CRUCH strengthens the strategic roadmap for national postgraduate studies during a working session at UTEM

The meeting, in which the Minister of Science Ximena Lincolao participated, made progress in defining strategic guidelines and shared experiences from other institutions, both national and international, addressing various strategies and approaches for the development of Postgraduate studies.

With the purpose of addressing the postgraduate strategic plan and projecting the associated articulation processes, a new plenary session of the Postgraduate Commission of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) was held at the Metropolitan Technological University (UTEM).

The event was opened by the rector of UTEM, Marisol Durán Santis, along with the rector of the Alberto Hurtado University (UAH) and head of the CRUCH Postgraduate Commission, Cristián del Campo Simonetti, and the president of the Commission and academic of the University of Chile, Osvaldo Salazar Guerrero.

In her address, Rector Durán emphasized the importance of this forum as a key collaborative platform for strengthening postgraduate studies in Chile, promoting quality and the country's development. She also commended the university's recent advanced-level institutional accreditation, which incorporates research, creation, and innovation as central pillars of its academic project.

“We reaffirm our willingness to actively contribute to this collective effort. We believe in postgraduate studies with a public purpose, closely linked to research, innovation, and the challenges of the country's sustainable development,” said Rector Durán.

For his part, Rector Cristián del Campo addressed the challenging scenario facing higher education, marked by questions about its legitimacy, accelerated technological changes and increasing financial pressures, in a context where the focus is shifting towards continuing education and lifelong learning.

However, Rector Del Campo emphasized that this scenario also presents opportunities: “Our task is to approach it with an optimistic outlook, promoting creative and innovative solutions. The postgraduate system is in a privileged position to respond to these new realities, through flexible educational pathways that are integrated with working life.”.

In turn, the president of the Commission, Osvaldo Salazar, highlighted that, considering the diversity of institutions and territorial realities represented, the aim is to define strategic priorities.

In this regard, key issues such as financing, technological transformation, the demands of the labor market and the articulation between undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education were addressed, with the aim of advancing a roadmap that guides the work of CRUCH.

During the day, reflection workshops were held to analyze these challenges and advance in the construction of strategic guidelines.

Exchange of best practices

On the second day, the session focused on exchanging best practices and experiences regarding the articulation of the educational system, integrating undergraduate, continuing education, master's, and doctoral programs. This opportunity provided an opportunity to learn about initiatives from Chilean universities, as well as international benchmarks.

The Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies at UTEM, Carmen González Henríquez, valued this space as key for dialogue and joint work, reaffirming the institutional commitment to an articulated, quality postgraduate program in collaboration with other universities and the public sector.

The day included presentations by academics and authorities from different institutions, including José Antonio Ordaz, Vice-Rector of Postgraduate Studies at the International University of Andalusia, in Spain; Angélica Mosqueda, General Director of Postgraduate and Post-Graduate Studies at the University of Valparaíso; Marcelo Gómez, Director of Postgraduate Studies at the Austral University of Chile; and Gabriel Easton, Director of the School of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at the University of Chile.

The closing of the activity included virtual presentations by the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile, Ximena Lincolao Pilquián, and the Undersecretary Rafael Araos Bralic, an opportunity to align visions, strengthen the link with public policies and project a higher education with greater impact.

Subsequently, a dialogue space was developed between the members of the Postgraduate Commission.

Text and photos: UTEM Communications.