Category News

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).