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With the addition of María Cecilia Hernández (UCN) and Marcela Momberg (UCT), the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) will reach its highest level of female representation in its more than 70-year history. Executive Vice President Emilio Rodríguez highlighted this progress as a reflection of the universities' commitment to gender equality.
The current rectors, Rosa Devés (UChile), Luperfina Rojas (ULS), Elisa Araya (UMCE), Marisol Durán (UTEM) and Fernanda Kri (UOH), celebrate the arrival of the new members and agree that it will bring diversity to the leadership and management of the Council.
At the next plenary session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), on Thursday, March 27, two new rectors will be integrated: María Cecilia Hernández, from the Catholic University of the North (UCN) and Marcela Momberg, from the Catholic University of Temuco (UCT), both recently elected in their respective academic institutions.
Together with the five female rectors who are currently part of the Council, there will be 7 in total, a historic number in the more than 70-year history of this higher education organization.
The rectors Rosa Devés from the University of Chile (UChile), Luperfina Rojas from the University of La Serena (ULS), Elisa Araya from the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), Marisol Durán from the Metropolitan Technological University (UTEM), Fernanda Kri from the University of O'Higgins, and the executive vice president of CRUCH, Emilio Rodríguez, They celebrate the arrival and anticipate that their participation will bring diversity to the leadership and management of the Council.
For the Rector of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés, “The addition of two new female rectors to CRUCH is great news, because they are outstanding academics with extensive experience in university management, which will serve as an incentive for new female leaders.”.
The rUOH rector, Fernanda Kri, She, who also serves on the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission, maintains that “it is very important that today we have a greater number of female rectors, because CRUCH is an institution that brings together universities of different types, where we have always highly valued diversity. However, for a long time they were only men. That has been changing in recent years and we hope it continues to do so.”.
For his part, the Executive Vice President and Rector of the University of Tarapacá (UTA), Emilio Rodríguez, She believes that “this is a significant step that demonstrates how our universities are progressing in gender equality. Each female rector, both current and recently elected, serves as a role model, illuminating the hopes of thousands of people who see in their example that doors can be opened, and that they are being opened.”.
Meanwhile, the UMCE Rector, Elisa Araya, She points out that it is an important step “because we have been underrepresented and now we are beginning to be more present. This is also a message to the female academics at our universities so that they feel that the path of management, administration, deans, vice-rectors and rectors is also a path that belongs to them.”.
Along the same lines, the Rector of the ULS, Luperfina Rojas, says that “it is a significant step towards gender equality in Higher Education institutions, responding to a historical demand for a fairer and more diverse arrangement in decision-making spaces.”.
The UTEM Rector, Marisol Durán, She highlights that “it is a historic milestone, as it will be the first time in the history of the Council of Rectors, we are talking about 1954, more than 70 years, that seven women will be part of the Council, out of a total of 30 members. He adds that “this composition of the CRUCH was unthinkable ten years ago. This has been possible after the mobilizations of 2018 and 2019, due to the great demands that have existed in our country and worldwide.”.
Starting point
From the perspective of the rector of the ULS, “this progress should be considered as a starting point and not as an end, since there is still a long way to go in promoting gender policies that strengthen the participation and development of female leadership at all levels of Chilean universities.”.
Along the same lines, the rector of the University of Chile emphasizes that “while we are still far from parity, each new female rector contributes significantly to gender equity in this important institution, reducing the inconsistency between our pro-equality rhetoric and reality.” The rector of the University of O'Higgins agrees, also stating that “we still have a long way to go to achieve parity, but we are making progress on a path that is never easy.”.
The rector of UTEM states that “the results observed in different institutions are a consequence of public policy on gender equality and also respond to demands that have long been present in our society. In this sense, universities are adapting to the expectations of our country.” An example of this is her participation in the Executive Committee of CRUCH, “because thanks to the support and conviction of the five rectors, I am representing the more inclusive and diverse perspectives of the women who are part of the Council.”.
New dynamics and leadership styles
There is convergence in the positions of the rectors and the executive vice president regarding the effects that this new configuration of the plenary will have.
Rector Emilio Rodríguez comments that “international evidence and the state of the art show that decision-making processes improve significantly in their design and implementation when there is gender diversity. In turn, gender diversity builds harmony, commitment, and relationships of trust, based on substantive aspects and a holistic perspective.”.
According to the rector of the University of Chile, "the diversity of perspectives and experiences can only enrich management, so these changes can only be seen as something very positive.".
According to the rectors Marisol Durán (UTEM), Luperfina Rojas (ULS) and Fernanda Kri (UOH), the presence of more female rectors will enrich the debate and decision-making.
“The participation of five female rectors in CRUCH has already had a positive impact on the Council's dynamics, since it has promoted more collaborative leadership styles, which has fostered consensus building and a more comprehensive vision in decision-making,” says Rector Rojas.
Rector Durán adds that in decision-making, “gender perspectives, more inclusive and more diverse approaches can be introduced, with a positive impact also on the organizational culture of the Council.”.
Regarding leadership styles, the rector of UOH states that “women have leadership styles that are different from those of men, we have different perspectives on solving problems, and these perspectives will enrich the decisions made in the Council, so I am sure it will be a tremendous contribution.”.
Finally, the rector of UMCE recalls that in In 2023, the plenary session adopted the decision to change the name of the Council, incorporating the word “Rectors”. “Our fellow rectors, when making the decision to add rectors to the name, publicly acknowledged the importance and the different perspectives that women bring when they are in management positions.”.
The new rectors
María Cecilia Hernández will be the first woman to assume the position of rector at the Catholic University of the North. The ceremony will take place on March 10 and will mark the beginning of her five-year term (2025–2029).
The current dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Geological Sciences, a metallurgical civil engineer from the University of Concepción and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Barcelona (Spain), has worked at the university for the past 11 years, where she has held positions such as director of the Department of Metallurgical and Mining Engineering (DIMM) and vice-rector of Research and Technological Development. She has also participated in numerous scientific and research projects.
Meanwhile, the new rector of the Catholic University of Temuco, Marcela Momberg, will assume her position on March 17 for the same term (2025-2029). She is the current vice-rector and professor in the Faculty of Law, Economics, and Administration, and has 29 years of experience in higher education.
She is a lawyer, holds a degree in Legal and Social Sciences (Universidad Finis Terrae) and a Master's degree in Private Law (Universidad de Concepción), in addition to several diplomas.
At UCT, she has held various positions and coordinated several processes, including institutional accreditation, cross-cutting institutional policies, and initiatives aligned with the 2030 Institutional Development Plan, focusing on areas such as quality assurance, sustainability, and digital transformation. She has also represented the university in national and international networks.
Momberg will be the second woman to lead the university in its 65-year history. The first was Rector Mónica Jiménez – from 2004 to 2008 – who was also the first woman to join the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH).
Text: CRUCH Communications
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