Confederación Universitaria Centroamericana

Abstract

The Central American University Confederation is composed of the national universities of: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá. Its present guiding principles were approved by the twentieth ordinary meeting of CSUCA (Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano) and came into force on 1 June 1972. The member universities of the Confederation are national and public in character, their educational and administrational autonomy being guaranteed in each country’s constitution. Teachers, graduates and students are represented on their governing bodies. Within the framework of the Plan for the Regional Integration of Central American Higher Education, adopted in 1961, the Confederation has encouraged the creation of regional institutions. These are at a high academic level, serve the whole region and have been set up in the context of the needs of Central America. Duplication of effort and wastage of resources are thus avoided. The Programa de Apoyo Docente (Programme of teaching support) organizes courses, seminars and teaching specially to strengthen the systems of university postgraduate studies. The Programa de Investigaciones (Research Programme) supports and co-ordinates the reseach carried out by university research groups. The Unidad de Information, Planes y Programas (Unit of Information, Planning and Programme) administers the system of internal information, and has undertaken the construction of a regional university network with the purpose of scientific information exchanges.