The Ministry of National Education presented a project that will strengthen higher education in Colombia, offering benefits to both public and private higher education institutions, as well as to thousands of students across the country.
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In this transformation of higher education, the Ministry of Education will hold 10 meetings in different regions of the country. This will provide a unique opportunity for public and private universities to establish strategic alliances with the productive sector, creating synergies that will directly benefit their students with relevant academic programs and bringing higher education closer to the areas that need it most.
"Knowledge is not built in isolation. We seek to ensure that higher education is deeply connected to the accumulated knowledge of the country and its territories," said Ricardo Moreno, Deputy Minister of Higher Education.
With the implementation of 10 action plans per area of knowledge, students will be able to pursue academic programs designed to meet the real needs of their communities, significantly increasing their chances of successful job placement after graduation and effectively contributing to the development of their regions.
The participation of prestigious institutions such as the Colombian Academy of History and the Colombian Society of Engineers will ensure that educational programs incorporate the highest professional standards, granting graduates widely recognized credentials in the workplace.
This initiative builds on the significant government efforts already underway in public higher education institutions, such as the free tuition policies "I Can Study" and "Higher Education at Your School," thus consolidating a comprehensive strategy to democratize access to quality higher education in all corners of Colombia.
How will we make it possible?
Strengthening academic communities is a fundamental pillar of this transformation, as it will strengthen the participation of universities, teachers, and students in public policy decisions in education. This participatory dynamic will ensure that educational reforms respond to the real needs of the system and have the support of all stakeholders.
The proposal seeks to decentralize knowledge, connecting it directly to regional realities, which will allow higher education institutions to develop more relevant academic programs and students to access training directly linked to job opportunities in their regions.
Therefore, a key element of this initiative is the coordination between academic communities and society, enabling them to make joint decisions that guide the type of training the country requires and the different levels of training needed in each regional context. This collaboration will ensure that the educational offerings effectively respond to the productive, social, and cultural needs of each territory.
The Ministry of National Education is thus taking a major step toward a comprehensive education system that not only guarantees universal access to higher education, but also trains competent professionals and builds the human capital necessary to drive regional development and close the territorial inequality gaps that have historically characterized the country.