CRUCH holds first meeting with the Minister of Education and opens space for collaboration in higher education

20/03/2026
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Members of the CRUCH Executive Committee met for the first time with the Minister of Education, María Paz Arzola, and the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Fernanda Valdés, to address the main challenges facing the system. The meeting was characterized by cordiality and a shared willingness to work collaboratively.

The agenda also included a meeting with the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Ximena Lincolao, in which key issues for scientific development and the strategic role of CRUCH universities in the country were analyzed.

“The meeting we held with the Minister of Education, María Paz Arzola, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Fernanda Valdés, and her team was excellent and fruitful,” said the executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Tarapacá, Emilio Rodríguez, at the end of the meeting with the new authorities this Thursday, March 19.

After more than an hour of conversation, in which the members of the Executive Committee participated, Rector Rodríguez commented that “we saw a very positive willingness to work collaboratively with CRUCH, as we have always done, as a leading institution of Chilean higher education, with almost 72 years of history. Consequently, we envision very important opportunities to contribute with ideas, visions, and proposals for the development of Chilean higher education, considering the challenges we face today as a country.”.

For his part, the alternate executive vice president and rector of the University of Concepción (UdeC), Carlos Saavedra, described the meeting as “very positive” and commented that “while it was a formal greeting in which we expressed our willingness to collaborate as an advisory body to the Ministry on matters of Higher Education, it was a lengthy and very cordial meeting, in which the Minister and Undersecretary outlined in general terms the issues they hope to address. For our part, we expressed some of the aspects we hope can be addressed during this period.”.

The rector of the University of the Andes (UAndes), José Antonio Guzmán, also described the meeting as “very cordial” and stated that “the rectors appreciated this opportunity and offered our loyal and constructive collaboration.” He added that “this first meeting resulted in a clear consensus on the issues that need to be addressed, including comprehensive financing of the system, evaluation of the regulatory system, and the need to create pathways to implement the necessary changes to adequately meet the needs of the labor market.”.

Meanwhile, the rector of the Catholic University of Maule and president of the Association of Regional Universities (AUR), Claudio Rojas, agreed on the cordiality of the meeting and commented that "the rectors presented their visions and diagnoses of Chilean higher education, while the minister listened attentively, after which she outlined the main concerns of the government.".

Similarly, the Rector of the University of Valparaíso and President of the Consortium of State Universities of Chile (CUECH), Osvaldo Corrales, valued the opportunity for dialogue: «We had the chance to share our vision regarding the main priorities, perspectives, and challenges that the rectors of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) have identified and which we have been discussing recently.” Rector Corrales emphasized “the receptiveness and willingness to engage in dialogue shown by the new authorities, with whom we hope to work together to address these challenges in order to improve and strengthen our higher education system.”.

At the end of the meeting, the authorities announced that they will participate in the next plenary session of the Council, which will take place at the University of Concepción on Thursday, March 26.

Also present at the event were the Rector of the Metropolitan Technological University (UTEM), Marisol Durán; the Rector of the Catholic University of the Holy Conception (UCSC), Cristhian Mellado; and the Secretary General of CRUCH, Angélica Bosch. The Head of the University Division, Alejandro Fernández, also participated on behalf of the Ministry.

Meeting with Minister CTCI

On Wednesday, March 18, the rector and the rectors of the Executive Committee also met with the new Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Ximena Lincolao, to address the challenges of the sector.

Regarding this meeting, the rector of the UCSC, Cristhian Mellado, highlighted that the authorities "recognize the value that the Council of Rectors has for the Ministry, for the development of knowledge, science, technology and innovation in the country, and the universities that belong to the Council.".

For her part, the rector of UTEM, Marisol Durán, stated: "It was a very positive meeting, where we expressed our concerns and worries, and she was also able to explain to us what the main challenges are and her strategic definitions for developing and strengthening the Ministry of Science.".

Regarding the technical vision, the rector of UAndes, José Antonio Guzmán, added that, in the ministerial proposal, "their idea of how to develop science and technology that is in accordance with the country's resources and competitive advantages predominates.".

Text: CRUCH Communications.

Photos: Mineduc Communications.