Foro CILAC 2016

Conversatorio a cargo de European University Association.

The  need  for  universities and higher education institutions to contribute to local and regional development is a growing policy priority across the world. This is true for both   young universities, created in   remote   regions   where   there   is   a   need   to   boost   knowledge,   and   older    traditional   universities,   who   are   under   pressure   to   expand   access,   work   with   local   industry   and    demonstrate   the   employability   of   their   graduates.   In   the   context   of   the   Sustainable    Development   Agenda   2030,   this   objective   is   even   more   salient.   Universities,   through   their    teaching   and   research,   are   critical   actors   in   the   pursuit   of   all   17   sustainable   development   goals.      In   Latin   America,   the   development   agenda   related   to   Goal   4   tends   to   focus   on   access   to   higher    education   and   social   inclusion,   within   the   context   of   ‘regional   universities’.   For   example,   several    universities   have   recently   been   created   in   Argentina   and   Chile   (UNdeC   and   Universty   of   Aysen    are   amongst   them)   with   a   distinct   regional   development   profile,   and   a   governance   structure    that   engages   local   industry,   local   councils   and   NGOs.      Recently,   the   European   Commission   cooperation   project   ‘ULISES’   (funded   under   the   ‘Erasmus    Mundus’   action)   explored   universities,   local   development,   employability   and   academic   quality    in   South   America,   linking   important   university   networks   with   relevant   higher   education   actors    in   Europe.   This   project   was   premised   on   the   fact   that   universities,   in   order   to   deliver   higher    quality,   locally   relevant   study   programmes   and   research,   need   global   engagement.    International   networks   and   projects   allow   for   dialogue,   practice   sharing   and   finding   common    solutions   to   similar   problems,   particularly   in   teaching   and   research   for   sustainable    development.     ULISES,   led   by   the   Observatory   of   EU-­‐LA   relations   (OBREAL),   with   the   Association   of   Universities    ‘Grupo   Montevideo’   (AUGM),   explored   a   number   of   themes:   university-­‐employer   partnerships,    universities   and   student/staff   mobility   (and   its   relevance   for   employability),   universities   as   local    motors   for   development   and   quality   assurance   practices   and   their   linkage   to   employability   of    graduates.   The   project   provided   a   forum   for   practice   sharing   and   has   led   to   a   number   of    important   spin-­‐off   projects.   It   is   believed   that   the   project   results   should   be   cross-­‐promoted   at    the   CILAC   Forum,   to   compliment   the   dialogue   on   ‘universities   for   development’.   Specifically,    the   session   would   address   Goal   4   on   equitable   access   to   high   quality   education   and   Goal   7,   on    strengthening   global   partnerships   for   the   implementation   of   the   Agenda2030.