MEC and UNESCO inaugurate project office to manage joint higher education program

The Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay (MEC), in synergy with the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO IESALC), will develop a program focused on three key areas: policy dialogue, capacity development and knowledge production. The initiative is a result of the agreement signed in Paris in 2024.

The inauguration of the UNESCO IESALC Office in Montevideo took place on Monday 10 at the Mercosur Building and was attended by the Minister of Education and Culture, Pablo da Silveira; the National Director of Education, Gonzalo Baroni; the Director of the Unesco Regional Office in Montevideo, Ernesto Fernández Polcuch; the Director of UNESCO IESALC, Francesc Pedró; and the Director of International Cooperation and Projects, Agustina Cabrera.

The Minister of Education and Culture affirmed that during the five years of the government, the department under his responsibility has promoted a policy aimed at the internationalization of the university system, which has included several steps: the signing of international agreements for the recognition of degrees within the framework of Unesco; modifications in the mechanisms for the revalidation and recognition of degrees; and an adaptation of the current regulations.

The Ministry of Education and Culture has also signed several agreements that have facilitated the installation of programs in Uruguay from other study institutions around the world, he said.

The Minister also affirmed that this course of action is aimed at making the Uruguayan university system more open, connected to the world and adapted to the pace of today’s tertiary education.

Finally, and with reference to the arrival of IESALC, he pointed out that it is an achievement that implies international meetings, the possibility of dialogue with high-level experts and nourishing the country with a regional and global discussion on university policies.

Additionally, Francesc Pedró, highlighted that IESALC is UNESCO’s technical arm for excellence in higher education worldwide, also an academic institution dedicated to the capacity development of all actors in higher education. “We want to contribute to making higher education institutions more relevant and pertinent, and that they are better aligned to global labour market needs, which will be carried out from Montevideo,’ said during the inauguration.

Sources: Presidency of Uruguay and Canal 5