On Monday, November 13, the rector of the Universidad AustralJulián Rodríguez assumed the vice-presidency of the Hemispheric University Consortium (HUC) for the period 2023-2025, within the framework of the Annual General Assembly held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC).

Through five uninterrupted years of collaborative work among the most prestigious higher education institutions in the Americas, HUC has achieved recognition from UNESCO-IESALC for its innovations in the internationalization of higher education. This includes the objective of improving the quality and reach of education and research, and developing innovative and impactful solutions to the new challenges facing the hemisphere.

“HUC’s core commitment lies in promoting collaboration in general, and in particular in research in areas such as health, climate change, and educational innovation, which have become our shared goal. This collaboration significantly expands our network for teaching and research, opening new doors for collaborative work, joint funding opportunities, and enabling the exploration of innovative models,” says Rodríguez.

Looking ahead, the Consortium will work to strengthen collaborative research through more projects and academic publications, and greater participation from all members. It will also explore expanding membership by country and/or within member countries, as well as refining operational and governance structures, among other important actions.

Along those lines, Rodríguez highlights the recognition and value of the prestige of the universities with which the [university/organization] partnered. Universidad Austral"They all share a firm commitment to research that drives the advancement of knowledge."

About HUC:

The consortium is made up of the Universidad Austral (Argentina), York University (Canada), The University of the West Indies (Caribbean), Andrés Bello University (Chile), Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Chile), University of the Andes (Colombia), University of Costa Rica, Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (Dominican Republic), San Francisco de Quito University (Ecuador), Tec de Monterrey (Mexico), University of the Americas Puebla (Mexico), Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (Peru) and University of Miami (United States).

The incoming Executive Committee was fully comprised of President Ignacio Sánchez; Vice President Julián Rodríguez; the North American representative, Rhonda Lenton, President of York University (Canada); the representative of Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, Secilio Espinal Espinal, Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (Dominican Republic); and the South American representative, Enrique Castañeda, Rector of the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (Peru).

The appointment of Rodríguez as vice president also implies that he will succeed the current president, the rector of the UC Ignacio Sánchez, as President of the HUC for the period 2025-2027.