The world conference "The New Dynamics of Higher Education and Research for Social Change and Development", that will take place in July at UNESCO headquarters in Paris seeks to carry out an analysis of the changes that have occurred since the World Conference on Higher Education in the XXI Century: vision and action (1998), as well as to establish a strategic agenda for the development of policies in the area.
Due to the fact that one of the basic themes to be treated at the conference in the plenary session will be that of internationalization, regionalization, and globalization , it seems opportune to present a synthesis of the implementation of the actions and suggestions that came out of the 1998 conference and its Framework of Action, and the perspectives in this new decade in regard to this topic.
In carrying out this analysis, it is important to consider certain events since 1998 at the international, Latin American, and regional levels. These undoubtedly have had some impacts on the policies developed for higher education. At the governmental level, and mentioning only some, the constitution of new regional and inter-regional blocks such as the UEALC area , UNASUR , and ALBA ; and at the institutional level, the generation of a variety of new networks and inter-university consortiums.
The first theme to highlight of the 1998 Declaration is the repeated reference to the term international cooperation, and the formulation of the following recommendations: cooperation shall be conceived as an integral part of the institutional missions of higher education systems; all actors shall foster international university mobility; establishments shall make efforts to guarantee the just and reasonable recognition of courses taken abroad; UNESCO, together with all interested actors of society shall establish measures in order to reduce the negative effects of the brain-drain and to substitute the process for a dynamic of recovery of the same
It should be noted that the term international cooperation, understood in general terms as the modality of relation between countries, institutions, and actors that seek mutual benefit in order to achieve optimal development, has in some ways been progressively replaced or amplified during the last decade by a triad that involves the concepts of Internationalization, International Cooperation, and Regional Integration , the definition of which should be explained with special emphasis on the notions of globalization and mundialización . And these are the key themes of this new conference.
The internationalization of higher education is a relatively recent occurrence, and is understood as the process of the development and implementation of policies and programs to integrate the international and inter-cultural dimensions in the missions, proposals, and functions of university institutions. Internationalization tends to formalize the benefits of international cooperation for the university community in general.
Promotion of the internationalization of higher education involves actions such as the mobility of students, professors, and researchers; networks of a regional and international character; an international education offering; internationalization of the curriculum; dual titles; inter-institutional agreements; joint research and graduate programs; the teaching of local languages and cultures; cooperative development programs; regional processes of assessment and accreditation of university quality; and measures to mitigate the brain-drain.
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by Gabriela Siufi
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MARIA GABRIELA SIUFI GARCÍA has a Lic. In psychology from Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (1994), with graduate studies in assessment policies and research for decision-making (FLACSO- Argentina). She is a University Specialist in the planning and management of cooperation projects for development in the areas of education, science, and culture of UNED. She was coordinator of the area of internationalization of higher education and international university cooperation SPU - MECYT (2003-2005).
She is currently a consultant in the areas of international cooperation, internationalization, and university planning and assessment for various national and international institutions and agencies.
She has participated as an invited panellist at international events, and as an undergraduate and graduate level teacher in various Argentine and foreign universities.
She is an Institutional Advisor of the Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, and is an advisor of the Committee on Higher Education of the House of Representatives of Argentina for Beatriz Guerci, who represents the Province of Jujuy
She is the author of various publications in books, journals, and newspapers. She was co-organizer of the VII Summit of Chancellors of State Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean , held in November, 2008 at the Universidad Nacional de Jujuy.
She is a member of the Centro de Estudios sobre Universidad y Educación Superior (CEUES).
UEALC/ALCUE Area (European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean), created in November, 2000 with the presence of 48 ministers of education who signed the Declaration of Paris in order to constitute the largest university area of the world: the AlCUE Common Higher Education Area.
The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), created in Cuzco in December, 2004, by decision of the presidents of the region. In the Summit of Brasilia Meeting in 2005, a presidential declaration defined the Priority Agenda and the Action Program of the Community, and approved, among others, declarations on the Convergence of Integration Processes of South America.
The Bolivarian Alternativbe for Latin America and the Caribbean, or ALBA is an integration proposal that emphasizes the struggle against poverty and social exclusion. It is embodied in a project for political, social, and economic collaboration between member countries. It was fostered initially by Cuba and Venezuela , as a counterpart to LAFTA. Bolivia joined in 2006; Nicaragua in 2007, the Dominican Republic in 2008, Hondurus in August of this year, and St.Vincent and the Grenadines in April of 2009. Ecuador has recently subscribed to this initiative.
