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The initiative seeks to facilitate the recognition of learning, improve the articulation between different levels of education and promote more flexible pathways for students.
The proposal was approved by the Council Plenary and sent to the Undersecretariat of Higher Education as a contribution to the modernization process of the system.
The Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) submitted a proposal to the Undersecretariat of Higher Education aimed at strengthening the articulation of the system and moving towards more flexible educational pathways, which facilitate the recognition of learning and the continuity of studies between different levels of education.
The document, prepared by the Commission of Academic Vice-Rectors (CoVRA), was approved during the plenary session held this Thursday, August 27, at the Central House of the University of Chile, and proposes to advance in the development of a National Qualifications Framework for Chile.
In simple terms, this tool aims to establish common references that allow for an understanding of how different levels of education, degrees, and certifications relate to one another, based on the knowledge, skills, and competencies associated with each. Its development would facilitate the recognition of prior studies and learning, improve the articulation between educational levels, and promote more flexible educational pathways, while safeguarding the autonomy and diversity of higher education institutions.
Osvaldo Corrales, executive vice president of CRUCH and rector of the University of Valparaíso, explained that this discussion is part of a broader reflection on the changes required in university education.
“We have discussed the need for the country to have a National Qualifications Framework for university education. This discussion takes place within the context of the debate about modernizing the Chilean higher education system, the need for more flexible pathways for students, and also reviewing the duration of undergraduate programs,” he commented.
Rector Corrales added that “this framework will make the different stages of university education more legible and understandable, and will also make educational pathways more flexible, especially to adapt to a world that is constantly changing.”.
The proposal originated in the plenary session of April of this year, when the Undersecretariat of Higher Education presented to the Council the challenges associated with the relevance of academic offerings and educational pathways. At that time, the Plenary agreed to make the technical expertise of the Commission of Academic Vice-Rectors available for this discussion.
Based on that agreement, CoVRA prepared the document Proposal for the development of a National Qualifications Framework for Chile. The executive vice president noted that “the Council approved the document presented by the Commission of Academic Vice Rectors and the agreement was to forward it to the Undersecretary of Higher Education so that it can be taken into account within the framework of the policies that are being promoted by that department.”.
The proposal incorporates the work previously done in the country and proposes to gradually advance its updating and development, through stages of diagnosis, technical agreements, consultations and piloting.
CRUCH joins initiative on indicators of innovation, transfer and university impact
Another of the relevant topics of the session was the presentation of the Ministerial Advisory Council for Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (CTCI), which invited CRUCH to work together with the universities to build a common system of indicators of innovation, transfer and university impact.
The proposal seeks to move towards common indicators and criteria that will allow for comparable information and a better assessment of universities' contributions to the country's scientific, technological, economic, and social development. While consolidated data on scientific output exists, information on innovation and knowledge transfer is scattered and collected using diverse methodologies.
In this regard, Rector Corrales stated: “The Ministerial Advisory Council of the Ministry of Science, Knowledge, Technology and Innovation has proposed that we work collaboratively on a platform that gathers and synthesizes productivity data on innovation and technology transfer in the country.”.
“As is well known, the universities of the Council produce around 80% of the publications and knowledge generated in Chile and are therefore an indisputable reference point for generating data that allows us to understand the trajectory that the country is having in this matter,” he added.
The Plenary accepted the invitation and agreed to channel this work through the CRUCH Research Commission.
Regulated fees and teacher training
During the session, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Fernanda Valdés, informed the Council about matters that are part of the system's agenda, including the process of setting permanent regulated fees associated with free tuition and the evolution of enrollment in teacher training programs.
On these topics, the executive vice president of CRUCH noted that “especially important was the information he gave us about the process of setting new permanent regulated fees for free tuition, but also the analysis that is being done regarding the evolution of enrollment in the field of pedagogy.”.
Both matters will continue to be analyzed by the Council, due to their implications for the sustainability of higher education institutions and the training of teachers that the country will require in the coming years.
“These are debates that we will continue to have in the framework of upcoming sessions of the Council of Directors and Rectors because they are certainly issues that concern us. The first has to do with the sustainability of higher education institutions and the second also with the country's need for teachers for the future of education in Chile,” Corrales stated.
Text: CRUCH Communications
Photographs: Courtesy of the University of Chile
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