XXV General Assembly of SIESCA

Guatemala City, September 4, 2025

The Twenty-Fifth General Assembly of the Central American Higher Education Internationalization System (SIESCA) was held at the facilities of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC).

SIESCA, as an organ of the Central American University Confederation (CSUCA), promotes the institutionalization of internationalization as a strategic instrument to promote quality in member universities.

The session began with welcoming remarks from MSc. Olga María Moscoso, President of SIESCA, who expressed “Together, our universities can overcome challenges and transform our environment. I invite my colleagues to actively participate in this event, to share their valuable perspectives, and to forge connections that will allow us to consolidate a stronger, more inclusive university system, better prepared for the challenges of the future.”.

Subsequently, MSc. Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, Secretary General of CSUCA, highlighted “The nature of universities is to engage in dialogue, to open paths and to build bridges. Cooperation is the way for our institutions to become a beacon of hope for the region.”.

For his part, MA Walter Mazariegos, Rector of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and President of CSUCA, emphasized “Internationalization is an essential component to strengthen academic activity, equity and relevance of our universities.”.

A space for training and reflection

The 25th SIESCA Assembly was a forum for training and reflection that provided an opportunity to learn about various strategies for the internationalization of higher education. Among the presentations, the following stood out:

  • Luisa Fernanda Villamizar Rodríguez, from the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN), who shared Colombia's experience in this area.
  • Ángel Fernández, from the University of Veracruz, presented the progress of said institution in internationalization processes and later addressed the topic "Empowerment of curriculum strategies and COIL: an opportunity for internationalization.".
  • Oruam Marichal Guevara, from the University of Ciego de Ávila “Máximo Gómez Báez”, with the conference “Internationalization to transform: strategic quality indicators in the public university”.
  • Francisco Alarcón, Academic Secretary of CSUCA, who reflected on “University research in Central America and the challenges of open science”.
  • Laura Saborío Oviedo, from the State Distance University (UNED), who presented the report of the CSUCA-OBREAL COIL training course for teachers in the region.

Balance and projection

During the assembly, the progress of the SIESCA 2025 Work Plan was also reviewed, and the actions for the 2026 Work Plan were formulated and validated. An important part of the analysis was reflecting on the progress, challenges, and obstacles that SIESCA currently faces, emphasizing actions to be taken.

With these actions, SIESCA reaffirms its commitment to contributing to the development of international skills in graduates, promoting the participation of researchers in the international scientific community, and strengthening the visibility and recognition of CSUCA member universities at the national, regional, and global levels, through various forms of international university cooperation.