The Hemispheric Universities Consortium (HUC), which brings together fourteen institutions from across the continent, held its general assembly at the San Francisco University of Quito, Ecuador. During the event, the importance of collaboration among universities to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovative initiatives, such as virtual internships and social idea competitions, was highlighted.

During the assembly, representatives discussed progress on key projects, such as the online collaboration platform, which facilitates the exchange of academic resources among member universities, and the "HUC Social Ideas Challenge," which promotes social entrepreneurship among students. They also highlighted the importance of virtual internships, an initiative that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has enabled students from different universities to collaborate on international research projects.

"The HUC Annual Meeting was a great opportunity to strengthen ties between member universities and plan for the coming years. We all agreed on the importance of working together on research related to biodiversity, inclusion, and innovation in education. We also see the value in sharing best practices related to the management of our universities. It was a very productive meeting, which gives us great hope for the present and future of HUC." expressed Julián Rodríguez, rector of the Universidad Austral and vice-president of the Consortium.

The HUC, chaired by the Catholic University since November 2023, has as its main objective the promotion of academic and scientific cooperation among universities in the Americas to address major global challenges, such as climate change, public health, and corruption. This consortium has worked on a series of initiatives ranging from social entrepreneurship to collaborative research on educational innovation.

Ignacio Sánchez, rector of the Catholic University of Chile and president of the Consortium, emphasized the value of this academic network. "It is very valuable for our institution to be part of and preside over this consortium, which brings together universities from across the American continent, united by the shared need to address the pressing challenges facing our societies, in areas as varied as public health, climate change, organized crime and corruption, as well as entrepreneurship, technology and innovation."

HUC's commitment is reflected in its five key areas of work: public health, well-being, and human prosperity; climate change and sustainability; entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation; crime, conflict, and corruption; and technology and innovation for education. Through these areas, member universities continue to develop projects that aim to positively impact local and global communities.

La Universidad Austral reaffirms its commitment to continue actively contributing to the Consortium's initiatives, strengthening regional and global cooperation in higher education to build a more equitable and sustainable future.