Tag: Advances

SICEVAES strengthens regional agenda on innovation, academic harmonization and quality assurance

Panama City, Panama, May 18, 2026

University authorities and regional specialists participate in the LX Meeting of the Central American System of Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (SICEVAES), a space aimed at strengthening regional strategies for innovation, academic harmonization and assurance of educational quality.

The meeting is being held at the International Maritime University of Panama and brings together the Regional Coordination Committee and the Technical Commission of the system to address strategic issues related to the quality and transformation of higher education.

Among the main agenda items are the progress of the strategic commissions of Program 3 of PIRESC V, innovation in teaching and learning processes, regional academic harmonization and the strengthening of accreditation and quality management mechanisms.

The meeting also incorporates the organizational follow-up of the 1st Central American and Caribbean Biennial of Innovation, Academic Harmonization and Quality Assurance of Higher Education, strengthening spaces for exchange and regional cooperation.

The activities developed seek to continue consolidating an innovative, articulated regional higher education committed to the needs of the Central American and Caribbean peoples.

CSUCA promotes the regional integration of university communication at the XI General Assembly of SIREICU

Guatemala, April 23, 2026

The Regional System of University Information and Communication (SIREICU) of the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA) is holding its XI General Assembly, taking place on April 23 and 24 at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, with the purpose of strengthening the regional articulation of the communication offices of the public universities of Central America and the Caribbean.

The opening ceremony began with remarks from Mr. Edwin Medina, president of SIREICU, who stated, “I am very pleased because at this assembly we are presenting the first edition of an academic journal, a contribution to help showcase our universities, highlighting the collective work of all of us, creating a space that unites us and strengthens us as universities.”.

At the same time, the Secretary General of CSUCA, MSc. Carlos Alvarado, highlighted that “SIREICU constitutes a strategic platform to make visible the contribution of public higher education to society and consolidate regional narratives that demonstrate its role as an engine of social transformation,” noting the importance of the work carried out by the system before the university community of the region.

For his part, Luis Fernando Cordón Lucero, Secretary General of USAC, mentioned “SIREICU is a regional communication engine in the deepest sense, since it becomes a space of convergence where public universities project their impact and their vocation of service for the development of our countries.”.

The assembly's work agenda includes progress on initiatives such as strengthening the Red and Radio Comunica network, developing regional communication manuals to support teaching and crisis situations, creating a regional inventory of university media, and promoting joint campaigns among CSUCA systems.

The Assembly's program also includes the opening conference on public image and strategic media planning, the presentation of reports from technical committees, collaborative work spaces, and the specialized conference on communication for cultural and gender inclusivity, followed by a workshop focused on building a regional manual on this subject.

It is important to highlight the work done by university communication offices in the region, often with limited resources, but with a firm commitment to university integration.

The XI General Assembly of SIREICU thus consolidates a regional space for strategic coordination aimed at strengthening university communication as a cross-cutting axis of academic cooperation, regional integration and the linking of public universities with society.

CSUCA fortalece la agenda regional de investigación y posgrado durante la LXV Asamblea General del SIRCIP

San José, Costa Rica, 22 de abril de 2026

En el marco de la 65 Asamblea General del Sistema Regional Centroamericano y del Caribe de Investigación y Posgrado (SIRCIP), el Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano (CSUCA) reafirmó su compromiso con el fortalecimiento de la investigación, la innovación y la formación avanzada como pilares estratégicos para el desarrollo sostenible de la región.

Durante la sesión inaugural, el Secretario General del CSUCA, Dr. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, destacó que este espacio constituye un punto de encuentro clave para avanzar en la construcción de respuestas regionales frente a los desafíos contemporáneos de la educación superior, especialmente en ámbitos como la gobernanza de la inteligencia artificial en la investigación, la diplomacia científica, la ciencia abierta, la internacionalización y el desarrollo de microcredenciales en los programas de posgrado.

Asimismo, subrayó la relevancia de la participación de la Dra. Viktoria Bodnarova, coordinadora de Euraxess de la Comisión Europea para América Latina y el Caribe, cuya presencia contribuye a fortalecer los vínculos de cooperación académica y científica entre la región y la Unión Europea, particularmente en el marco del programa Horizonte Europa.

La Asamblea, desarrollada del 20 al 22 de abril de 2026 en la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), reunió a autoridades universitarias, responsables de investigación y posgrado, así como especialistas internacionales, quienes abordaron temas estratégicos orientados a consolidar capacidades regionales, promover la cooperación académica y fortalecer la articulación institucional en Centroamérica, República Dominicana y Cuba.

Entre los principales puntos de la agenda destacaron las conferencias magistrales sobre inteligencia artificial en la investigación y estudios de posgrado, el panel sobre diplomacia científica y agenda global, los avances del Programa 2 del Quinto Plan para la Integración de la Educación Superior de Centroamérica y República Dominicana (PIRESC V), así como los trabajos orientados a la definición de la estrategia de gobernanza de la Agenda Regional de Investigación y Posgrado al año 2040.

De igual manera, las sesiones del Consejo Regional de Investigación (CORI) y del Consejo Regional de Posgrado (COREP) permitieron profundizar en temas como la gobernanza de la información científica abierta, la ética en el uso de la inteligencia artificial, el Observatorio Regional de Investigación y Posgrado, la construcción de programas regionales de posgrado y el desarrollo de marcos referenciales para microcredenciales académicas.

El Secretario General del CSUCA resaltó que estas acciones se encuentran alineadas con los objetivos estratégicos del PIRESC V, orientados a consolidar la agenda regional de investigación y posgrado, fortalecer capacidades institucionales, impulsar la innovación, promover la internacionalización y fomentar la transferencia de resultados científicos en beneficio de las sociedades de la región.

Asimismo, enfatizó que el trabajo conjunto impulsado desde el SIRCIP contribuye directamente a la construcción de una visión regional de largo plazo, reflejada en el proceso de formulación de la Agenda Regional de Investigación y Posgrado al año 2040, instrumento estratégico para proyectar el futuro de las universidades públicas de Centroamérica, República Dominicana y Cuba.

La Secretaría General del CSUCA reiteró su reconocimiento a la Universidad de Costa Rica por la organización de esta Asamblea, así como a la presidencia del SIRCIP y a las universidades miembros del sistema por su compromiso con el fortalecimiento de la integración universitaria regional.

Presentation of progress results

With the purpose of publicizing the development of the project “Strengthening Science and Innovation Policy Capacities in the SICA member countries”, a session was held today to present progress and results, generating an exchange of knowledge regarding the regional scientific collaboration that has taken place in the last year.

The various projects that have been promoted strengthen the generation of research on topics such as environmental management, technologies, innovation, health, university extension, among others, presenting alternative proposals for the development of the Central American region, fulfilling the purposes and objectives proposed in the Plan for the Regional Integration of Higher Education of Central America and the Dominican Republic -PIRESC V-.

 

Link LA Reference and CSUCA

In order to find common goals in Open Science, a joint meeting was held with LA Referencia.

The Network of open access repositories to science gives visibility to the scientific production of higher education and research institutions in Latin America, and promotes free and open access to the full text.

CSUCA, with the objective of fulfilling the goals proposed in the Plan for the Regional Integration of Higher Education of Central America and the Dominican Republic -PIRESC V-, seeks to strengthen regional repositories, as well as to raise awareness and train the Central American university community in the opening of scientific research.

Therefore, it is hoped that joint projects can be undertaken for the scientific development of the region.

Meeting of the SICA Secretariat Commission with the SICA Pro Tempore Presidency

With the aim of promoting the strengthening of integration and development in the region, the first meeting was held between the Commission of Secretariats of the Central American Integration System and the Pro Tempore Presidency held by Panama.

CSUCA is part of the social integration working group, with the aim of promoting, articulating, identifying and prioritizing the regional needs of higher education, for the implementation of programs that contribute to the sustainable development of Central America.