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| INTRODUCTION |
| It is essential to establish goals and priorities by constructing a strategic agenda |
| for the region when facing the challenges of Higher Education in Latin American |
| and the Caribbean. In view of the conditions and needs of local, national, and |
| global systems it is possible to establish appropriate guidelines to the new |
| realities according to the principles of the Declaration of the Regional Conference |
| on Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CRES-2008) produced |
| by working groups during CRES 2008. |
| In spite of important technological advances, the globalized world still shows |
| injustice and social inequality. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to consolidate |
| the role of Higher Education in the region as a strategic factor for sustainable |
| development and fostering social inclusion and regional solidarity to guarantee |
| equal opportunities. Within this context, Higher Education institutions, in the |
| exercise of their autonomy, should assume a clear social commitment and |
| responsibility as public service, supporting the development of science and |
| technology, as well as programs and activities that encourage humanistic |
| aspects leading to comprehensive training and citizenship consciousness. |
| The values and principles stated in the |
| Declaration of CRES 2008 |
| , particularly |
| the concepts pertaining to education as a social public good, universal right, and |
| duty of the State, oblige higher education, independently of the juridical nature on |
| institutions of higher education: |
| |
| * Strengthen the notion of quality related to relevance and social inclusion; |
| |
| * Develop and foster a culture of democracy and citizenship, in collaboration |
| with previous levels of education; |
| |
| * Strengthen humanistic values fostering a culture of peace, respect for |
| cultural diversity, and the commitment to achieve a humanistic sustainable |
| development; |
| |
| * Generate conditions for dialogue between peers from other regions with an |
| emphasis on South-South cooperation; |
| |
| * Contribute to the solution of the most critical social problems and |
| achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. |
| Within this perspective, the following the |
| Action Plan |
| comprises of five major |
guidelines: |
| |
| |
| 1.- Expanding |
| Higher Education undergraduate and graduate levels with quality, |
| relevance, and social inclusion; |
| |
| 2.- Promoting |
| accreditation, assessment, and quality assurance policies; |
| |
| 3.- Encouraging |
| educational innovation and research at all levels; |
| |
| 4.- Building |
| a regional agenda for science, technology, and innovation in order to |
| overcome disparities and promote sustainable development of Latin America and |
| the Caribbean (LAC), in accordance to the general policies of Member States; |
| |
| 5.- Supporting |
| regional Latin American and Caribbean integration as well as the |
| internationalization of higher education through the construction of ENLACES – |
| Latin America and the Caribbean Area for Higher Education, among another |
| initiatives. |
| In order to adjust higher education policies and initiatives to promote the Action |
| Plan these guidelines, it is important to emphasize the commitment, focus and |
| efforts of the key players involved: governments, Higher Education institutions, |
| networks, and international organizations. Several proposals submitted for the |
| World Conference on Higher Education in Paris 2009 (WCHE 2009) have been |
| highlighted at the end of the document. |