The Hemispheric University Consortium (HUC), a strategic alliance that brings together 14 leading universities in the Americas, announced the appointment of the rector of the Universidad Austral Julián Rodríguez, Mg. from Argentina, was appointed as its new president for the 2025-2027 term. The appointment was formalized this Wednesday, March 26, in an extraordinary online session of the Executive Committee.
“I assume the presidency of HUC with the firm commitment to foster the participation of all its members, to consolidate the extraordinary fruits that this collaborative network has produced and, also, to enhance what we have been doing so far, adding new initiatives in a sustainable way and inviting other universities to join this collaborative work team, where mutual trust has been what has characterized us ,” said Julián Rodríguez.
The HUC is distinguished by its focus on regionalization and its contribution to global sustainable development goals. During his term, our Rector will promote the consolidation and expansion of key research projects such as migration, tropical diseases, corruption, and the impact of technologies—all topics with direct impact on Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The reality of today’s world, with so many divisions and tensions, calls on us to set an example that we can work together, respecting each other’s institutional projects, beyond the diversity inherent in our Consortium, but with a common goal that unites us: the promotion of research and collaboration among our universities, around the most relevant issues for the region, such as migration, tropical diseases, corruption, the impact of new technologies, the health of our people, and environmental protection. We have the opportunity to generate a significant global impact from this continent, and I am sure we are on the right track,” said Julián Rodríguez during the meeting with Consortium authorities.
Recognition of the outgoing administration of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
In his inaugural address, Rodríguez expressed his appreciation for the leadership of his predecessor, Ignacio Sánchez, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. "First of all, I want to thank Ignacio Sánchez for his years at the helm of the HUC. Taking over from President Frenk, the founder and great promoter of the Consortium, had its challenges, and he has overcome them with ease. This speaks to his personal capabilities and the caliber of his university, which he led until very recently.".
He also highlighted the role of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in the management of the Consortium:
"On the other hand, I want to thank the Catholic University of Chile for also taking on the great challenge of leading the HUC Secretariat. They have given it the necessary dynamism, which has highlighted the desire to work collaboratively among the officers and the valuable assets we have today in our Consortium . "
About the HUC
El The Hemispheric University Consortium was founded in 2018 with the purpose of fostering collaboration among universities in the Americas in education, research, and institutional development. The network is comprised of the Universidad Austral (Argentina), Campinas State University (Brazil), York University (Canada), The University of the West Indies (the Caribbean), Andres Bello University (Chile), Catholic University of Chile (Chile), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Costa Rica university (Costa Rica), Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (Dominican Republic), San Francisco University of Quito (Ecuador), Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), University of the Americas Puebla (Mexico), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru) and University of Miami (USA).
