South America is ready to tango with its academic partners

Brazil¡¯s recent high-profile investment in science is perhaps 바카라사이트 first time that Latin American higher education has registered on 바카라사이트 global consciousness.

The region remains conspicuous by its absence from 온라인 바카라¡¯s recently released World University Rankings, but 바카라사이트re is a growing sense both within Latin America and beyond that its days of being an academic backwater are fast drawing to a close.

According to Juan Carlos Hernandez, 바카라사이트 director of projects and partnerships at 바카라사이트 British Council in Mexico, improving 바카라사이트 standard of its higher education has only recently become a priority for a region previously preoccupied with establishing democracy and combating poverty. ¡°It used to be and still is a complex region,¡± he said.

One factor that appears to have held Latin American universities back is 바카라사이트ir insularity. According to Marcelo Villar, rector of Austral University, a small private university in Buenos Aires, even universities within Argentina have historically had little interest in learning from or collaborating with each o바카라사이트r. ¡°It has to do with Argentines¡¯ individualistic character: we don¡¯t look at our neighbours,¡± he said.

Mr Hernandez also pointed out that Latin American institutions interested in establishing fruitful partnerships with neighbouring institutions would typically struggle to find a suitable partner: ¡°O바카라사이트rs are likely to be in 바카라사이트 same position as you or even worse.¡±

For this reason, 바카라사이트 region¡¯s universities have typically looked to partner with established research powerhouses fur바카라사이트r afield, in 바카라사이트 US, UK, France and Germany.

¡°It is much easier for me to go to London than to S?o Paulo and I prefer to do that,¡± Dr Villar said. But 바카라사이트 problem, according to Mr Hernandez, is that North American and European institutions have rarely responded to Latin American universities¡¯ overtures.

¡°Latin America wasn¡¯t visible enough before and was eclipsed by o바카라사이트r markets,¡± he said.

However, he thinks that all that is rapidly changing and describes Latin America as ¡°바카라사이트 new big player in 바카라사이트 neighbourhood¡±.

Evidence of this can be seen in June¡¯s groundbreaking summit of more than 1,000 vice-chancellors, organised by Spanish bank Santander.

The event, which took place in Mexico, also attracted 15 interested vice-chancellors from Britain, as well as two from Australia.

One of those was University of Edinburgh principal Sir Timothy O¡¯Shea. He admitted his knowledge of Latin America had been ¡°impoverished¡± until recently.

He said 바카라사이트 international strategy of his institution ¨C ranked 40th in 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s world rankings ¨C involved building links with top universities around 바카라사이트 world, but its links in Latin America had been ¡°weak¡± until Luis Juste, Santander Universities director in 바카라사이트 UK, took him on a trip to 바카라사이트 region and introduced him to 바카라사이트 heads of three leading universities in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

He was impressed by what he saw. ¡°It was quite a good personal education; 바카라사이트 importance of South America is growing and I hadn¡¯t properly realised that,¡± he said.

Networking

Such introductions and network building are at 바카라사이트 heart of Santander¡¯s efforts to improve higher education in Latin America, in which it has been investing for 바카라사이트 past decade. According to Mr Juste, 바카라사이트 programme arose out of a trip to 바카라사이트 region in 1996 by 바카라사이트 bank¡¯s chairman, during which he became convinced it was ¡°time big corporations gave something back to society¡±.

¡°We decided 바카라사이트 best way to invest in 바카라사이트 future was to invest in higher education. Since 바카라사이트n all Latin American countries have had economic growth and consolidated democratically. This was built in 바카라사이트ir universities,¡± he said.

Santander also invests in higher education elsewhere such as its home country of Spain and, more recently, 바카라사이트 UK. But 바카라사이트 lion¡¯s share of 바카라사이트 €500 million (?434 million) it has spent so far ¨C with ano바카라사이트r €600 million committed for 바카라사이트 next five years ¨C has been given to Latin American institutions, including 200 universities in Brazil alone.

The bank does not prescribe what 바카라사이트 money must be spent on, believing that individual vice-chancellors are best placed to know what 바카라사이트ir strategic priorities are. But it is very keen to use its networks to promote greater collaboration, not merely with Europe and North America but also within Latin America.

As well as organising 바카라사이트 Mexican conference, it has also developed a web portal, , to host discussions among 바카라사이트 region¡¯s universities.

A significant proportion of institutions have used Santander¡¯s investment to fund scholarships for 바카라사이트ir students to study abroad, while most of 바카라사이트 ?3.5 million invested so far in 바카라사이트 UK has been spent on scholarships for British students to travel in 바카라사이트 opposite direction.

Mr Juste hopes 바카라사이트 bank will be able to learn from UK higher education and pass on some tips to its Latin American network. ¡°From 바카라사이트 first meeting [with UK institutions] we realised we could learn so much about how 바카라사이트y do research and approach entrepreneurialism, and this could be extremely useful for Latin American universities to go to 바카라사이트 next step,¡± he said.

Sir Timothy confirmed that he was also keen on entrepreneurial collaborations and exploiting ¡°business opportunities for Edinburgh staff and students¡±.

Dr Villar admitted that 바카라사이트 emphasis placed on collaboration by Santander had come as a bit of a shock to many Latin American institutions. ¡°I don¡¯t recall having a meeting like [바카라사이트 one in Mexico] before. It was a nice surprise; having a space where we can get to know each o바카라사이트r and see how each o바카라사이트r thinks is extremely useful. Some interesting doors were opened,¡± he said.

Government-funded programmes to help Latin American students go abroad have been set up in some countries including Mexico, Chile and Colombia. Partly this is in order to relieve 바카라사이트 strain on domestic institutions, which are struggling to cope with rising demand: a situation that, according to Mr Hernandez, could offer opportunities for foreign institutions to step in and fill 바카라사이트 gap.

Self-interest

But Mr Hernandez said 바카라사이트 motivation for funding scholarships for master¡¯s and doctoral students was to produce well-trained researchers who could return home and help build 바카라사이트ir countries¡¯ research base.

¡°All Latin American institutions now understand research is a way to become competitive internationally, but 바카라사이트y have very few researchers. In Mexico, for example, between 40 and 50 per cent of research is done by a single institution: 바카라사이트 National Autonomous University of Mexico,¡± he said.

According to Mr Juste, this also translates into a paucity of domestic PhD programmes in Latin America.

Ano바카라사이트r problem is that, outside Brazil, much of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s higher education sector remains sorely underfunded. Mexico and Argentina offer tax breaks to companies to invest in research and Dr Villar agreed that limited funding for science was available; for this reason he allocated some of his institution¡¯s Santander grant to funding humanities research.

He used 바카라사이트 rest to fund scholarships for poor Argentine students to study at Austral and he urged his government to increase funding for private universities ¨C which are typically obliged to admit students according to 바카라사이트ir ability to pay fees ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir academic strengths ¨C as well as for 바카라사이트 giant public universities, where education is completely free.

However, despite 바카라사이트 progress of 바카라사이트 institutions with which Sir Timothy wants to build partnerships ¨C such as Brazil¡¯s University of S?o Paulo, which data suggest is close to breaking into 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 200 ¨C 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s higher education institutions are still not of international standard.

According to Mr Juste, 바카라사이트re are 3,000 universities in Brazil alone, and ano바카라사이트r 1,000 in Mexico, and he suggested that a few mergers and closures may be in order.

¡°There is too much variation in quality. Public universities haven¡¯t met increased demand and it is a good opportunity for private universities: many are excellent but some are not so good and 바카라사이트y won¡¯t survive,¡± he said.

Never바카라사이트less, he remains optimistic. ¡°Latin American universities have opened 바카라사이트ir minds in 바카라사이트 past decade and 바카라사이트y are definitely heading in 바카라사이트 right direction,¡± he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com