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.

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.

Becas de investigación en Alemania

📢 Convocatoria de becas para estudiar en el CATIE Costa Rica, dirigida a personas de: Panamá, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belice y República Dominicana, para participar en los programas

  • Master en Agroforestería y Agricultura Sostenible

  • Master en Economía, Desarrollo y Cambio Climático

  • Master en Manejo y Conservación de Bosques Tropicales y Biodiversidad

📅 Fecha límite de aplicación: 15 de abril de 2025