Tag: csuca

CSUCA promotes regional agenda and unanimously re-elects Carlos Alvarado Cerezo as general secretary

Panama City, Panama, May 18, 2026

University authorities from Central America, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba are participating in the 127th Ordinary Session of the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), a regional forum focused on strengthening university integration, analyzing strategic issues, and building agreements for the development of public higher education in the region. The session is being held at the International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP), solidifying its position as a key space for decision-making and the coordination of regional initiatives.

The work agenda includes addressing issues related to institutional reports from the CSUCA Presidency, the General Secretariat, and the Federation of University Students of Central America and the Caribbean (FEUCA), as well as strategic processes related to academic cooperation and institutional strengthening.

Among the points addressed were the signing of the CYTED-CSUCA agreement; the presentation of the final report of the COIL course; the situation of the CSUCA Presidency for the period 2026–2027; the regional declaration on university scientific publication; the proposal of the Regulations of the Regional University Extension Award promoted by SICAUS; as well as requests for admission of new university institutions to the regional body.

The session also included the presentation of awards to former members of the organization and various points aimed at continuing to strengthen the Central American and Caribbean university agenda.

Furthermore, as part of the decisions adopted during the session, university authorities approved the incorporation of the Technological University of Eastern Cibao (UTECO), from the Dominican Republic, as a full member of CSUCA, strengthening the Caribbean's presence and participation in the regional body. Likewise, the incorporation of the Higher University Institution of Cartagena (UMAYOR), located in the Colombian island region of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, as an observer member was approved, expanding the spaces for academic collaboration, exchange, and regional cooperation promoted by the Central American Higher University Council.

Furthermore, university authorities approved establishing June 21 as the official date for the commemoration of Central American and Caribbean University Volunteer Day. This initiative aims to recognize and highlight the commitment, participation, and contributions of university communities to solidarity and social transformation projects carried out in the various countries of the region. The approval reaffirms the value of university volunteering as a mechanism for strengthening social responsibility, regional citizenship, and the connection between public universities and the needs and realities of their communities.

As part of the strategic agreements reached during the day, the university authorities that are members of CSUCA unanimously re-elected MSc. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo as secretary general of the organization for the period 2026–2030, a decision that reflects the support of the universities of the region for the management developed from the General Secretariat and the efforts promoted to strengthen university integration, academic cooperation and the articulated work between the member institutions.

The decision also reaffirms the confidence placed in a regional agenda aimed at continuing to strengthen academic, scientific and institutional development initiatives that contribute to responding, from public higher education, to the challenges and needs of Central America and the Caribbean.

Furthermore, in accordance with the institutional rotation mechanism that strengthens the organization's regional governance, the authorities agreed that the CSUCA Presidency for the period July 2026–June 2027 will be assumed by El Salvador, represented by Eng. MSc. Juan Rosa Quintanilla, Rector of the University of El Salvador (UES). Likewise, it was approved to transfer the Presidency to Belize for the following period, in response to a request submitted by the University of Belize, a decision that reaffirms the spirit of dialogue, consensus, and cooperation that characterizes the regional organization.

The CXXVII Ordinary Session reaffirms the commitment of the region's public universities to an articulated work agenda, focused on academic strengthening, regional cooperation, and building joint responses to the current challenges of Central America and the Caribbean.

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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 inaugurates regional academic week together with SICEVAES and the 1st Central American and Caribbean Biennial

Panama City, Panama, May 18, 2026

With a joint opening ceremony held at the International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP), the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), the Central American System of Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (SICEVAES) and the 1st Central American and Caribbean Biennial of Innovation, Academic Harmonization and Quality Assurance of Higher Education kicked off a strategic week for regional public higher education.

The agenda brings together university authorities, rectors, academic teams, students and specialists from Central America, the Dominican Republic and Cuba to promote spaces for dialogue and collective construction aimed at strengthening regional university integration.

The celebration takes on special significance with the realization of the I Central American and Caribbean Biennial, developed within the framework of the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama, a historical event that symbolizes the ideals of union and integration promoted by Simón Bolívar and that continues to inspire contemporary regional efforts.

As part of the opening ceremony, MSc. Olga María Moscoso, representing the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and the Presidency of CSUCA, spoke, highlighting that universities are called upon to consolidate strategic alliances that promote academic mobility, regional scientific research, and comprehensive student development, emphasizing that higher education must respond to contemporary challenges from a regional and solidarity-based perspective.

For his part, the Secretary General of CSUCA, MSc. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, pointed out that public universities have the responsibility to lead processes of social transformation and strengthen regional integration based on academic quality, university cooperation and the collective construction of solutions for the Central American and Caribbean peoples.

During his speech, Dr. Roberto Aparicio, Vice-Rector of Teaching at the International Maritime University of Panama, highlighted the value of the coordinated work between public universities in the region, emphasizing that holding this meeting constitutes a joint effort driven by institutions committed to strengthening regional academic integration.

Likewise, the rector of the International Maritime University of Panama, engineer Víctor Luna, to inaugurate the academic week, highlighted that CSUCA continues to be a fundamental space to maintain regional unity through knowledge, especially in a context where contemporary challenges require answers built from collective intelligence and cooperation.

Thus highlighting that regional public higher education constitutes a platform for social transformation, knowledge generation, and the construction of solutions to the region's shared challenges.

The program includes topics related to academic mobility, educational innovation, curriculum harmonization, internationalization, regional research and quality assurance, thus strengthening the role of public universities as drivers of social and human development.

The academic week also represents an opportunity to consolidate alliances and renew the commitment of universities to a more inclusive, relevant and regionally impactful higher education.

CSUCA promotes regional internationalization during the XXVI SIESCA Meeting in Panama

The Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), through the Central American Higher Education Internationalization System (SIESCA), is holding the XXVI Ordinary Meeting of the system on May 7 and 8, 2026, at the Specialized University of the Americas (UDELAS), in Panama City.

The meeting brings together representatives of public universities that are members of CSUCA, made up of the countries of Central America, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, with the aim of strengthening regional academic cooperation, university mobility and strategies for the internationalization of higher education.

The opening day included welcoming remarks from M.Sc. Luis Enrique Torres, Director of Internationalization and Technical Cooperation at UDELAS; M.Sc. Olga María Moscoso, Coordinator of SIESCA 2025-2026 and General Coordinator of Cooperation at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala; and M.Sc. Carlos Guillermo Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA. The event was presided over by Dr. Nicolasa Terreros Barrios, Rector of UDELAS.

As part of the academic agenda, the keynote lecture “COIL Experience in Latin America, a regional internationalization strategy, from UTP and CSUCA” was given by Dr. Nacarí Marín, addressing innovative models of international academic collaboration and online collaborative learning.

During the Assembly, strategic reports are also presented related to regional academic mobility, the strengthening of teaching capacities through training programs in COIL methodology and the evaluation of the strategic objectives of Program 5 of PIRESC V, aimed at strengthening regional university internationalization.

Furthermore, the meeting reaffirms the commitment of CSUCA and its member universities to building a more integrated, inclusive, and regionally coordinated higher education system, promoting spaces for academic cooperation that contribute to sustainable development and the strengthening of educational quality in the Central American and Caribbean region.

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 strengthens the regional research and postgraduate agenda during the LXV General Assembly of SIRCIP

San José, Costa Rica, April 22, 2026

Within the framework of the 65th General Assembly of the Central American and Caribbean Regional System of Research and Postgraduate Studies (SIRCIP), the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA) reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening research, innovation and advanced training as strategic pillars for the sustainable development of the region.

During the inaugural session, the Secretary General of CSUCA, Dr. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, highlighted that this space constitutes a key meeting point to advance in the construction of regional responses to the contemporary challenges of higher education, especially in areas such as the governance of artificial intelligence in research, scientific diplomacy, open science, internationalization and the development of microcredentials in postgraduate programs.

She also highlighted the importance of the participation of Dr. Viktoria Bodnarova, Euraxess coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean at the European Commission, whose presence helps to strengthen academic and scientific cooperation between the region and the European Union, particularly within the framework of the Horizon Europe program.

The Assembly, held from April 20 to 22, 2026 at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), brought together university authorities, research and postgraduate officials, as well as international specialists, who addressed strategic issues aimed at consolidating regional capacities, promoting academic cooperation and strengthening institutional articulation in Central America, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Among the main points of the agenda were the keynote lectures on artificial intelligence in research and postgraduate studies, the panel on science diplomacy and the global agenda, the progress of Program 2 of the Fifth Plan for the Integration of Higher Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic (PIRESC V), as well as the work aimed at defining the governance strategy of the Regional Research and Postgraduate Agenda to 2040.

Similarly, the sessions of the Regional Research Council (CORI) and the Regional Postgraduate Council (COREP) allowed for deeper exploration of topics such as the governance of open scientific information, ethics in the use of artificial intelligence, the Regional Observatory of Research and Postgraduate Studies, the construction of regional postgraduate programs, and the development of reference frameworks for academic micro-credentials.

The Secretary General of CSUCA highlighted that these actions are aligned with the strategic objectives of PIRESC V, aimed at consolidating the regional research and postgraduate agenda, strengthening institutional capacities, promoting innovation, fostering internationalization and encouraging the transfer of scientific results for the benefit of the societies of the region.

He also emphasized that the joint work promoted by SIRCIP contributes directly to building a long-term regional vision, reflected in the process of formulating the Regional Research and Postgraduate Agenda to 2040, a strategic instrument to project the future of public universities in Central America, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

The General Secretariat of CSUCA reiterated its recognition to the University of Costa Rica for organizing this Assembly, as well as to the presidency of SIRCIP and the member universities of the system for their commitment to strengthening regional university integration.