UNESCO IESALC

The UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) is a United Nations agency dedicated to the promotion of higher education in the region.

Its fundamental mission is to contribute to the development and transformation of tertiary education by strengthening a work program, approved biannually by UNESCO’s General Conference, which, among other purposes, supports the management of change and transformations in this field. This instrument seeks to promote a culture of peace that will make sustainable human development viable in an era of globalization, based on justice, equity, freedom, solidarity, democracy and respect for human rights.

The Institute, in addition to participating in the conceptualization, elaboration and formulation of UNESCO’s programs, objectives and strategies in the field of higher education, particularly those referring to the regional sphere, contributes in close collaboration with specialized governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as with the local academic community, to the achievement of these objectives. This is done essentially through the constitution of networks; the production and dissemination of studies and research on relevant aspects related to this sector in Latin America and the Caribbean; and advice to Member States in the formulation of policies at the national, sub-regional and regional levels.