Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: G9 Network asks the Convention to maintain recognition as public function institutions
“Higher Education and Constitution: Contributions to the Constitutional Convention” is the title of the document that the G9 Network prepared and that the board of directors, through its rectors, delivered in person to the table of the Constitutional Convention, in order to dialogue and reflect on higher public education emphasizing three main axes: the public function, the public regime and university autonomy.
The president of the G9 Network and rector of the Universidad Católica de Temuco, Aliro Bórquez , stated at the end of the meeting that it was a “very profitable meeting, where we have had the opportunity to deliver this document, which has been built with a lot of effort by our network specialists, as a contribution to the reflection that the G9 has made regarding what public education is ”. In the instance, the rectors were able to present their points of view on the subject before the Convention table.
“To be grateful for the interest in the definition of public universities demanded by society and to thank this effort that academics, academics and colleagues are making to participate in this constituent process. Everything is enriching, we need a lot of dialogue and let’s continue working” – Elisa Loncon , president of the Constitutional Convention
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In this regard, the president of the Constitutional Convention Elisa Loncon thanked “the presence of all the rectors of the G9 in this constitutional convention, thanked the interest in the definition of public universities demanded by society and thanked this effort that the academics are making , academics and colleagues to participate in this constituent process. Everything is enriching, we need a lot of dialogue and let’s keep working ”.
“Higher Education and Constitution: Contributions to the Constitutional Convention”
According to the document, for the Public Universities grouped in the G9 Network, this constituent process represents “an opportunity for the State to vigorously assume the protection of state and non-state public universities.”
“The G9 universities hope that the Constitutional Convention will maintain the historical recognition that public service universities like ours have had without distinction from state universities” – Rector Aliro Bórquez, president of the G9 Network.
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The G9 Network states that public universities are those that by historical tradition have developed the public function of higher education in Chile. In addition, they are subject to a public regime that ensures that they effectively carry out the fulfillment of this function, regardless of their state or private institutional structure. And all this rests heavily on its academic, administrative and economic institutional autonomy, and internal democratic and collegiate structure.
Likewise, the text maintains that the configuration of the educational system must guarantee access to an equitable, inclusive, pluralistic and excellent higher education, with mixed provision.
Rector Bórquez commented that the G9 universities hope that the Constitutional Convention “maintains the historical recognition that public service universities such as ours have had without distinction from state universities.”
“This recognition must be given by the great contribution that our universities make to the development of the country, we produce 50% of the knowledge that is generated in Chile, half of our enrollment aims to serve young people in vulnerable contexts and, therefore, The recognition that the State must give to our universities could not be different, as it does to the State universities, because what we do is not different ”, stated Bórquez.