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The Minister of Science, Ximena Lincolao, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Fernanda Valdés, and the Superintendent of Higher Education, Francisco Achurra, participated in the Council session.
Undersecretary Valdés proposed establishing a working group with CRUCH to address the needs of the 2027 budget and reflect on the higher education financing system.
The 2027 budget for higher education and the resources allocated for science and research were the main topics discussed by the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) with the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Ximena Lincolao, and the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Fernanda Valdés, during the session on Thursday, October 29.
The meeting, hosted by Alberto Hurtado University, continued the dialogue on both budget proposals, following their rejection weeks earlier in the Fourth Joint Budget Subcommittee.
The executive vice president of CRUCH, Osvaldo Corrales, expressed the Council's concern about the budget cuts and warned that they could erode the capabilities of the university system. "The budget cuts seem problematic to us because they sacrifice capabilities that have taken the national university system and the country decades to build," he stated.
In this context, he explained that the participation of the Minister of Science and the Undersecretary of Higher Education is part of a dialogue addressing long-term policies for higher education and research, as well as immediate budgetary needs. Regarding the latter, the Council is in talks with the Government and Parliament to reverse the budget cuts.
“We hope, we expect that the Executive Branch can understand that what is allocated to higher education and science is an investment, not an expense,” said Corrales, who added that the amounts under discussion do not represent a significant difference compared to the country's fiscal savings needs.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary Valdés maintained that "the rejection is an opportunity for dialogue" and raised the need to move forward in two complementary areas: addressing the current situation and reflecting on the higher education financing system.
“The conclusion we reached is that the 2027 budget is not the topic of discussion, but rather the financing structure of the system, and we agreed to move forward with a working group to refine that system,” the undersecretary stated. She added, “There is a very positive and rigorous tone to this conversation, so I am very hopeful that together with the Council of Rectors we can make progress.”.
In this regard, Rector Corrales stated that “as CRUCH, we are very willing to engage in dialogue and contribute to this work. We need to sustain a reflection on the long-term financing of higher education, one that considers the various functions our universities fulfill and their contribution to the country.”.
University science and research budget
For her part, Minister Ximena Lincolao valued the conversations with the CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities) and the deans of science as a contribution to her ministry's budget decisions. "This relationship is invaluable because it allows us to make adjustments as well," she noted.
Regarding the resources planned for 2027, he stated that, although the proposal contemplates a decrease in the ministry's total budget, the allocations destined for universities increase compared to previous years.
Among the measures announced, he highlighted the opening of 15 regional centers at universities, the increase from 250 to 600 master's scholarships at national institutions, and a call for applications for 1,000 new doctoral scholarships. He also mentioned the Science 2030, Engineering 2030, and Knowledge 2030 programs, the latter focused on the humanities and social sciences.
“It is very valuable that the minister came to the CRUCH plenary session,” stated Juan Yuz, rector of the Federico Santa María Technical University (USM) and head of the Council's Research Commission. He highlighted the opportunity to discuss the budget and learn about the ministry's initiatives for the next two years. He also emphasized the need to strengthen daily collaboration with the minister and her teams, both in plenary sessions and through the Research Commission, in coordination with the National Research and Development Agency (ANID).
Superintendent presents management guidelines
In his first participation in a Council session, the Superintendent of Higher Education, Francisco Achurra, presented the initial guidelines of his administration, with emphasis on dialogue and support for institutions to ensure regulatory compliance, as well as on risk-based supervision, especially for those institutions facing sustainability problems or non-compliance.
Among the priorities outlined, the improvement of financial reporting to facilitate comparison and anticipate sustainability challenges stood out, along with the use of technological tools to expedite the processing of claims and complaints. It also proposed strengthening the coordination of information systems to avoid duplicate requests to institutions, while safeguarding confidentiality and protecting personal data.
Text: CRUCH Communications
Photographs: Courtesy of UAH Communications
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