CRUCH turns 72 and plans its work in the face of new challenges in higher education

Created in 1954, the Council brings together 30 universities present throughout the country, which concentrate 54.6% of undergraduate university enrollment.

The commemoration coincides with the beginning of a new term for the Executive Vice Presidency, headed by Rector Osvaldo Corrales and Rector Marcela Momberg.

This August 14th, the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) celebrates 72 years since its creation, In a context of transformations that pose new challenges for higher education, the date coincides with a new phase in its leadership and an agenda that focuses on the collaborative work of its 30 universities to respond to the changes facing the system.

Created by Law No. 11,575 of 1954 as a public university coordination body, CRUCH has had an organic statute since 1985 established by DFL No. 2 of the Ministry of Education, which defines it as a collegiate institution of public law, presided over by the highest authority of that portfolio. Its functions include advising the State on matters of higher education, formulating proposals, and promoting collaboration among its member universities. 

In her anniversary greeting, the Minister of Education, María Paz Arzola, highlighted the role that CRUCH plays in its relationship with the State.

“It is a key player in supporting higher education in the country. At the Ministry of Education, we deeply value the role that CRUCH plays as a technical counterpart and as a permanent working space,” he noted.

At the moment, The institutions that are part of the Council are present from Arica to Punta Arenas and bring together 399,606 undergraduate students, equivalent to 54.61% of the enrollment of the university subsystem. Of these, 62.1% study in regions other than the Metropolitan Region.

A new term for the Council

In July, the Plenary elected the rector of the University of Valparaíso, Osvaldo Corrales, as executive vice president for the period 2026-2028, and the rector of the Catholic University of Temuco, Marcela Momberg, as alternate executive vice president.

Corrales highlighted the trajectory of CRUCH and its contribution to the development of the Chilean university system.

“It is more than seven decades contributing to the construction and consolidation of the Chilean higher education system. The Council of Rectors plays an irreplaceable role in defining public policy in this matter and It has been present at major historical milestones that have marked its development”,” he stated.

For his part, Momberg emphasized the collaborative capacity built between the institutions and the need to project it into the coming years. 

“Throughout these decades, The CRUCH has been a fundamental space for meeting, collaboration and reflection, articulating our universities in the face of the great challenges of the country and accompanying the transformations of Chilean higher education. ”Today, as we look at this trajectory, we must also look ahead,” he said.

The challenges ahead

The evolution of knowledge and artificial intelligence are changing the ways we teach and learn, while changes in the world of work and demographic transformations are raising new questions for the university environment.

Among the priorities set for this period is to move towards more flexible educational pathways that respond to the skills demanded by the contemporary world without compromising the quality of education. There are also outstanding issues regarding financing and knowledge generation.

For the general secretary of CRUCH, Angélica Bosch, joint work takes on special relevance in this scenario.

“In a world undergoing profound transformations, the challenges facing higher education require dialogue and trust to build consensus, in a context that is redefining how knowledge is produced, validated, and put at the service of the country. This has been the historical role of CRUCH, and it will continue to be so,” he concluded.