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At the end of the academic meeting, the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Valparaíso, Osvaldo Corrales Jorquera, and the representative of the CRUE Governing Board and rector of the University of León, Nuria González Álvarez, They will read the Declaration of the II Meeting of Rectors and Rectors Spain Chile.
The Chilean delegation will include 16 universities from the Council.
* Text courtesy of CRUE Communications
The University of La Laguna (ULL) will host the Second Meeting of Rectors from Spain and Chile, entitled "University and Ibero-American Cooperation in Times of Transformation," in its Paraninfo (Great Hall) on October 19 and 20. This event is part of the Campus America 2026 The conference, which will feature Chile as the guest country, aims to establish itself as a forum for dialogue between higher education institutions from both countries, affiliated with the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) and the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH). The objective of these sessions is to strengthen academic, scientific, and institutional cooperation between the two nations.
The program will be structured around various dialogue sessions aimed at addressing some of the main challenges facing higher education in the 21st century. The sessions will focus on strategic issues such as curriculum transformation and lifelong learning, research, innovation and knowledge transfer with social impact, science diplomacy, artificial intelligence, and the role of higher education institutions in building a more integrated, open, and internationally connected Ibero-American knowledge space.
The opening ceremony will include the participation of the president of CRUE and rector of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Julián Garde López-Brea, from the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Valparaíso, Osvaldo Corrales Jorquera, and from the host rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco Javier García Rodríguez; The attendance of the President of the Government of the Canary Islands is also expected, Fernando Clavijo Batlle; from the Chilean ambassador to Spain, Juan Antonio Coloma Correa; from the mayor of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez Pérez, and the president of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila Mamely.
After the inauguration, the emeritus professor of American History at UNED, Carlos Malamud, The alternate executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the Catholic University of Temuco will deliver the inaugural lecture, "Latin America's International Integration in a Turbulent World.", Marcela Momberg Alarcón, will be in charge of its presentation.
AI, innovation and microcredentials
The second day of the meeting, Tuesday the 20th, will feature several sessions. The first, on "Curriculum Transformation and New Educational Challenges," will focus on how educational models must evolve to respond to a reality marked by technological acceleration, the transformation of employment, and the ongoing need for updated knowledge and skills. The session will explore the potential of micro-credentials, curriculum flexibility, and international cooperation, and will discuss the role of quality assurance and accreditation systems in supporting these transformation processes.
The next session will focus on "Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Transfer with Social Impact" and will analyze how higher education institutions can maximize the impact of research and innovation in a context marked by profound economic, social, and environmental transformations. The discussion will highlight new forms of knowledge transfer and collaboration with the community to strengthen contributions to territorial development, competitiveness, and the generation of public value.
The day will continue with a conference by the Ibero-American Secretary General, Andrés Allamand, which will be introduced by the vice president of CRUE and rector of the Pablo de Olavide University, Francisco Oliva Blázquez.
The third session will delve into "Artificial Intelligence and Challenges in Higher Education," opening a discussion on what it means to educate, research, and manage higher education institutions in a context where artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, create knowledge, and make decisions. The opportunities and challenges this transformation presents for teaching, research, management, and the training of future generations will be addressed.
The dynamic roundtables will conclude the sessions and offer a participatory workspace to compare different perspectives and enrich discussions on topics of interest. Participants will be able to contribute to four thematic roundtables, fostering a more cross-cutting and interdisciplinary reflection.
As a conclusion to this academic meeting, the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Valparaíso, Osvaldo Corrales Jorquera, and the representative of the CRUE Governing Board and rector of the University of León, Nuria González Álvarez, They will read the Declaration of the II Meeting of Rectors and Rectors Spain Chile.
Chilean delegation
The Chilean delegation will be headed by the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Valparaíso, Osvaldo Corrales, and the alternate vice president of the Council and rector of the Catholic University of Temuco, Marcela Momberg.
Also participating will be the rectors Jacqueline Sepúlveda, of the University of Concepción; Jenniffer Peralta, of the University of Tarapacá; Marisol Durán, of the Metropolitan Technological University; and Fernanda Kri, of the University of O'Higgins; along with the rectors Nelson Vásquez, of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso; Juan Yuz, of the Federico Santa María Technical University; Pedro Palominos, of the University of Santiago; Pablo Camus, of the University of Antofagasta; Alberto Martínez, of the Arturo Prat University; Óscar Garrido, of the University of Los Lagos; Carlos Peña, of the Diego Portales University; and José Antonio Guzmán, of the University of Los Andes. Completing the delegation are the Vice-Rector of the University of Chile, Dorotea López, and the Vice-Rector of the Catholic University of Maule, Víctor San Martín.
It is worth recalling that the first meeting took place at the University of Santiago, Chile (USACH), on April 21 and 22, 2025, and brought together more than fifty rectors from universities belonging to the CRUE and CRUCH confederations. During the meeting, they discussed key issues for higher education and signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of strengthening academic ties and international cooperation between the two countries.
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