UNESCO IESALC calls for a debate on the progress of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean within the framework of CRES+5

As a result of the 3^rd Regional Conference on Higher Education (CRES 2018) held in Cordoba (Argentina), a Plan of Action 2018 – 2028 was approved and, at the same time, a commitment was adopted to hold a follow-up meeting five years later (CRES+5). Now, in 2023, it is appropriate to promote a participatory process to highlight the progress made, as well as the remaining challenges and emerging issues, particularly after the crisis caused by the pandemic. The considerations contained in the proposed UNESCO’s Higher Education Roadmap, the outcome of the 3^rd World Higher Education Conference (WHEC), and the enormous volume of contributions from the region to this global conference may be helpful in this process.

In this context, the UNESCO IESALC’s Governing Board welcomed the joint proposal of the State Secretariat for Science, Technology and Higher Education of Paraná (Secretaria de Estado da Ciência Tecnologia e Ensino Superior de Paraná – SETI PR, Brazil) and the Association of Public Higher Education Institutions of Paraná (Associação Paranaense das Instituições de Ensino Superior Público – APIESP, Brazil), with the support of the State Secretariat for Higher Education of the Ministry of Education (Secretaria de Educação Superior do Ministério da Educação – MEC, Brazil) to hold CRES+5 in Curitiba (Brazil), from 25 to 27 October, 2023. Most of the funding for CRES+5 will come from the Government of the Province (State) of Paraná, through SETI PR, with support from the Araucaria Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development of Paraná State (Fundação Araucária de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Estado do Paraná).

At the same time, the UNESCO IESALC’s Governing Board is grateful for this country initiative that will facilitate dialogue among all higher education stakeholders in the region and for which it will count on the invaluable cooperation of the organizers of CRES 2018, the National University of Cordoba (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), the National Inter-university Council of Argentina (Spanish abbreviation CIN) and the Ministry of Education of Argentina (Spanish abbreviation SPU), as well as the Association of Public Universities of Paraguay (AUPP) and the Latin American and Caribbean Higher Education Area (ENLACES). 

Further details of CRES+5, including procedures for registration and participation in the debates and preparatory work, will be announced in March.