Author: mario de leon

Open Science Network

Central America March 30, 2022

With the purpose of working collaboratively to strengthen open science from the 24 public universities that are part of CSUCA, the Open Science Network of Central America and the Caribbean is formed.

As part of the actions to be carried out in the Fifth Plan for the Integration of Higher Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic -PIRESC V-, the Open Science Network of Central America and the Caribbean has been formed, with the purpose of strengthening the capacities of universities through a movement that promotes the opening of scientific research with topics of interest in open science, citizen science, politics, technology, etc. 

Among the objectives that are intended to be promoted through this network, is the search for training in topics such as ?Trainer of Trainers in Open Science? with the purpose of training the network and thus, ensure that its members become trainers of the regional university community.

Taking into account that LA Reference gives visibility to the scientific production of higher education institutions, an approach has been made with the purpose of generating training on the subject and at the same time ensuring that the countries of the SICA region, through their universities, integrate to be part of LA Reference.

This is the initial initiative of the network, complying with the impulse of the principles, concepts and strategies of open science in Central America and the Dominican Republic, according to the advances that are generated during the year 2022, a planning will be created in the short, medium and long term of the Open Science Network.

DOCINADE Cohort 2023

Call for Doctorate in Natural Sciences for Development (DOCINADE), Interuniversity Doctoral Program of the Mesoamerican region, under the bimodal pedagogical model, which combines face-to-face, distance and virtual academic activities, reaccredited before the Central American Postgraduate Agency (ACAP) .

The call for admission to the program is extended to all those professionals in the scientific and technological areas, with a related Academic Master's degree and academic experience in research.

Among these areas of knowledge, Agronomy and Agriculture, Zootechnics and Veterinary Medicine, Biology, Forestry, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Pharmacy and Medicine, Electronics, Computing, Engineering and other areas related to science and technology are recognized.

Know the basics:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTgH6UQ5RjjMprXYN0BM4VABOgbLUSc_?usp=sharing

 

Curriculum Internationalization Focus Group

Europe and Central America March 29, 2021

With the purpose of generating ideas and information on the institutional needs in the CSUCA universities for the development of skills and competencies in IdC, the first session of focus groups is held with university officials belonging to three regional systems of the Central American University Confederation, SIESCA, SIRCIP and SICEVAES.

Taking into account that internationalization actions have been deeply affected by the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, OBREAL Global and CSUCA join efforts to articulate institutional strengthening initiatives, in order to consolidate curriculum internationalization actions -IdC-.

The collaborative work has been defined in three stages, the first being a participatory analysis of the current situation and future perspectives of the IdC processes, in the academic offer of the universities of Central America and the Dominican Republic through focus groups. Reason why the first focus group session was held today with the participation of university officials from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala -USAC-, National Autonomous University of Honduras -UNAH-, Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University -UPNFM -, National Agrarian University -UNA-, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua-Managua -UNAN-Managua-, University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast -URACCAN- and University of Costa Rica -UCR-.

Within the good practices that have been worked from the universities of the SICA region, are the Qualifications Framework for Central American Higher Education -MCESCA, the Tuning Latin America Project and the indicators proposed through the Fifth Plan for the Regional Integration of Higher Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic -PIRESC V-, being proposals that have marked and support the deepening of the internationalization of higher education through curricular proposals.

Dr. Julio Theiler from Obreal made a special emphasis on the use of new communication technologies, seen as an opportunity to promote the internationalization of the curriculum through different virtual actions.

Dr. Bartolomé Chinchilla, from UPNFM, mentioned the work that exists in the university through curricular redesign in all careers, incorporating internationalization as a transversal process within the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum.

While Dr. Belinda Flores from UNAH mentioned the curriculum's focus on sustainable human development, considered from the millennium goals and adapted to the SDGs. At the same time, he pointed out the active exchange of students through Erasmus programs.

For her part, Dr. Letisia Castillo from URACCAN, indicated that the university has a strategic function, a fundamental part of the teaching and extension functions; internationalization is a transversal axis in the other functions, this strategic planning becomes permanent actions of the university, starting from the intercultural coexistence that the university itself has. He also pointed out that one of its main exchange agreements is with Norway.  

Regarding the UCR, Dr. Adrián Vergara, spoke about the interest that exists from the teaching area to promote internationalization, at the same time he mentioned the processes that the university has through student mobility and summer schools, being concrete experiences.

The UNA of Nicaragua, through Dr. Óscar Gómez, expressed that within the university there is an interdependence in human talent and that is due to the need to seek cooperation at the international level. The efforts are aimed at appropriation, currently working on the design of a collaboration in the zootechnics career, adding that the appropriation of languages is another fundamental tool for the development of internationalization actions.

For her part, Dr. Alice Burgos from the USAC, expressed the importance of the USAC 2020-2030 plan, within which the concept of curricular internationalization is incorporated into the university's own management, at the same time she presented examples through the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Humanities.

Starting from this session, it is estimated that it will be possible to work with another focus group on April 29, after which a cycle of webinars of good practice cases in Latin America and Europe will be presented, with experiences of internationalization of the curriculum and, finally, to develop activities of training in COIL (Collaborative International Online Learning).

XLVII Ordinary Session of the Regional Council of Student Life

Central America March 30, 2022

 With the purpose of organizing the active participation of student life of the member universities of CSUCA, the XLVII ordinary session of the Regional Student Life Council is held.

The Secretary General of CSUCA, Carlos Alvarado, called for solidarity and collaborative work, taking into account that the universities are the students. After the words of the Secretary General, the quorum was verified and the approval of the agenda was generated, which consisted of the presentation of reports from the CONREVE presidency, the Secretary of Student Affairs, the FEUCA Presidency and the position of the universities of Costa Rica, in relation to the dynamics of CONREVE.

Likewise, the logistics advances of the IV Meeting of Health-Promoting Universities, organized by the universities of Honduras to be held in June 2022, under the hybrid modality, at the same time as the VI Central American and Caribbean Meeting, were announced. of Volunteering, which will be organized by the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, to be held in the month of October in a hybrid format, the XLVIII session of CONREVE and the XVII edition of the Rubén Darío Regional Prize for Academic Excellence, to be organized on that occasion by the universities of Panama in hybrid modality.

Regional networks for exchange and scientific collaboration

As part of the actions promoted by the regional project ?Strengthening science and innovation policy capacities in the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA), the results of the regional scientific exchange and collaboration networks are presented, to culminate with the expected results in the project.
Within the project, 9 scientific collaboration networks have been formed and strengthened, being the same:

- REBAMAR, with the purpose of evaluating marine plastic litter in Central America through the formation of a regional research network.
- RED-CIED, formation of the Central American and Caribbean Network for Research in Economics and Development.
- HidroREDCA, creation of a hydrogeological research network to strengthen the preparation and resilience to extreme weather events of the populations of the Central American Dry Corridor.
- RT-LAMP, interdisciplinary network for capacity building in Central American countries for the development of a diagnostic test for proactive screening in sources of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection using technology.
- RECIEC, Central American network of research in critical extension.
- RedCMD, Central American network for the management of epidemiological data.
- RCN, network of researchers for the development of natural sciences.
- Red Free Network, articulation of actors from the academy-industry-state for the generation of economic reactivation initiatives post COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening of the innovation ecosystem in Central America.
- RIESI, regional academic network for the support of higher educational inclusion for people with disabilities and social disadvantage in the countries of the Central American and Caribbean region.

The project has been promoted by the General Secretariat of SICA, in conjunction with the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA) and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) based in Canada, the National Secretariat of Science and Technology (SENACYT) of Guatemala as the Permanent Secretariat of the Commission for the Scientific and Technological Development of Central America and Panama (CTCAP) and the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation of Panama (SENACYT). The networks have been created and strengthened and estimate their sustainability, presenting their goals in the short, medium and long term.