Final document of CRES+5 advocates for democratic, inclusive and free higher education

CRES+5, the follow-up meeting to the III Regional Conference on Higher Education (CRES 2018), took place from March 13th to 15th at the International Convention Center of Brazil (CICB) in Brasilia (Federal District). The conference resulted in the drafting of a final document aimed at the sustainable development of the Latin American and Caribbean region. 

One of the principles outlined in the final declaration of CRES+5 is the opposition to the commercialization and privatization of education systems at all levels, as well as the implementation of controls to prevent this trend. The declaration also advocates for education as a public good and not a commodity. 

The document states that in order to defend this emancipatory model, it is necessary to defend the democratic rule of law, higher education institutions, a diversified education system and an open, plural, inclusive, humanistic science, while reaffirming the public significance of knowledge. The document also points out that the denialist, anti-scientific rhetoric of political leaders who adopt dogmatic and religious views poses a threat to a more inclusive and egalitarian model of education. The advance of dogma is the demise of the possibility of deliberation, and without deliberation, there is no democracy. Furthermore, it is crucial to acknowledge the ongoing deterioration significantly affecting the working conditions of higher education workers in recent decades. 

Higher education must contribute to addressing the historical debt owed by contemporary societies and states to indigenous peoples and afro-descendants. It should educate against racism, racial discrimination, and all forms of intolerance, while fostering policies aimed at promoting equal opportunities for women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.  

Commitments – CRES+5 declaration also includes commitments to be pursued in order to create a new model of education. According to the document, “we need equity and lifelong learning. Students are at the forefront of our efforts, whether in teaching, research, institutional matters, or social spheres, as they represent the future of our communities and embody the most valuable aspects of our identity and diversity. We need regional integration as a change in the conditions under which interregional and global relations take place. A decolonizing perspective must be at the heart of Latin American and Caribbean awareness. We express our commitment to fostering collective action among governments, societies, and higher education, science, and technology institutions who act towards agreements on horizontal and supportive cooperation, on best practices promotion and co-participation”. 

The aim of these commitments is to create a favorable scenario for significant development as a regional bloc, oriented towards well-being and equity. They call on Enlaces and the regional and national higher education networks, associations, and consortia to promote the creation of a Regional Knowledge Agency (Arco). This agency should facilitate collaborative, solidary and horizontal research, extension, and innovation.  

The document confirms the value of higher education institutions as pivotal spaces for building a promising future based on full citizenship, social justice, sustainable development, and regional integration. And, finally, the representatives recommend that States ratify both the Regional Convention and the Global Convention on Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications in order to promote regional integration.  

Assessments – “Convergence” is the term that encapsulates the spirit of the government and organizational representatives who organized CRES+5. Ministers and delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean understand that free higher education is a universal human right, a tool for social development, environmental preservation, and sustainability.  

Planned investments, targeting the most marginalized populations, provide each individual with the opportunity to shape the future in various fields of knowledge, while also seeking solutions to pressing issues such as clean and affordable energy, food production, and access to clean drinking water.  

For the president of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), Denise Pires de Carvalho, “this document should move us forward in determining the guidelines for the advancement of higher education”.  

The secretary for Higher Education at the Ministry of Education (MEC), Alexandre Brasil, said that “it's past the time to think about the Brazilian, Latin American and Caribbean university, where our people, who were once colonized and voiceless, can now effectively contribute to development, justice, and democracy”.  

In the assessment of Francesc Pedró, director of UNESCO-IESALC, CRES+5 “was a magnificent opportunity to bring together representatives from very diverse groups of actors, not only from the region but also from different segments of society. To close this conference with a summary of the past five years and a list of priorities involving each of the actors seems to be a fantastic conclusion to me”.  

Oscar Domínguez, president of Enlaces, emphasized the significance of reconvening after CRES 2018: “Meeting again after 2018 and witnessing the current state of affairs post-covid and after the impacts of social transformations was very important. The discourse on higher education has been repositioned; there is a need to bring it closer to the people, to the communities, and there is a need to continue discussing this vigorously. This is what higher education is about”. 

CRES+5 – The follow-up meeting to CRES 2018 is called CRES+5 and its target audience includes chancellors, directors, academics, workers, students, higher education networks, associations and experts, research centers, trade unions, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations and all those interested in higher education on this continent. 

Among the preparatory activities for the meeting, different instances of open and participatory debate were organized as part of the event's methodology-building process. Throughout 2023, face-to-face meetings were held in Córdoba (Argentina), Puebla (Mexico), Asunción (Paraguay) and Havana (Cuba). In addition, preparatory virtual public consultations were held in order to discuss and gather information on the 12 thematic axes of CRES+5, as well as to contribute to the implementation of the Conference.