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On May 23 and 24, a key meeting of the CRUCH Research Advisory Committee was held, an organization led by Pedro Bouchon, Vice-Rector of Research at the Catholic University of Chile (UC). Presentations were given by Andrés Bernasconi, President of the National Accreditation Commission, and Nicole Ehrenfeld, from the National Research and Development Agency (ANID). Vice-Rectors from across the country discussed topics of importance to universities at this meeting, which took place at the UC's Main Building and San Joaquín Campus.
The meeting was marked in red on the calendar of research conducted under the auspices of the country's universities: the first face-to-face meeting this year, which brought together the top research authorities of the CRUCH universities - the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities. More than 30 people - including vice-rectors and directors of Research - from higher education institutions from all regions of the country, met in two intense days of work and dialogue at Casa Central and at the San Joaquín Campus of the UC, on May 23 and 24, respectively.
The defined agenda included three strategic themes, one of which was to discuss the planning of collaborative research and how it is projected from the ministry in the medium and long term, he introduced Pedro Bouchon, president of the CRUCH Research Commission and vice-rector of Research at UC.
“There is a plan for centers, but as vice-rectors of research we believe that this should be embedded in a more complex and long-term framework, in order to be able to see a sustainable projection over time,” explained the authority, who led this plenary meeting.
That was precisely the topic of discussion on Friday, May 24, following a presentation by Nicole Ehrenfeld, Deputy Director of Centers and Collaborative Research at ANID, the National Research and Development Agency. The meeting took place that morning at the UC Anacleto Angelini Innovation Center. “I was invited to jointly review the center plan - its 2023 update -; to resolve doubts about how these guidelines from the ministry are being incorporated into upcoming competitive processes; and also to have a constructive dialogue about how to view collaborative science in the future.”, Nicole Ehrenfeld explained.
Research, innovation and creation
Another topic on the agenda, and one that was extensively discussed during the meeting of the vice-rectors of research, was the new accreditation process for higher education institutions. To obtain firsthand, up-to-date information, Andrés Bernasconi, president of the National Accreditation Commission, was invited. “The idea was to talk and understand how research comes into play (…). The topic of 'research, innovation and creation' came up, along with the levels of development. Ultimately, it was about understanding how this fits into a contemporary vision of measuring the impact of research.‘, stated the vice-rector of the UC and president of the commission.
It was the first time the CNA president had appeared before the Commission of Inquiry. “The good thing is that we were able to delve deeper into the new criteria and standards, which have been in effect since October 1st of last year… and we realize that there are doubts about how they are interpreted. And that's natural.”, Andrés Bernasconi, who presented on the afternoon of Thursday, May 23, stated this. He spoke, among other topics, about the concept of “Research, innovation and creation”, which comes with the new process.
From her position at CRUCH, Gloria Herrera, in charge of the legal area of the General Secretariat of that institution, also listened attentively to the president of the CNA. “I would like to highlight the search for solutions to the problems that have arisen in the management of the vice-rectorates of research; the proposal to move forward in seeking a greater position in the discussion of public policies related to research, science, technology, knowledge and innovation; and the work guidelines that were established to advance in a direct contribution to the Council.”.
Decentralization
A third key aspect addressed at the commission meeting was understanding the challenges and gaps related to decentralization, and how to address them. María José Gallardo, Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Atacama, delved into this topic from a local perspective. “I am interested in highlighting the ultimate role that research and innovation play in the country's development, and not just focusing on metrics or competitiveness, but also on how research supports the country's decentralization processes.”, he explained.
Among the participants was Christian González-Billault, Vice-Rector of Research and Development at the University of Chile. “The meeting is important because we share our views on how we perceive the research ecosystem to be functioning, and it presents opportunities not only to share our challenges, but also about what we can do together.», he pointed out.
Andrea Rodríguez, Vice-Rector of Research and Development at the University of Concepción (UdeC), had a similar view. “These are forums where we share concerns, such as the strengths and weaknesses of the system we are observing, and how we can contribute in a coordinated way (…) We are in a system where, in general, universities have to compete quite a bit. But here, the emphasis is on seeking collaboration. It is a very productive forum.”.
Representing that extreme region of the country was Claudia Estrada, Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Magallanes. “This meeting is particularly important for us because we are a small, regional, state university in a geographically diverse setting. However, when we come together, we are able to recognize that we have some common problems and that we can work together to find solutions.”.
Text: Carla Alonso Bertaggia, Content Manager of the Knowledge Communication Unit, Vice-Rectorate for Research UC.
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