Northwest Argentine university rectors address funding crisis

Rectors from the Northwest Argentine (NOA) region, including representatives from Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, La Rioja, and Santiago del Estero, have met to address critical concerns regarding university funding and the future of public research.

During a meeting of the Horco Molle Consortium at the Universidad Nacional de Catamarca (UNCA), authorities discussed the need to sustain scientific investigation, consolidate regional postgraduate programs, and establish mechanisms for evaluating and categorizing university researchers. A primary focus of the gathering was the ongoing budgetary uncertainty and the coordination of regional strategies to defend academic capacities before the national government.

At UNCA specifically, Rector Oscar Arellano reported that while a 21.3% salary increase was implemented, a previously agreed-upon 20% increase for operational expenses has not materialized. This lack of funding has created institutional uncertainty, which Arellano noted has already impacted local services, such as a decline in enrollments for the university's kindergarten. While a fifth federal march is being considered, university leaders are awaiting upcoming negotiations on September 1 and meetings of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) on September 4 to determine future protest actions.