panama. (UTP), Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University, (UPNFM. Honduras), University of El Salvador (UES), University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC) and Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, (UASD. Dominican Republic).

In the period between February 16 and 21, the first group of interns was received, this was made up of twelve academics from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (UASD), who carried out the internship, participated in the various scheduled activities and managed to relate what was studied in the modules studied.

A second group of students visited the UNED from March 27 to April 2, coming from universities of the Central American Isthmus, among them, the UTP, UPNFM, UES and USAC, who also lived the experience of approaching the development of the UNED, in particular to understand the educational model through the activities carried out during the internship and relate the topics already studied.

The project Distance education: an opportunity for all it is led at the UNED, by a work team made up of Dr. Yarith Rivera Sánchez, who coordinates it; Dr. Viviana Berrocal Carvajal, co-coordinator; and Dr. Evelyn Gutiérrez Soto, the three officials from the School of Educational Sciences (ECE); Ing. Cecilia Barrantes Ramírez and Licda. Maritza Rojas Pérez, both officials of the Directorate of Internationalization and Cooperation (DIC)

The initiative has had the collaboration and support of the Rector of the UNED, Rodrigo Arias Camacho, the Academic Vice-Rector, Maricruz Corrales Mora, and the Director of the ECE, Linda María Madriz Bermúdez. The project was declared of institutional interest, by agreement of the UNED Board of Directors, session 2197-2021, Article I, paragraph 10), held on November 15, 2021.

In relation to the work carried out, Yarith Rivera Sánchez, coordinator of the project, commented: ?The project consists of transferring knowledge and experiences to six universities in the Central American region and the Dominican Republic. The substantive intention is that the participating higher education institutions can develop, improve or strengthen distance education models with the use of virtuality, in a way that facilitates education for people who, due to various situations, have impediments to attend universities in person, considering the current scenario?

The project was born as a response to the challenges presented by the new world reality on the subject of higher education and which has been strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. UNED achieved the approval of the project by the United Nations Organization Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), within the participation program for the 2020-2021 Biennium.

In this context, Rodrigo Arias Camacho, rector of the UNED stated: ?we are very pleased to be able to share our educational model with the universities of Central America and the Dominican Republic, because we believe that what we called the new normality two years ago implies deep and permanent changes. in education, where progress has been made, consolidating new ways of learning in the teaching and learning process, and which forced us to creatively carry out these new changes, which should not only be improved day by day; but that learning services must be equitable, so that the person can learn at any time and in any place?.

Maricruz Corrales Mora, Academic Vice Chancellor, stressed the importance of the initiative and its link with distance education, thank you. to working together where they have managed to overcome challenges as complex as those we have experienced in these last two years with the pandemic, in this sense, this project contributes to strengthening the human talent that makes it possible to share our educational model, which demands a series content processes and educational virtualization, which allows us as an institution and as teachers to be closer to the student. For this reason, distance education is not simply placing content on the Internet, it is a whole systemic vision of education where a significant leap was made in education in general, where the teacher is an institutional figure, which marks a clear difference with everything What is the university educational tradition?

During the internship, the participants learned about the work of various dependencies such as the Directorate for the Production of Didactic Materials (DPMD), as well as its programs: Production of Written Didactic Material (PROMADE), Videoconferencing and Audiography (VICOM), Production of Audiovisual Material ( PPMA), Online Learning (PAL), Multimedia Electronic Production (PEM), in addition to the facilities of the Center for Information, Documentation and Bibliographic Resources (CIDREB), the Editorial UNED (EUNED), the Center for Training in Distance Education (CECED ), the Curriculum Support and Learning Assessment Program (PACE).

The internship also included a visit to the university campuses of San Marcos, Puntarenas, Orotina and Escazú, which allowed the interns to see in a general way how a campus works, learn about the services they provide to the population and the new challenges of the UNED from the headquarters and the importance of projection in the territories.

Linda Madriz Bermúdez, director of the ECE, highlighted the importance of the project by pointing out that: ?In the first instance, we share a series of realities, limitations and challenges with our sister Central American universities. The fact that we learn together and in a collaborative way can be much more significant than simply importing proposals and secondly the fact that distance education in its different modalities is here to stay and with the pandemic it reinforced that it is the education that it really facilitates and ensures equality and opportunities for all people in the different places where they are. In the same way, there are a series of challenges, because, although it is a wonderful opportunity, its quality must be ensured so that it is really significant for those people who have that need to learn.

Finally, it is important to note that the project offers the UNED the opportunity to publicize once again, at an international level, the development and knowledge of distance education, and to the participating universities, it enables them to appropriate tools and knowledge to understand the model, improve existing practices in the university contexts represented and initiate processes towards this model of education.

Participating academics they think

Mariela Román Barrios, professional advisor specialized in Distance Education in Virtual Environments of the Postgraduate Studies System (CG-SEP) of the University of San Carlos de Guatemala, commented that ? the input he got from the internship was excellent from the UNED staff. It is truly a commitment to projection towards the Central American educational community, to support higher education institutions that are in the process of implementing distance education. You learn in a profound and significant way from the organization, processes, experiences and the professional, mediated and organized execution of distance education projects.

Likewise, Román Barrios indicated: ?I am deeply grateful for the knowledge acquired, which is very practical and motivates us to continue in the planning, execution and evaluation of remote projects in virtual environments in the Postgraduate Studies System of the University of San Charles of Guatemala?

Along these same lines, Lorena Margarita Ramírez Mercado, who is a university professor and coordinator of the first course of Distance Education in the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, of the University of El Salvador, stated: ?This internship seems extremely important to me to finish my understand the distance education model and to realize that this model implies an entire organization and institutional commitment, where a series of departments or units provide the necessary support and advice to teachers and students so that the model works and improves day by day. day. In addition, this model guarantees the right to education for all and that the university approaches the most distant communities. This internship has shown me the importance of the institutional organization where you work in an articulated way for the same purpose?

The representation of the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University fell to Jenny Margoth Zelaya Matamoros, who is the vice-chancellor of Distance Education and who pointed out that “the internship is the academic activity that materialized all the modules that we have taken up to now. Did the internship make sense of all the concepts learned?

From Panama, the project engineer Luiyiana Del Carmen Pérez participated, who is the coordinator of the Faculty of Computer Systems Engineering at the Azuero Regional Center of the Technological University of Panama, who noted that ?the internship has been the top activity for me of the diploma Distance Education: An opportunity for all, since it has allowed me to internalize all the knowledge acquired during almost a year of distance study, as well as to clear up any doubts about the UNED distance education model, being able to observe all that work coordinated by a multidisciplinary team that works motivated for a common goal, to offer education to an entire population without borders. With the 45th anniversary of the UNED foundation, it is projected internationally with a solid base of distance learning, through the integration of five programs: PROMADE, PMA, PEM, VAU and PAL, articulated with the guidelines of PACE?.

?With this internship I get a successful training model, thanks to a staff that promotes values such as: service and empathy for that vulnerable population, synergy through teamwork that always goes the extra mile to offer the opportunity to penetrate to the wonderful world of knowledge and contribute to the professional development of the population. Thanks to UNESCO for the opportunity and UNED for opening its doors to replicate its model at the Technological University of Panama. I end with this phrase by Alberto Einstein "The mind that opens to a new idea will never return to its original size, Del Carmen Pérez mentioned."

For more information about this project, you can contact Yarith Rivera Sánchez at: yrivera@uned.ac.cr or to Cecilia Barrantes Ramírez by email: cbarrantes@uned.ac.cr

evgutierrez@uned.ac.cr

CXVIII Ordinary Session of the Central American Higher University Council

City of San Salvador, April 08, 2022

Today, the CXVIII Ordinary Session of the Central American Higher University Council was held in hybrid mode, with headquarters at the University of El Salvador. Presided over by the 24 rectors of the CSUCA member universities and 19 presidents of the Student Federations, representatives of the CSUCA member universities.

Said session began with words of welcome from Mr. Rector Roger Arias of the University of El Salvador, who welcomed the university and recalled the 181st anniversary of the UES, which has experienced different moments of adversity, but Despite this, he fights for Salvadoran society through the university-society-state link.

Likewise, Mrs. Rector Ramona Rodríguez of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, Managua, president of the CSUCA, gave a cordial welcome to the council session, indicating the importance of this meeting and the opportunities provided by connectivity to be able to develop the event in hybrid mode. After that, the reports of the presidency of CSUCA, SG-CSUCA and FEUCA were released.

It should be noted that at the CXVIII session, the election for the position of Secretary General of the CSUCA was held, period July 2022-June 2026, through the election process, with 38 votes in favor, Mr. Carlos Guillermo has been re-elected Alvarado Cerezo, to continue with the work carried out during the period July 2018- June 2022.

With one person absent, 3 voting abstentions, 2 votes in favor of Mr. Diego José Montenegro López and 38 votes in favor of Mr. Carlos Alvarado, the 44 votes of the Central American Higher University Council were complemented, corresponding to the election of such an important position.

?I want to thank the members of the council, we are a family, we must work in solidarity and collaboration, to meet the challenges that education has from our region, for me it is a challenge and a challenge the trust that they have deposited in my person, we are going to work hard and we are not going to disappoint the trust? words of Mr. Carlos Alvarado.

In this session, the advances in the implementation of PIRESC V were also presented, as well as the challenges for the university community of Central America and the Caribbean, through Mr. Francisco Alarcón. For his part, Mr. Juan Bosco Bernal, Rector of UDELAS, presented the topic ?Higher education and governance? with the purpose of publicizing the experience that said university has had on the subject. Additionally, Mr. Roger Arias, presented the advances of the University of El Salvador in the digitalization of Higher Education and Mr. Luis Adolfo Guillot, Manager of Government Solutions for Latin America, a Huawei official, culminated with the experience that he will develop the University of El Salvador through the smart campus project, as part of university digitization.

Among the various items on the agenda, the opportunity was given to Mr. Rector Francisco Herrera of the National Autonomous University of Honduras and Mr. Luis Sandoval, president of the Federation of University Students of Honduras, with the purpose of making known the student electoral process, to elect the positions of the Executive Committee of the Federation of University Students of Honduras (FEUH), the Executive Committee of the Association of Faculty students, university center and regional center; the Executive Committee of the Association of Career Students as the election of student representatives before the University Council, of the UNAH, after 17 years.

Before finishing, a space was given to Ms. Rector Etelvina Medianero de Bonagas of the National Autonomous University of Chiriquí, who requested the solidary support of each one of the members of the council, since the university has suffered accusations and acts of vandalism that they have harmed his person and said house of studies. Likewise, Mr. Rector Wilmer Reyes, from the National University of Agriculture of Honduras, expressed that the university has presented with concern the intervention proposal of the UNAG, before the National Congress of Honduras. In both requests, it was agreed to provide support from the CSUCA, through a pronouncement.

For his part, Mr. Rector Eduardo Flores, from the University of Panama, has expressed his interest in issuing an invitation to the University of Havana, so that it joins the CSUCA, said request has the support of Mr. Rector Francisco Herrera from UNAH and Mr. Rector Enrique Torres Herrera from UDELAS.

Before concluding the session, Mrs. Rector Ramona Rodríguez of UNAN-Managua, two months after handing over the position of the presidency of CSUCA, thanked for the support for her management and expressed the importance of working in harmony.

Finally, it was agreed to hold the CXIX Ordinary Session of CSUCA at the University of Panama, on September 8 and 9.

UNAH students carry out student electoral process

Central America, April 7, 20222

After 17 years, the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) is carrying out an electoral process to fill the positions of the Executive Committee of the Federation of University Students of Honduras (FEUH), the Executive Committee of the Association of Faculty Students, university center and regional center; the Executive Committee of the Association of Career Students as the election of student representatives before the University Council.

The electoral process was organized to take place in April 2020, due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, this process had a time delay, but managed to incorporate new resources with the support of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who supported the implementation of an electronic voting system, which was enabled from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., yesterday, in compliance with the Student Electoral Regulations (REE), of the UNAH.

Áyax Irías, Vice Chancellor of the UNAH, expressed his enthusiasm for the due electoral process, indicating that it is a historic and transcendental event for the university and for Honduras.

Said process was accompanied by Ricardo Reyes, president of the Federation of University Students of Central America and the Caribbean (FEUCA), Jorge Cortez, president of the Regional Council for Student Life (CONREVE) and Miguel Gutiérrez, deputy secretary for student affairs of the CSUCA.

After election day, university student Luis Antonio Sandoval Sauceda, an economics student, candidate of the Great National Student Alliance (GANE), was appointed president of the Federation of University Students of Honduras (FEUH), after his election he proceeded to carry out the accreditation process before FEUCA, with the purpose of participating in the CXVIII ordinary session of the Central American Higher University Council, to be held on April 8, 2022.

Image of UNAH University Presence.