Lidia Salamanca y Carlos García en un momento de la reunión.Loyola Andalucía University has received the visit of Lidia Salamanca, Academic Vice Rector of the UCA El Salvador. As part of her agenda of activities, Salamanca had an institutional meeting to discuss the current situation of cooperation for development on the international scene, the projects that the ETEA Foundation has carried out during the last year, and future collaborations between the Universidad Centroamericana “José Simeón Cañas”, the Universidad Loyola Andalucía and the Foundation itself in the field of research.
One of the key points of the meeting was inter-university cooperation. Based on the review of previous projects and initiatives, the two universities studied the axes of a renewed university cooperation for the coming years around the third edition of the Master’s Degree in Integration and Development, collaboration in postgraduate teaching and joint research.
Lidia Salamanca also emphasized the importance of research and the training of research professors as a mechanism for strengthening universities. Several UCA professors are pursuing doctoral studies at Loyola Andalucía University, related to topics relevant to El Salvador and Central America. In addition, research is presented as a means of maintaining the nexus of cooperation. Within this context, academic stays of 1 to 3 months could be a means to establish research groups between professors from both universities, open new lines of work, participate in cooperation projects and teach classes.
The establishment of a work dynamic for the coordination of agendas, a planned decision-making process and the design of an academic mobility plan were some of the conclusions drawn from the meeting, which would be the first steps towards the planning of a renewed inter-university cooperation.
A long-lasting exchange of experiences
The Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas of El Salvador and the Universidad Loyola Andalucía maintain an intense and fruitful relationship that goes back more than 30 years to the former ETEA. This has contributed to offering the university community a universal and committed view of the world.
A large number of professors have participated in UCA’s graduate programs and have spent time in El Salvador. Several of them have been visiting El Salvador regularly for years. The exchange of experiences in university management has also been a key element of the relationship between the two institutions. Teams from both universities have developed joint projects in relevant areas of business management, rural development and the fight against exclusion or regional integration.