csuca Archives - Page 4 of 4 -

CONREVE strengthens regional student integration at its 55th Ordinary Session in Honduras, within the framework of CSUCA actions

Siguatepeque, Honduras, March 18 and 19, 2026

The 55th Ordinary Session of the Regional Council for Student Life (CONREVE) is being held at the facilities of the National University of Forest Sciences (UNACIFOR), consolidating itself as a key space for strengthening student life in the region, as part of the actions of the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA).

The meeting brings together university authorities, student representatives and technical teams from Central America and the Caribbean, with the aim of advancing the coordination of policies, programs and actions for the benefit of university students.

The opening ceremony included welcoming remarks from the Rector of UNACIFOR, Miguel Ángel Velásquez Gonzáles, who emphasized the fundamental role of students in building a high-quality, inclusive, and transformative higher education system. In his address, he underscored the importance of strengthening academic processes, expanding the inclusion of historically excluded sectors (especially those from rural areas), and promoting institutional transformation aligned with the challenges of regional development.

For his part, the Secretary General of CSUCA, Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, emphasized the challenges facing higher education in a globalized context, highlighting the need to strengthen regional information systems. He noted that there is currently limited availability of consolidated data on more than 150,000 graduates from higher education institutions, which underscores the importance of developing mechanisms for monitoring and coordinating the human talent trained in the region.

He also stressed that the sustained growth of higher education since 2000 poses new challenges that require coordinated responses between universities, regional systems and public policies.

During the session, Mirna Jiménez, Deputy Secretary for Student Affairs of CSUCA, participated for the first time in this regional space in her capacity as SAAE, reiterating her commitment to work in an articulated manner with CONREVE and to strengthen student participation in regional processes.

During the session, the president of CONREVE, Jorge Eduardo Cortez Martínez, highlighted the importance of consolidating this space as a strategic mechanism for strengthening student life in the region.

The work agenda designated for two days includes the presentation of reports from the Presidency of CONREVE, the Deputy Secretariat for Student Affairs (SAAE) of CSUCA and the Federation of University Students of Central America and the Caribbean (FEUCA), as well as the analysis of strategic initiatives such as university volunteering, the progress of the Central American Interuniversity Festival of Culture and Art (FICCUA) and the planning of regional meetings for the year 2026.

Also, relevant topics will be addressed, such as the election of the Second Member of the CONREVE Steering Committee, the review of regulations of the regional student life system, and the planning of academic, cultural, and sporting activities in the region.

The session's development also incorporates more dynamic and flexible working methodologies, aimed at fostering more active participation and substantive exchange among participants, thus strengthening regional dialogue processes.

With this meeting, CSUCA reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting spaces for integration that contribute to strengthening student life, fostering a more inclusive, high-quality higher education committed to the sustainable development of Central America and the Caribbean.

Development of Symposium on Higher Education and Research for Disaster Risk Reduction

Guatemala City, May 13, 2025

Today, at the facilities of the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration -SIECA-, the symposium “Higher Education and Research for Disaster Risk Reduction” was held, an academic dialogue organized by the German Academic Exchange Service -DAAD- and the Central American Higher University Council -CSUCA-, with the support of the German Embassy in Guatemala and SIECA.

The event brought together Central American and German academics with the aim of strengthening and promoting transdisciplinary scientific cooperation on the challenges posed by extreme weather events and disasters in Central America.

The opening ceremony was led by Irena Rusak, representing Christoph Hansert, DAAD Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Carlos Alvarado, Secretary General of CSUCA and Francisco Lima, Secretary General of SIECA.

In his remarks, Carlos Alvarado emphasized the importance of maintaining collaborative spaces that promote science committed to gender equality, social inclusion, and territorial relevance.

The symposium included keynote lectures by Robert Cárcamo Mallen from Humboldt University of Berlin, on the socio-environmental impact of extreme weather events, and Cécile Stehrenberger from the University of Costa Rica, who presented a critical perspective from the social sciences and humanities on disaster research.

In parallel working sessions, participants explored research areas and regional cooperation strategies, the results of which were presented at the close of the day. The event concluded with a lecture by Christoph Hansert on research and funding opportunities in Germany.

This symposium is consolidated as a firm step in the construction of a regional academic network focused on disaster prevention and response, integrating local knowledge with international cooperation.

IX SIREICU General Assembly

On April 8 and 9, the Ninth General Assembly of the Regional System of University Information and Communication -SIREICU- took place, an activity carried out in virtual mode, based at the Technological University of Panama.

The purpose of this meeting was to develop the call for the first delivery of the “SIREICU Awards”, as well as the work of each of the commissions of the system, which respond to Program 7 “Information, Communication and University Dissemination” of the Fifth Plan for the Integration of Higher Education of Central America and the Dominican Republic -PIRESC V-, and the development of the work of the presidency of the system by Roberto Tejada representing the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo -UASD-.

To begin the activity, Roberto Tejada, president of the system, stated, “I am here at this assembly with my team, with whom we bring proposals for the improvement and proper functioning of our system. We hope that in this assembly we can define and materialize the initiatives we bring today.”.

Kathya Baruco, representing the Technological University of Panama, mentioned the work of SIREICU in recent years: “For this university, it is an honor to host this assembly, a system whose efforts over the years have yielded results through different communication formats to publicize the work of our universities.”.

For his part, Carlos Alvarado, general secretary of CSUCA, called for the benefit of technological tools for university outreach, raising awareness about the importance of creativity from the different areas of communication: “Colleagues, technology offers you powerful tools, but the value lies in your creativity, your ethics and your commitment to truth, inclusion and excellence.”.

It is worth noting that this working meeting was very fruitful and as part of the progress of the presidency of the system in charge of Roberto Tejada of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo -UASD-, the new web portal for the Comunica Network, new graphic line of the Comunica Network, digital bulletin of SIREICU, proposal for the first delivery of the SIREICU Awards were presented and approved.

The next general assembly will take place on September 25 and 26 of this year, culminating on the last day with the first presentation of the SIREICU Awards, for which a call for entries will soon be opened so that communicators belonging to the universities that make up CSUCA can participate in five categories, these being journalism, public relations, graphic communication, digital communication and advertising and promotion.

Call for applications open for the International Deans' Course for Latin America 2025-2026

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), Saarland University (Germany), and the University of Alicante (Spain) invite newly appointed Deans and Vice-Deans from Central and South America to participate in the International Deans' Course for Latin America