Diversity Between Higher Education Institutions: The Cases of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

In this article the author explores the evolution of tertiary educational institutions in three South American states, including non-university options along with their systemic differences and similarities and their contributions to higher education in the region.
Diversity and Diversification in South America
Over the last few decades, different social and production needs have given rise to new types of higher education institutions outside the university sector. This process of diversification has led to an increase in education alternatives and a re-conceptualization of higher education beyond the scope of universities.The higher education landscape within most countries has changed as a result of institutions’ growing diversification. Many of the ‘new’ providers have been built on the foundations of earlier models with limited research traditions (e.g. teaching and technical schools) and have a ‘specifically regional mission’ (OECD, 2007, p. 36). The early stages of the diversification process were strongly influenced by the French system of écoles normales supérieures, which served as a model for the establishment of escuelas normales or teacher-training colleges. Such institutions spread rapidly throughout the region from the second half of the 19th century onwards, particularly in Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay (Ávalos, 2003; OEI, 2003). Read more...