HICA-Harmonisation & Innovation in C. American HE Curricula

HICA Project -  Harmonization and Innovation in Central American Higher Education Curricula: Enhancing and Implementing the Regional Qualifications Framework  (“HICA” or “Marco-Innovate” or “InnovAC-QF”).

The aim of the HICA Project is to support the innovation of higher education curricula in Central American universities and the alignment of such curricula under a regional qualifications framework for higher education.

Specific objectives:

• To further complete the regional qualifications framework for higher education in Central America (MCESCA), an output of the previous project ‘Alfa PUENTES’, that has been designed and adopted by CSUCA – the Central American University Council - and the rectors conferences of the region. This entails defining descriptors for the short cycle of higher education and indicating a common time and credit range for obtaining degrees in the region
• To pilot the MCESCA on a sample of universities and disciplines in the region; This entails re-designing study programmes in those disciplines in order that they align with the generic learning outcomes stated in the MCESCA
• To further promote and disseminate the MCESCA across the Central American region and Latin America more broadly to ensure buy-in of different types of public and private universities, employer organisations, quality assurance agencies and ministries
• To encourage practice sharing and dialogue between European and Central American higher education stakeholders on the development and implementation of qualifications frameworks and their utility for the HE sector.

The following are the partners involved in the HICA Project:

European Partners (5): OBREAL (Coordinator-Spain), EUA (Belgium), HRK (Germany) and University College Cork, Ireland

Central American Partners (27):

CSUCA (Central America, coordinator)

• CONARE, Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR), Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica, (UNED), Universidad Técnica Nacional (UTN), Ministerio de Educación de Costa Rica (Costa Rica)
• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras (UNAH), Universidad Pedagógica Nacional "Francisco Morazán" (UPNFM), Universidad Nacional de Agricultura, UNAG + Ministerio de Educación de Honduras  (Honduras)
• Consejo de Rectores de Panamá (CRP), Universidad de Panamá (UP), Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (UNACHI),Universidad Especializada de las Américas (UDELAS), Ministerio de Educación de Panamá (Panama)
• Universidad de El Salvador, Universidad  Don Bosco de El Salvador, Ministerio de Educación de El Salvador (El Salvador)
• Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), Ministerio de Educación de Guatemala  + 1 additional university (Guatemala)
• Consejo Nacional de Universidades de Nicaragua (CNU),Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, UNAN‑Managua, Universidad Nacional Agraria de Nicaragua, UNA; Universidad Nacional  Autónoma de Nicaragua (UNAN-León), Ministerio de Educación de Nicaragua  (Nicaragua)
• Consejo Centroamericano de Acreditación de la Educación Superior, CCA

Associated Partners:

Federación de Entidades Privadas de Centroamérica, FEDEPRICAP

Federación de Cámaras y Asociaciones Industriales de Centroamérica y República     Dominicana, FECAICA

Confederación de Profesionales Universitarios de Centro América, CEPUCA

HICA Updates

The Kick-off Meeting for the HICA Project was held in Guatemala City from the 15th-17th February, 2016. U.C.C. was represented at the meeting by Cliona Maher, International Strategy Officer for Latin America, U.C.C.. Agenda and documents are available on the HICA website.

The first HICA training workshop on curricula reform was held in Antigue, Guatemala in April 2016. Presentations and the agenda from this workshop can be found on the HICA website.

A second HICA training workshop took place in Managua, Nicaragua from the 12th-14th October, 2016. 

HICA Study Visit to UCC