State transfers to public higher education institutions totaled 4.68 trillion in 2020.

Source: The Observatory of the Colombian University

He detailed the actions taken to support the sector during the pandemic, and reported how 507,000 students in 32 public higher education institutions have benefited from the 100% tuition program, and in the remaining 31 institutions with partial aid, for an additional 154,000 students, while 10 higher education institutions will cover the tuition of students from socioeconomic levels 1 and 2.

Honoring the agreements

This is reported by the Ministry, which points out how, according to the agreements signed in 2018 with university presidents, students and professors, For this four-year period, an additional 1.5 trillion pesos were managed from the General Budget of the Nation and the General Royalties System to strengthen the operating and investment budgets of all public higher education institutions in the country. (Article 183 of Law 1955 of 2019 by which the National Development Plan 2018 – 2022 and articles 45, 46 and 53 of Law 1942 of 2018, which decrees the budget of the General Royalties System for the biennium 2019 – 2020).

In 2019, the public Higher Education system was allocated approximately 1.38 trillion pesos from the General Budget of the Nation., of which $3.87 trillion correspond to recurring resources for operation and investment, $512 billion of additional resources within the framework of the agreements signed in 2018, broken down into: $110.747 billion for strengthening the budget base, $36.048 billion of cooperative surpluses, $100.000 billion for financing investment projects, $250.000 billion for debt settlement and $15.665 billion for strengthening the operating budgets of the decentralized territorial ITTUs.

During 2020, $4.68 trillion has been transferred to public higher education institutions, of which $4.01 trillion corresponds to recurring resources for operation and investment and around $675 billion to additional resources within the framework of the agreements signed, broken down as follows: $249,318 million for strengthening the budget base including the indexation of the 2019 budget base, $58,653 million from cooperative surpluses, $200,000 million for financing investment projects, $150,000 million for debt settlement and $16,793 million for strengthening the operating budgets of the decentralized territorial ITTUs.

Resources that, within the framework of their autonomy, the IES have incorporated and projected through the formulation of an Institutional Strengthening Plan – PFI 2020-2022.

Regarding the resources for strengthening physical infrastructure of public higher education institutions with resources from General Royalties System, During 2019 and 2020, 145 technical working groups were held to analyze initiatives totaling 583.619 billion pesos. To date, 29 projects have been approved in 16 departments, benefiting 23 public higher education institutions. For projects that have not yet been submitted to the OCAD (Regional Planning and Development Committee), technical working groups will continue to be held in coordination between the National Federation of Departments, the National Planning Department (DNP), and the Ministry of National Education (MEN) to facilitate the approval of as many initiatives as possible.

In relation to the Bicentennial Doctoral Excellence Scholarships, The 1,000 scholarships proposed for the two-year period were allocated, using the appropriate $250,000 million for the calls for proposals to strengthen institutional and research capacities Of the public higher education institutions, 1,425,000 million pesos from the General Royalties System (SGR) were allocated. In the 2019 call for proposals, 30 partnerships and 37 projects for the improvement of laboratories and research infrastructure were approved. And in 2020, in the second call for proposals, 51 proposals, 9 projects, and 42 partnerships were approved.

In addition to everything mentioned regarding Science and Technology, $250 billion from the CTEL fund of the General Royalties System were approved for the strengthening of biosafety laboratories in the regions, of which 104 billion will go to Public Universities which will improve research capacity in the territories.

Starting October 1st, a new call for applications To strengthen the research capacities of all institutions, through alliance mechanisms between Universities, ITTUs and other actors of the National Science and Technology System, which will have the purpose of financing research initiatives presented by HEIs related to technology, innovation and development projects, for a total amount of $78.256 million which are expected to finance approximately 148 initiatives.

To conclude the section on royalties, it was indicated in the session that, with the support of the Congress of the Republic, the following was approved: Reform to the General Royalties System where greater resources for education and research were guaranteed and it was established that a percentage no less than 51% of direct allocations will be destined for educational infrastructure or projects to improve the coverage, permanence and quality of public Higher Education.

For proposals for regulatory adjustments to the measurement of quality of the Publindex Journals, 11 sessions of the technical committee have been held, and the discussion of proposals on topics such as promotion, quality, impact, ethical framework has begun, while progress will continue on other points of the agenda such as open science.

Regarding resources equivalent to Appropriate and Uncommitted Balances, It was shared that increased resources have been included in the draft General Budget of the Nation, currently under discussion in Congress, for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias) and for science, technology and innovation (STI) activities. It is expected that these increased resources will be consolidated in the upcoming budget debates. In addition, it was reported that discussions on the Biennial Royalties Budget will begin in October, providing a new forum to secure additional funding for STI.

Regarding the recognition of 100% discount for voting for public higher education institutions, Law 2019 of February 28, 2020 was approved and the resources appropriated for this concept in the current term were transferred in April to the Higher Education Institutions.

Faced with the commitment of the Representation expenses of teachers and professors of public higher education institutions, On December 27, 2019, the “Economic Growth Law” or Law 2010 of 2019 was approved, through which the tax exemption is incorporated.

Within the framework of the process of comprehensive reform of ICETEX Eighteen working sessions were held during 2019 and 2020, as well as six sessions of the subcommittee created by the Sixth Committee of the Senate of the Republic, which are an important step in formulating the comprehensive reform of ICETEX. These sessions have made progress in implementing relief and incentive measures, creating new mechanisms for guidance, support, information, and services for students, identifying new resource alternatives for the development of its programs, and transforming the characteristics of its service portfolio through a clear commitment to digital transformation.

Within the framework of the Human Rights Committee, the Ombudsman's Office presented the report with the cases filed by student and faculty platforms of alleged violations and threats to human rights, which were analyzed by the committee and linked to the competent entities (Prosecutor's Office, Attorney General's Office, Comptroller's Office and Ministry of Labor) to expedite the investigation procedures and strategies for immediate attention to complaints of threats against life and personal integrity by the leadership and work in defense of human rights that may arise.

Finally, in accordance with the decision of the Dialogue Table, the Ministry of National Education remains attentive to the progress of the preliminary meeting that the student and faculty platforms, the SUE, and the TTU Network must hold to analyze the Amendment of articles 86 and 87 of law 30 of 1992, prior to the start of the proposed regional workshops for the construction of the proposal that will be presented at the Congress.

See article in The Observatory of the Colombian University

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