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The representative of the European Association Universities (USA) maintained that "the most relevant aspect is the importance of identifying the added value of mobility, whether for undergraduate, graduate, or research students." It added that "common challenges can be identified in this region, and with that, it would be easier for universities to work together toward a common goal.".
Among those who participated in the meeting of Andean Mobility highlighted Elizabeth Colucci, representative of the European Association Universities, who contributed to the meeting with his vast experience in international cooperation initiatives.
-How did the EUA's participation in this working group come about?
At the EUA, we are in the final month of the Alfa Puentes project, co-financed by us and the European Commission. We are the project coordinators, and it aims to enable all university associations to work on shared interests, particularly regional integration in higher education. The Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) and other rectors' councils in the region are participating in this project.
This meeting was convened at the initiative of CRUCH, to explore the possibility of launching a regional mobility program with Andean countries. My association, as coordinator of the Alfa Puentes project, decided to participate because we are interested in supporting this initiative, given our significant experience with regional mobility programs. We have the Erasmus+ mobility program, which has been operating for over 20 years, and we can share that experience with associations in Latin America.
-What is your assessment of these three days of work?
It has been very productive because we have national associations working with us, so it is very important for us that university associations identify common values. You can see that this interest exists in Latin America, which is very important for us and for the development of the entire region, to advance higher education in the region. For us, it is always interesting to share our experience in regional cooperation among associations, and that was the objective of the Alfa Puentes project: to bring together university associations and identify common areas of work.
-What are your conclusions from the meeting?
I believe the most important thing is identifying the added value of mobility, whether for undergraduate, graduate, or research students. This isn't just about moving to another country, but about achieving something or contributing to something. In this region, we can identify common challenges, which would make it easier for universities to work together toward a shared goal. Simply promoting a mobility platform without a clear identity won't work. The value of this meeting lies in identifying some of the common challenges universities face and developing a mobility program to help guide cooperation around them.
Andean Mobility: Interviews with the protagonists of the meeting organized by CRUCH
Interview with Julio Theiler, Montevideo Group
Interview with Nicolás Patrici, Ulises project coordinator (OBREAL) and University of Barcelona
Spanish 
English