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Some of these di culties are surmountable, of course, and a process of revising curricula has already
begun. Some of them seem to be not easy to avoid, however, and especially the cherished goal of
internationalisation and student mobility is very hard to realise in the existing system. If the Bologna
process is implemented in other continents as well – and many of its aims are certainly praiseworthy –
one would have to take a very close look at the inherent dangers and pitfalls, and try to devise ingenious
ways of steering around them. Moreover, the requirements would have to be measured according to the
existing system and structure of university education – and with a view to the important functions that
universities can and should ful l.
The overall importance of education in an increasingly globalised world of ‘knowledge societies’ has also
induced some governments to give more money to universities, and to develop ingenious plans to
distribute that money on a competitive basis. The German ‘excellence initiative’ shows one attempt at
improving the situation of universities, and if one manages to get rid of the disadvantages I have
mentioned, it might even be a way that is worth considering. In addition to that I would like to mention
two seemingly contradictory propositions. On the one hand, every reform of universities has to take the
particular cultural, social and political background into consideration; every system of education has
historical roots. On the other hand, the international context has to be considered; universities are
supreme agents in the process of internationalisation – and at least the best universities should be
enabled to compete on an international basis. How to conceptualise and identify the ‘best’ and truly
useful universities is, of course, just as daunting a task as providing the best policies for improving and
maintaining their quality and utility. I hope that my suggestions from a European perspective have shed
some light on that problem – or at least raised some provocative questions.
From the perspective of the University of Heidelberg I should like to add that we are deeply committed to
internationalisation. One has to improve the conditions of research and teaching almost daily in order to
be internationally successful and to keep up with other top universities. Moreover, change depends on
exchange: exchange of policies, of standards of excellence, and of people. In order to get the best results,
one needs the best students, the best researchers, the best teachers. And it would be quite myopic to
believe that these are to be found in the immediate environment – or that one could induce them to stay
for a lifetime. International exchange is therefore a vital component of a modern research university. The
best basis for such an international or ‘global’ university still seems to be the Humboldtian research
university, which has to be adjusted to changing circumstances and to contemporary needs in di erent
cultures. Heidelberg University has therefore established a lively and fruitful collaboration with excellent
European and Latin American universities. In the future, we want to extend that collaboration and create
networks with the best international universities. In Santiago de Chile, we have established the
Heidelberg Center Latin America, which serves as an interface and gateway to Latin America and also to
the best universities in Chile, with which we cooperate in several ways. It should also serve our partner
universities in Chile and provide them with a gateway to Europe and our partners abroad.
Vera Nünning
DIA 2: DESAFÍOS DE LAS UNIVERSIDADES PÚBLICAS PARA EL SIGLO XXI
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CONFERENCIA: “Estado actual y proyecciones de las Universidades Públicas de los Estados Unidos”
142
Jaime Chahín
142
CONFERENCIA: “Responsabilidad del Estado respecto a la Sustentabilidad de la
Universidad Pública Nacional”
154
Juan Manuel Zolezzi, Consejo de Rectores.
155
PANEL: “Financiamiento de las universidades estatales: antecedentes y perspectivas para el siglo XXI” 161
Juan Manuel Zolezzi
162
Luis Ayala
162
María Olivia Mönckeberg
172
Felipe Morandé
180
Hugo Fazio
185
CONFERENCIA: “La Mercantilización de la Educación, el ejemplo de la Universidad”
185
Roger Dehaybe
185
CONFERENCIA: “Enseñanza Superior, Universidades Públicas y Universidades de Clase Mundial.
Relación entre estos términos y las Políticas de Investigación y Desarrollo en Brasil”.
186
Hernán Chaimovich
186
PANEL: “Futuro de las Universidades Públicas en Chile”
193
Sergio Pulido
193
Jorge Las Heras
197
José Antonio Viera-Gallo
202
José Joaquín Brunner
205
Ennio Vivaldi
212
Ricardo Núñez
220
CONFERENCIA: Alcances y conclusiones del Encuentro
226
Francisco Brugnoli
226
CONFERENCIA DE CIERRE
232
Mónica Jiménez, Ministra de Educación
232
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