Current Challenges in Higher Education and Their Implications for Research and Development in Colombia

Abstract

It is well established that having a broad and highly qualified human resource base is a necessary condition for a country to be a part of the knowledge economies and provide wellbeing to its citizens. We present an in-depth analysis of the current values of key indicators of research and development in Colombia benchmarked at the international level. A focus of this work is then placed on the higher education sector establishing a clear identification of the prevalent gaps in the research capacity and expenditure. Some of the consequences and implications of the low numbers of these indicators are discussed. In particular these are strongly correlated to the limited number of graduates from doctoral programs as well as the low volume of scientific output and the below world average scientific impact of research publications. We briefly discuss the case study of the Universidad Antonio Nariño of Colombia. This institution that has a broad profile student population and geographical distribution in the country has defined clear scientific policies to position itself in a relatively short period amongst the leading scientific institutions in the country. To conclude a set of recommendations are given in order to suggest specific national strategies that would allow Colombia to bridge the current gaps and consolidate its higher education and research systems at an international level.