AUGM Advisory Delegates Meeting

It met, with hybrid modality, on the days April 18 and 19 at the Federal University of Rio Grande, Brazil

The Group of Advisory Delegates of the Association of Universities Group Montevideo (AUGM) held a hybrid session on April 18 and 19 at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Brazil. This network body is made up of a representative of each of the Rectors of the Member Universities, and meets between each Council of Rectors, for the purposes of collaborating in the fulfillment of their decisions and preparing their future activities. . The UNR was represented by its Advisory Delegate, María Cecilia Candusso, who participated virtually.

During the two days, an agenda was discussed that contemplated all the activities carried out by the network on a daily basis and included mobility programs, regional research programs, extension commissions, human rights, international agreements and participation in executive bodies of regional spaces. .

In that sense, the performance of AUGM in the 4 preparatory meetings “Towards CRES +5” was analyzed and evaluated , preparing the documents of the 12 Working Groups and in drafting the Final Declaration.

A report was then prepared regarding the strategy for the Third General Conference of the ENLACES network , which will take place at the National University of San Luis, Argentina, between May 7 and 9. The election of new authorities is planned for this conference.

One of the central topics on the agenda was the historic International Cooperation Agreement for Higher Education, signed in Brasilia during CRES +5 by the President of AUGM, Rector Osvaldo Corrales, and the President of CAPES, Denise Carvalho. To operationalize this agreement through concrete actions, a Work Plan was developed, along with a joint AUGM-CAPES call for projects registered under it.

At the request of the framework cooperation agreement for the development of research, training and promotion activities for smart tourist destinations, another advance was generated in terms of specific agreements, with the approval of the specific agreement AUGM – Montevideo Municipality – Spanish State Secretariat for Tourism (SEGITTUR).

Likewise, in relation to the AUGM-Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) agreement, the 2024 Joint Activities Plan developed in accordance with the Roadmap approved by the AUGM Council of Rectors held in Valparaíso was shared. in November 2023.

In other matters, issues related to the association's institutional structure, as outlined in the AUGM Strategic Plan 2020-2030 , were analyzed . In particular, aspects of the Institutional Strengthening objective were emphasized, which involves the gradual growth strategy implied by the policy of admitting new universities during the 2024-2030 period.

Finally, work was done on monitoring the 2024 Calls for Proposals for the ESCALA Programs , in their various modalities. A presentation was given on the XXXI Young Researchers Conference 2024 , which will take place during the second semester at the University of the Republic (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay. Information was also provided on the development of Summer and Winter Schools approved from August 2023 to April 2024.

  • Summer-Winter School “Democracy in Latin America: Contemporary Problems and Challenges” of the Academic Committee (CA) Political and Social Sciences, based at the Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC) on July 29 and August 3, 2024
  • And the International University Extension and Sustainability Course “Impact on the Sustainable Development Goals”, scheduled for August 05 to 10, 2024 at the University of Asunción
  • VII AUGM Extension Congress at the National University of Mar del Plata, “Universities and territories, building emancipatory ties”

In general, the entire intense reference agenda was crossed by the presentation, analysis and articulation of actions, given the dramatic situation that public universities in the region are going through, especially in the case of Argentina. In the most virulent chapter unleashed by commercialization trends in higher education that the AUGM has vehemently resisted since its inception.