Category News

Development of the XXXVII Central American and Caribbean University Student Congress

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, October 25, 2025

On October 24 and 25, the thirty-seventh Central American and Caribbean University Student Congress (CEUCA) took place, a regionally relevant event that brings together student representatives from the universities that make up the Central American University Superior Council (CSUCA), with the purpose of strengthening cooperation ties, approving the new statutes of the Federation of University Students of Central America and the Caribbean (FEUCA) and electing its new Board of Directors.

The activity was carried out in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance at the Central Campus of the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University (UPNFM), and aims to promote student participation, university leadership and commitment to the educational and social development of the region.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Secretary General of CSUCA, MSc. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo and the Vice-Rector of Student Life of UPNFM, Dr. Bartolomé Chinchilla, who welcomed attendees and spoke about the importance of the spirit of unity, dialogue and commitment that characterizes the student community of the region.

For their part, the FEUCA delegates highlighted the importance of CEUCA as a space that fosters the exchange of ideas, the updating of its statutes, and the election of new student authorities, who will represent the voice of university students before the various bodies of the regional system.

During the Congress, participants address issues related to student organization, regional cooperation, and the challenges of higher education in the current context, seeking to strengthen youth participation in building more equitable and sustainable societies.

With this activity, CSUCA reaffirms its commitment to student leadership and the active participation of the university community, contributing to the strengthening of Central American and Caribbean integration through the development of a more supportive, democratic and inclusive higher education.

IV RISYF Workshop, a space for co-creation of teaching

San Pedro Sula, Honduras, October 28 and 29

The Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University (UPNFM) is the venue for the IV Simple and Fruitful Innovation Workshop (RISYF) under the motto "Innovate to transform: co-creating the teaching of the future", a workshop that has the participation of project planners, managers and promoters of innovation in higher education in Central America and the Caribbean.

The meeting, organized by the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), the Dialogue on Innovation Strategies in Higher Education in Germany (DIES) and UPNFM, aims to share experiences of teaching innovation, strengthen regional academic cooperation and collaboratively design a guidance guide for simple and fruitful innovation in university practice.

Openness and transformative purpose

The workshop will be inaugurated with words from Dr. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA; Dr. Bettina Burger-Menzel, from the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany); and Dr. Lexy Medina Mejía, Rector of UPNFM.

During the event, dialogue, reflection and co-creation will be encouraged through activities such as the World Café, the RISYF 2024 Project Gallery and practical sessions such as "Activate your vision" and "Hands to work", where participants will exchange experiences on teaching innovation and effective methodologies for university teaching.

Co-creation of the regional innovation guide

The second day will be dedicated to the co-creation of a guidance document to innovate teaching practice in Central American higher education, a document that will serve as a reference to strengthen the impact of the RISYF model in the universities of the region.

In addition, a collaborative agenda will be developed with strategies and activities that network members can implement to continue promoting innovation from their institutions.

Space for academic integration

In addition to the working sessions, participants will visit the UPNFM Regional Center in San Pedro Sula, as part of the cultural and academic exchange activities that strengthen ties between Central American universities.

The workshop will conclude with the presentation of the RISYF guide and strategy agenda, as well as the definition of next steps to continue promoting simple and fruitful innovation as an engine of university transformation.

LIV Ordinary Session of CONREVE

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, October 22, 2025

The National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) hosted the Fifty-fourth Ordinary Session of the Regional Council of Student Life (CONREVE), an organ of the Regional System of Student Life (SIREVE), held in a hybrid format, with the participation of student life representatives from public universities in Central America, the Caribbean and Panama.

The opening ceremony included speeches by Dr. Mario Arístides Contreras, Vice-Rector of Student Affairs and Guidance at UNAH; and Dr. Carlos Guillermo Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), who highlighted CONREVE's role in strengthening regional university welfare policies and programs.

During the session, reports were presented from the Presidency of CONREVE, the Deputy Secretariat for Student Affairs of CSUCA (SAAE), the Federation of University Students of Central America and the Caribbean (FEUCA), as well as the results of the IX Central American University Sports Games (JUDUCA), held in Tegucigalpa, and the First Pre-FICCUA 2026 Congress, held at the same university.

The reports demonstrated the commitment of the public university system to integration, youth leadership, and the promotion of culture, health, and sports as pillars of comprehensive student development.

Projected activities and new challenges

Among the central topics were the organization of upcoming SIREVE events, including the 20th edition of the Rubén Darío Award for Academic Excellence 2025, the 6th Meeting of Health Promoting Universities (EUPS) and the First International Congress of Research and Student Engagement (CONINVE), to be held in Costa Rica.

Also, the progress of the commission reviewing the modifications to the SIREVE General Regulations was presented, and the venues and dates for the 2026 activities were approved, including:

  • The 55th Ordinary Session of CONREVE.
  • The Second Pre-FICCUA 2026 Congress.
  • The XIII Central American Interuniversity Festival of Culture and Art (FICCUA).
  • The First Pre-JUDUCA 2027 Technical Congress.
  • And the actions of the Central American and Caribbean Student University Volunteer Network (Red UNIVOCES), aimed at training and professionalization in university volunteering.

The session concluded with the reaffirmation of the commitment of the CSUCA member universities to continue strengthening spaces for student participation, comprehensive health and leadership, promoting an inclusive, supportive university life committed to the sustainable development of the region.

Signing of the Quetzal University Program agreement: a new academic bridge between Chiapas and Central America

Tuxtla Gutiérrez, October 14, 2025

With the purpose of strengthening academic mobility and inter-university cooperation between seven Central American countries and Mexico, the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), the Autonomous University of Chiapas (UNACH) and the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC) formalized the signing of the University Program “Quetzal: Common Space of Higher Education Chiapas–Central America”.

The Quetzal Program represents a significant step in building the Central American and Caribbean Common Space for Higher Education, one of the strategic pillars promoted by CSUCA through its General Secretariat. This initiative will foster academic mobility, collaborative research, shared training, and curricular convergence as cornerstones for strengthening cooperation among public universities, beginning with seven countries in the region.

During the signing ceremony, the Secretary General of CSUCA, Carlos Guillermo Alvarado Cerezo, emphasized that the Quetzal Program is a concrete manifestation of the ideals of freedom, integration, and intercultural dialogue that have inspired CSUCA since its founding. “Knowledge should be a bridge that unites our realities, cultures, and common challenges. This program represents that vision of unity and collaboration that distinguishes the Central American public university,” he stated.

The agreement, signed within the framework of the UNACH 2025 International Book Fair, was attended by academic authorities from UNACH, USAC and representatives of regional university networks, who agreed that coordinated work between higher education institutions is essential to face the social, environmental and technological challenges of the region.

The Quetzal University Program is an alliance that consolidates the institutional commitment to promote integrated, supportive and regionally relevant higher education, through the promotion of academic integration policies, strengthening teaching, research and university extension for the benefit of the peoples of Central America and the Caribbean.

The 7th Biennial Meeting of Central American and Caribbean Research and Graduate Studies begins

Antigua Guatemala, October 8, 2025


With the representation of 17 public universities from Central America and the Caribbean, the VII Central American and Caribbean Biennial Meeting of Research and Postgraduate Studies began this Wednesday, a space that seeks to strengthen regional scientific cooperation and promote joint responses to the challenges of climate change, sustainability and social justice.

In their opening remarks, the authorities highlighted the need to strengthen regional scientific capabilities and to foster university cooperation that transcends borders, promoting science as an engine of social and environmental transformation.

Starting with Dr. Carlos Sierra, general coordinator of the USAC Postgraduate Studies System, who highlighted “Today we particularly celebrate the indivisible union of research and postgraduate studies, which we will be able to strengthen over these three days by building a shared vision.”.

Meanwhile, Dr. Alice Burgos, Director of Research at USAC and President of the Central American and Caribbean Regional System of Research and Postgraduate Studies (SIRCIP), pointed out “Each presentation, each thematic panel, and each exchange generated here will be the result of institutional processes that have required planning, technical support, capacity building, and above all, a willingness to collaborate.”"Also mentioning the satisfaction of having organized said event.".

For his part, MSc. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA, stated “This meeting seeks to foster an inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary dialogue among researchers, teachers and postgraduate students, in order to strengthen and disseminate the processes and products of research on topics that are priorities for our societies.”.

And to inaugurate the VII Biennial, MA Walter Mazariegos Biolis, Rector of USAC and President of CSUCA, expressed “When knowledge is shared, borders disappear. With that spirit, I extend a warm welcome to the seventh Central American and Caribbean Biennial Meeting on Research and Postgraduate Studies, a celebration of thought, collaboration, and scientific hope in our region.”.

The VII Central American and Caribbean Biennial Meeting on Research and Postgraduate Studies is one of the actions organized by SIRCIP, taking place this time in a hybrid format, preserving in-person participation, from October 8 to 10 under the theme “Challenges and opportunities for universities in the face of climate change scenarios and risks”.

Its agenda combines thematic panels, workshops, keynote lectures and the presentation of more than 100 research projects, covering topics ranging from climate adaptation, health, technology and human rights, to digital education and territorial equity.

The VII Biennial Meeting aims to consolidate itself as a regional platform for advanced training, innovation and applied research.
According to CSUCA, the results of this event will serve as a basis for promoting public policies on sustainability, risk management, health and education, coordinated from universities.

 

First Pre-FICCUA Congress 2026

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, October 7, 2025


With the purpose of strengthening the cultural and artistic identity of the Central American and Caribbean peoples, the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), through the Regional Council of Student Life (CONREVE), inaugurated this morning the First Pre-FICCUA 2026 Congress, at the facilities of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH).

This activity marks the beginning of preparations for the thirteenth edition of the Central American Interuniversity Festival of Culture and Art (FICCUA), bringing together representatives from the 27 public universities that make up CSUCA, who will work together to define the artistic, thematic and logistical bases of the festival that will celebrate the student talent of the region.

The opening ceremony included speeches by MSc. Carlos Guillermo Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA; MSc. Jorge Cortez, President of CONREVE and Coordinator of Student Life at the University of El Salvador; and Dr. Lourdes Murcia Carbajal, Academic Vice-Rector of UNAH, representing Dr. Odir Aarón Fernández Flores, Rector of UNAH.

Beginning with words from teacher Carlos Alvarado, who made a call“We must recognize that culture and the arts fulfill a vital function in allowing human imagination, creativity, and self-expression to flourish, and that this function Through the possibilities of creation, it opens up multiple social perspectives, which is why I call upon you to work collaboratively for an education that, through cultural and artistic expressions, is transformative for our societies.”.

During his speech, Professor Jorge Cortez emphasized that “Artistic expressions are a form of critical thinking that allows students to connect with the reality of their people, reflecting in art the essence of our Central American identity.”.

For her part, Dr. Lourdes Mucia expressed that this meeting “It opens the doors to a new stage for our public universities, where culture becomes a transformative element, capable of strengthening the sense of belonging and regional pride.”.

This first mini-congress will take place on October 7th and 9th and will include several working sessions, where delegates will address proposals for artistic participation in the categories of music, theater, visual arts, literature, dance and cinematography, in addition to the presentation of the graphic line and official logo of FICCUA 2026.

The purpose of the First Congress is to conclude with the definition of agreements that will lay the foundations for the development of the festival, reaffirming the commitment of CSUCA and CONREVE to the promotion of art, culture and regional university integration.