Rector José Antonio Guzmán:
"We must advance in quality higher education, with greater innovation and research."

Rector José Antonio Guzmánwelcomed the participants by highlighting the relevance of higher education for the development of society. "We are at a critical moment in the financing of higher education, a significant number of private and public universities have begun to show serious problems in this area, which should be a cause for deep concern. Added to this is a persistent situation, the low national spending on innovation and development, a problem that requires a cross-cutting consensus regarding its seriousness and impact. This challenge is particularly important in the current context because we are facing a prolonged period of low economic growth that has limited the capacity of the state and the private sector to invest in higher education. At the same time, there is a legitimate expectation to advance in quality higher education, with a greater capacity to generate innovation and research and to support the productive development that our country needs".he said. Rector's complete speech here.

In his speech, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana, emphasized the need to modernize the higher education financing system. According to Orellana, it is essential to reorganize spending, improve efficiency and adapt the system to the demands and challenges of the country. "Modernization must be comprehensive, encompassing academia, human development and productive sustainability, as well as management and financing," he explained.

For its part, Loreto Cox, professor at the UC School of Government, highlighted the urgency of adopting bold policies regarding free education.. "It is necessary to redirect the resources of free education to other areas, since there is no room to continue increasing public funding. Universities need resources to innovate and families are willing to contribute," he said. Cox also reflected on the low employability of some careers and the need to review the number of vacancies offered in them.

Daniel Rodríguez, executive director of Acción Educar, pointed to the increasing inclusion of students in higher education, which implies an increase in support and funding needs. "As more students enter higher education, their demands increase, but the resources available to meet these needs are not growing at the same rate. Institutions face increasing pressures and costs," commented Rodriguez.

International expert on higher education finance and professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Nicholas Barr, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), has been invited to speak on the subject.In his speech, he stressed the importance of preschool education in the future education of students. 

For the former Minister of Education in the first government of Sebastián Piñera, Harald Beyer, financing should have a comprehensive approach, suggesting the elimination of free education in the future and the strengthening of preschool education. "Improving educational access and quality must be a comprehensive process that begins at the earliest stages of schooling."

Sergio Bitar, former Minister of Education in the government of Ricardo Lagos, addressed the issue from a political perspective, pointing out the importance of social cohesion and democracy for the development of equitable and sustainable higher education. "Financing is not only a technical issue, it is an ideological issue. It is essential to find a more efficient payment system that allows us to improve free education policies without going back on the progress achieved," he said.