Venezuela calls on universities to lead national policy and industrial reconstruction

Venezuelan Minister of Education Héctor Rodríguez has called on national universities to take a more active role in public debate and help build consensus on strategic national issues. During a meeting of authorities at the Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez, Rodríguez emphasized the need for academic institutions to address concrete problems, including economic models, the oil industry, scientific development, and public health and education models.

He noted that while universities have successfully addressed issues of access and inclusion, they now face structural challenges. Specifically, he urged institutions to align academic programs with the country's current demands and ensure that scientific research provides practical solutions for urban transformation and productive development.

In a related regional context, the Núcleo Universitario Rafael Rangel (NURR), a branch of the Universidad de Los Andes located in Trujillo, is being positioned as a potential catalyst for economic reactivation. Due to its strategic location between the Andean mountains and the Maracaibo basin, the NURR could serve as a specialized academic and scientific hub to support the rehabilitation of mature oil fields and critical infrastructure in western Venezuela.