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During their plenary session in Valdivia, the university presidents and rectors, together with the Undersecretary of Higher Education and the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, analyzed the main challenges facing the university system in a context of demographic, technological and territorial transformations, addressing both long-term projections for higher education and contingent issues of financing and regulation.
The meeting was also marked by the incorporation into the Council of the rector of the University of Concepción, Jacqueline Sepúlveda, and the rector of the University of Talca, Arcadio Cerda, as well as by the recognition of the career and contribution of the rector of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés, in her last participation as a member of the Plenary.
With the participation of the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Fernanda Valdés; the head of the Division of Universities, Alejandro Fernández; and the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Ximena Lincolao, a new plenary session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) was held this Thursday, May 28, organized by the Austral University of Chile (UACh) in the city of Valdivia.
During the meeting, Undersecretary Valdés reviewed various issues related to the system's current situation with the university presidents, including the 2026 budget, the Supreme Court's ruling on tuition regulation, the allocation of student benefits, and the results of the latest enrollment process, which show a worrying drop of 12.3% in teacher training programs.
Furthermore, the authority elaborated on the undersecretary's priority areas —financial sustainability, updating of the academic offering, and governance and management—, valuing the knowledge and experience that CRUCH contributes to these matters.
“We are seeing significant changes in our country, which are also occurring at a comparative level, in demographic terms, in terms of the acceleration of technology, in terms of migration flows, and, therefore, it is worth asking ourselves how we are going to move forward in the midst of this new context. The CRUCH has a long history; here we have a group of institutions that have been working together for a long time, there is a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience, and, so, we have discussed the challenges ahead (…) Sometimes these mean new agreements, sometimes they mean new bills, sometimes they mean new conversations, and we have lines of action in all these areas,” stated Undersecretary Valdés.
In this regard, the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Tarapacá, Emilio Rodríguez, valued the willingness of the Undersecretary and highlighted the importance of combining short-term diagnoses with long-term strategic projections.
CTCI strategic pillars 2026-2030
For her part, the Minister of Science, Ximena Lincolao, who participated remotely, announced the six strategic pillars of her portfolio with a view to 2030: agile, traceable and efficient management; artificial intelligence as critical infrastructure; technology transfer; regional innovation engines; strengthening the STI ecosystem; and talent for the future of work.
The minister highlighted the central role of universities in developing these pillars, hoping they will be consolidated as a state policy. “A ministry must aim for state policies that provide continuity, and these six pillars offer that. We are interested in presenting a proposal to Parliament that is legitimized by the system; that is, by all of you,” she emphasized.
Emotional farewell to Rector Rosa Devés
This month's plenary session was marked by the final participation of the Rector of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés Alessandri. In a moving moment, the rectors of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) recognized her outstanding academic career and her contribution to the development of Chilean higher education, highlighting not only her status as the first woman to assume the rectorship of the University of Chile, but also her ability to foster dialogue, build consensus, and strengthen collaborative work among the Council's institutions. Her approachable leadership, her unwavering commitment to public service, and her dedication to quality higher education were widely valued by her peers, who expressed their gratitude for the lasting impact she has had on the university system and the country.
“Rector Devés is an extraordinary role model. She is a person who has fostered unity and cohesion within the CRUCH (…) Rector Devés’s greatness lies in her spirit, in her person, in that intellectual quality that she doesn’t have to demonstrate constantly because it is noticeable, evident, but also in that tremendous personal quality,” commented Rector Rodríguez.
New members of the Council
During the day, CRUCH also officially welcomed its new members: the rector of the University of Concepción, Jacqueline Sepúlveda —the first woman to hold the rectorship of the UdeC in its 107-year history—, and the rector of the University of Talca, Arcadio Cerda.
Rector Sepúlveda is a Pharmaceutical Chemist from the University of Concepción (UdeC) and holds a PhD from the Karl-Franzens University of Graz (Austria). She has had an extensive academic career at her alma mater since 1994, distinguished in applied pharmacology research, international leadership in gender equity in higher education, and awards such as the Patents of the Southern World Prize and recognition as a "Leading Academic Woman.".
Rector Cerda, for his part, holds a degree in Business Engineering and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Concepción (UdeC), a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources, and an MBA from Oregon State University. He was an associate professor at UdeC for 20 years and has been teaching at the University of Talca since 1992, where he has served as dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business for five terms, in addition to leading outreach projects focused on entrepreneurship and women's empowerment in the Maule Region.
At the end of the day, the Rector of the UACh, Egon Montecinos, thanked the authorities for their visit to Valdivia, highlighting that the event provided an opportunity to showcase the institution's current state. “It was a chance to demonstrate our financial recovery, our undergraduate and graduate program indicators, publications, teaching, and the challenges facing the Austral University. We are very pleased and hope to host the CRUCH plenary session again next year at our university to continue making progress on the issues that concern higher education,” he concluded.
Text: CRUCH Communications.
Photos: Communications Austral University of Chile.
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