• The 2016 International Conference of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions was held at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. On the occasion, Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and President of the Montevideo Group Association of Universities met with different authorities, like the Secretary of Public Education of Mexico, Aurelio Nuño Mayer.

The second International Conference of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) was held at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, in Spanish) between November 07^thand 11^th. The main topic of the activity was “Higher Education in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

The ANUIES- formed by 179 institutions- has the goal of promoting debate and discussion on current challenges in higher education and the exchange of experiences and good practices among authorities, academics and students from different higher education institutions in charge of public policies, with the contribution of representatives of international organizations.

In his capacity as President of the Montevideo Group Association (AUGM, in Spanish), Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi Cid, President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile said, “I am very proud of being involved in the analysis of the contributions that all higher education institutions make to meet the goals set by the Agenda for Sustainable Development for 2030.”

With regard to the meetings that Dr Zolezzi had with different authorities, like Aurelio Nuño Mayer, Secretary of Public Education of Mexico, and Claudia Ruiz Massieu Salinas, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the same country, Dr Zolezzi said that they had the possibility of analyzing together the importance of having a quality education that is directly related to science, technology, innovation and the future of sustainable development.

Becoming bridges between knowledge and national demands

With regard to the conference, the Executive Secretary General of ANUIES, Jaime Valls Esponda said, “This is a meeting in which participants exchange ideas, visions and proposals in relation to key issues in higher education and, particularly, to the social responsibility that higher education institutions must take to contribute to the goals of sustainable development.”

For his part, Enrique Graue Wiechers, President of the UNAM, the institution that hosted the conference on this occasion, said, “We share the goal of boosting and improving the educational system, because we are all concerned about the quality of curricula, academic coverage, institutional funding and regulations, promotion of culture and outreach and engagement”. “We must understand our institutions as connecting bridges between knowledge and the demands of the countries where we live in,” he concluded.

In this context, President Zolezzi also participated in the 2^nd Summit of Presidents of Councils of Rectors of EU-CELAC countries.