Suchergebnisse

The effects of global warming are becoming more visible every day. Droughts, floods, and heat waves that used to occur once every 10 years now occur 4-6 times a decade, increasingly threatening planet Earth and the world's food supply. Climate changes and ongoing conflicts are contributing to a worsening global hunger crisis. If current trends continue, it is estimated that by 2030 the number of undernourished people will reach 840 million. Undoubtedly, expanding the agricultural area for greater food production will also increase carbon emissions, so it would be more beneficial to increase the production of the existing cultivated area. Also, switching to a more plant-based diet will help combat climate change. Responsibility for the global reduction in meat consumption falls overwhelmingly on the shoulders of the world's richest countries. If 10% of people around the world switched from meat to a plant-based diet, or if we all ate 10% less meat, 38 million hectares could be forested. With this in mind, why not adopt the diet recommended by the World Health Organization throughout the world? If we make this change, it will be possible to feed the world population in 2055, 10 billion people, with dignity, without the need to expand the current area occupied by agriculture.

The year 2021 is nearing its end when the online version of the journal MASKANA 12(2) is published. 2021, means that already one-fifth of the 21st century has passed. Since 2000 raised the world population from 6.1 to 7.9 billion, or 29.5%. Different models predict that the world population in 2030, the year that the world leaders in Glasgow (UK) during the GOP26 meeting agreed to limit global warming to 1.5°C, will increase to 8.5 billion. Wonder if the world possesses the capacity to secure food, given the continuing exponential growth of the population, and at the same time will be able to limit the warming up of the planet by 1.5°C? According to the yearly study of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) on the state of food security increased the number of people experiencing undernourishment since 2014, and today the world experiences an unprecedented setback in its hunger eradication effort. The major drivers behind the decline in food security and nutrition are according to FAO: conflict, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns. The impacts the people experience are exacerbated by the levels of inequality in terms of income, productive capacity, assets, technology, education and health. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an additional factor that put the world off track to ending world hunger, malnutrition, climate change, immigration, that the rich are getting richer, and the poor are becoming poorer, among other phenomena of inequality. Parallel to these evolutions, democracy worldwide is in decline. According to IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance), is the trend of democratic erosion ongoing since 2006 and is today worse than ever before.

Research journals disseminate scholarly work to the scientific community and by doing so fulfill a fourfold role, namely sharing knowledge with colleagues for evaluation and verification, serving as a basis for the generation of new knowledge, assisting the society in turning it into a better one, and for the archiving of research work. An immense variety of national and international journals exist, varying from high- to low-ranked peer-reviewed journals, from printed to e-journals. At the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Maskana, an e-journal of the University of Cuenca, a description of its objectives and status is given. Given the recent and in the future to be expected decline in the reception of articles and Maskana's overall low impact factor, the author discusses some possibilities to maintain, even upgrade the journal's role and efficacity. The transformation with time of Maskana, preferably in cooperation with the other 6 active institutional e-journals, to a learning platform challenging the graduate students of the master programs in writing the thesis in the format of a peer-reviewed research article is probably the most realistic role for low-ranked institutional journals. If this concept works, other universities in future might be invited to join the UJs adventure.

Ranking of universities has become over the past two decades a common practice and the institutions' interest in ranking at national and international level is only increasing. Universities, analogous to the industry, increasingly use their ranking to highlight their quality and excellence, with the objective to increase its visibility leading to a positive impact on the attraction of students and faculty, and cooperation with the public and private sector. Various studies showed that the ease of fund raising, international cooperation, recruitment of international and local students, graduate employment, and the cooperation with the private and public sector are positively affected by the institution's ranking. Through this editorial note, the author, who has a vast experience in university management, makes a brief analysis not only of the pros but also of the cons of this type of rankings, providing insights on the essential aspects to take into account from this information and also on how to correctly interpret the data from this useful management tool, especially in the context of the reality of our Latin American universities.

The year 2021 is nearing its end when the online version of the journal MASKANA 12(2) is published. 2021, means that already one-fifth of the 21st century has passed. Since 2000 raised the world population from 6.1 to 7.9 billion, or 29.5%. Different models predict that the world population in 2030, the year that the world leaders in Glasgow (UK) during the GOP26 meeting agreed to limit global warming to 1.5°C, will increase to 8.5 billion. Wonder if the world possesses the capacity to secure food, given the continuing exponential growth of the population, and at the same time will be able to limit the warming up of the planet by 1.5°C? According to the yearly study of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) on the state of food security increased the number of people experiencing undernourishment since 2014, and today the world experiences an unprecedented setback in its hunger eradication effort. The major drivers behind the decline in food security and nutrition are according to FAO: conflict, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns. The impacts the people experience are exacerbated by the levels of inequality in terms of income, productive capacity, assets, technology, education and health. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an additional factor that put the world off track to ending world hunger, malnutrition, climate change, immigration, that the rich are getting richer, and the poor are becoming poorer, among other phenomena of inequality. Parallel to these evolutions, democracy worldwide is in decline. According to IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance), is the trend of democratic erosion ongoing since 2006 and is today worse than ever before. ; Al momento de la publicación en línea de la revista MASKANA 12(2) el año 2021 se acerca a su fin. 2021 significa que ya ha pasado una quinta parte del siglo XXI. Desde el año 2000 la población mundial aumentó de 6.1 a 7.9 mil millones, o el 29.5%. Diferentes modelos predicen que la población mundial en 2030, año en que los líderes mundiales en Glasgow (Reino Unido) durante la reunión GOP26 acordaron limitar el calentamiento global a 1.5°C, aumentará hasta los 8.5 mil millones. Me pregunto si el mundo posee la capacidad de asegurar alimentos, dado el continuo crecimiento exponencial de la población, y al mismo tiempo podrá limitar el calentamiento del planeta en 1.5°C. Según el estudio anual de la FAO (Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación) sobre el estado de la seguridad alimentaria, el número de personas que sufren desnutrición aumentó desde 2014, y hoy el mundo experimenta un retroceso sin precedentes en su esfuerzo por erradicar el hambre. Según la FAO, los principales impulsores del declive de la seguridad alimentaria y la nutrición son los conflictos, la variabilidad y los extremos climáticos, y las desaceleraciones y recesiones económicas. Los impactos que experimentan las personas se ven agravados por los niveles de desigualdad en términos de ingresos, capacidad productiva, activos, tecnología, educación y salud. La pandemia COVID-19 ha sido un factor adicional que ha desviado al mundo de su objetivo de acabar con el hambre mundial, la desnutrición, el cambio climático, la inmigración, que los ricos se enriquezcan más y los pobres se empobrezcan más, entre otros fenómenos de desigualdad. Paralelamente a estas evoluciones, la democracia en todo el mundo está en declive. Según IDEA (Instituto Internacional para la Democracia y la Asistencia Electoral), la tendencia de erosión democrática continúa desde 2006 y hoy es peor que nunca.

Will the education sector be immune from the financial debacle caused by Covid-19? The impact will be acute, universities in the United Kingdom, for example, has recognized serious financial challenges ahead and London Economics is indicating a potential sector-wide loss of tuition fees of 2.6 billion pounds next year. This will be hard for the private universities which mainly derive their income from registration fees and donations. However, the public universities will also be hit financially by Covid-19, since a lower-income at the national level will reduce the government's funding. With further pressure likely to land on research funding from public, charitable, and commercial sources, universities, in general, will be facing significant financial challenges ahead. To offset drops in government funding higher education institutions might, as a measure of cost-saving, stagnate or even decline the number of full-time permanent positions, and shift to casual or contract positions. Switching a tenure position to a contractual appointment will be juridical difficult, probably not possible. But it is not unlikely, that when full-time professors retire, the vacancies will be filled with a casual or contract position. Thus, it is to be expected that in the coming years the number of tenure positions in higher education will drop.

University development in Ecuador was relatively uncoordinated; it was not until the early 1970s that further progress was enshrined in the national education plan. Even then, hardly any attention was paid to research. Additionally, the political, social, and economic development in the following decades, along with the fairly autonomous and uncoordinated landscape of university development can be the cause of the fragmented and mediocre educational and research level of Ecuador's Universities and Polytechnic Schools, at the beginning of the 21st century. It was not until 2008, with the creation of the new constitution, that higher education and research were increasingly being effectively directed, evaluated, and starting to bear fruit. The limited funding of university education and research, resources that are more likely to decrease than increase as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, and the continuing fragmentation between institutions may delay the ongoing rise. Based on an analysis of indicators of higher education and research, and Ecuador's UEP ranking at the international level, some strategic measures are proposed that can initiate improvement of the performance and efficiency of Ecuador's higher education and research profile. Especially cooperation within and among institutions and the pursuit of interdisciplinary oriented education and research, preferentially in collaboration with various social actors, are considered the leverage for turning Ecuador's UEPs into entrepreneurial higher education institutes and will assure that the institutions provide better support to the society.

University development in Ecuador was relatively uncoordinated; it was not until the early 1970s that further progress was enshrined in the national education plan. Even then, hardly any attention was paid to research. Additionally, the political, social, and economic development in the following decades, along with the fairly autonomous and uncoordinated landscape of university development can be the cause of the fragmented and mediocre educational and research level of Ecuador's UEPs[1], at the beginning of the 21st century. It was not until 2008, with the creation of the new constitution, that higher education and research were increasingly being effectively directed, evaluated, and starting to bear fruit. The limited funding of university education and research, resources that are more likely to decrease than increase as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, and the continuing fragmentation between institutions may delay the ongoing rise. Based on an analysis of indicators of higher education and research, and Ecuador's UEP ranking at the international level, some strategic measures are proposed that can initiate improvement of the performance and efficiency of Ecuador's higher education and research profile. Especially cooperation within and among institutions and the pursuit of interdisciplinary oriented education and research, preferentially in collaboration with various social actors, are considered the leverage for turning Ecuador's UEPs into entrepreneurial higher education institutes and will assure that the institutions provide better support to the society. [1] UEPs: Universities and Polytechnic Schools / UEP: Universidades y Escuelas Politécnicas ; El desarrollo universitario en Ecuador estuvo relativamente descoordinado y no fue sino hasta principios de la década de 1970 que el plan nacional de desarrollo contempló un mayor progreso en esta área. Sin embargo, apenas se prestó atención a la investigación. Se piensa que lo anterior y la evolución política, social y económica de las décadas siguientes, y el avance bastante autónomo y descoordinado del panorama universitario son la causa del nivel educativo y de investigación fragmentado y mediocre de las UEP1 de Ecuador a principios de Siglo 21. No es sino hasta 2008, con la creación de la nueva constitución, que la educación superior y la investigación se dirigen y se evalúan cada vez con mayor eficacia y comienzan a dar sus frutos. Pero el finaciamiento limitado a la educación y la investigación universitarias, los recursos que más probablemente disminuirán como resultado de la pandemia Covid-19 y sus secuelas, y la fragmentación continua entre instituciones, pueden demorar la actual tendencia de mejora universitaria. En base de un análisis de una serie de indicadores de educación superior e investigación, y del ranking internacional de las UEP ecuatorianas, el presente trabajo propone una serie de medidas estratégicas que pueden iniciar la mejora del desempeño y la eficiencia del perfil de educación superior e investigación de Ecuador. Especialmente la cooperación al interior y entre las instituciones y la búsqueda de una educación e investigación de orientación interdisciplinaria, preferentemente en colaboración con diversos actores sociales, se consideran el punto de partida para convertir las UEP de Ecuador en institutos de educación superior emprendedores y asegurar que las instituciones brinden un mejor apoyo a la sociedad. [1] UEPs: Universities and Polytechnic Schools / UEP: Universidades y Escuelas Politécnicas

The definition of wake-up call is something that alerts people to an unsatisfactory situation and drives them to remedy it. In this sense, today's publication of QS World University Rankings 2020 can be seen as a wake-up call for Ecuador's universities, SENESCYT, CACES and CES. First, the article assesses the performance of Ecuador's universities using the QS World University Rankings 2020 method. The analysis reveals that the group of Ecuadorian universities with better performance is extremely small and, in addition, most of the institutions included in the 2020 QS ranking saw their ranking declined with respect to their ranking in 2019. Parallel to the QS ranking, the publication record in SCOPUS journals of 11 better ranked Ecuadorian universities was analyzed for the period 2009-2019. The average annual number of published papers increased drastically in this period from 22.2 to 192 (873%), although the surveyed institutions saw their annual publication record raising, some of them were not able to maintain their position. The second section of the manuscript highlights what the Ecuadorian universities ought to do to improve their performance and their contribution to the progress of society. According to the author, universities must urgently invest in quality, take advantage of the potential of modern learning methods, make research a mature and equivalent component, stimulate cross-border collaboration at all levels and convert the spin-off into hubs of innovation. Doing so requires not only a changing attitude of the authorities, but of the entire academic community of professors and researchers, administrative and technical personnel, but most importantly of the government administrations in charge of higher education. To convert public HEIs into institutions that are capable of offering graduates who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to face the challenges of today and tomorrow while ensuring sustainable economic growth in harmony with the environment, universities must be reengineered in a straightforward way. The institutional pillars subject for renewal are described in the third section of this article. To convert the reengineering of the university into a feasible project, it is essential that the ones that make the decisions open their mind and realize that universities in the 21st century require a completely different governance. Additionally, the noses of all personnel should be turned in the same direction, personnel cooperate intensely, and corruption, collusion and nepotism are eliminated. ; Una llamada de atención es una alerta sobre una situación insatisfactoria que impulsa a las personas a remediarla. En este sentido, la reciente publicación del QS World University Rankings 2020 puede verse como una llamada de atención para las universidades de Ecuador, SENESCYT, CACES y CES. En primer lugar, el presente trabajo evalúa el desempeño de las universidades ecuatorianas utilizando el método QS World University Rankings 2020. El análisis revela que el grupo de universidades ecuatorianas con mejor desempeño es extremadamente pequeño y, además, la mayoría de las instituciones incluidas en el ranking vieron bajar su posición con respecto al año 2019. Para el período 2009-2019 también se analizó el registro de publicaciones en SCOPUS de las 11 universidades ecuatorianas mejor calificadas. En dicho período el número promedio anual de artículos publicados aumentó drásticamente, de 22.2 a 192 (873%); sin embargo, algunas instituciones perdieron posiciones en el ranking a pesar de un aumento en su registro anual de publicaciones. La segunda sección del manuscrito describe lo que las universidades ecuatorianas deberían hacer para mejorar su desempeño y contribución al progreso de la sociedad. Según el autor, las universidades deben invertir urgentemente en calidad, aprovechar el potencial de los métodos de aprendizaje modernos, hacer de la investigación un componente maduro y de vinculación con la sociedad, estimular la colaboración inter e intrainstitucional en todos los niveles y convertir la escisión (spin-off) en centros de innovación. Hacerlo requiere no solo un cambio de actitud de toda la comunidad académica -autoridades, profesores, investigadores, personal administrativo y técnico-, sino también, y más importante, de las instancias gubernamentales a cargo de la educación superior. Las IES públicas deben ser rediseñadas de manera directa para convertirlas en instituciones capaces de ofrecer a los graduados los conocimientos y las habilidades necesarias para enfrentar los desafíos presentes y futuros, a la vez que garanticen un crecimiento económico sostenible y en armonía con el medio ambiente. La tercera sección de esteartículo describe los pilares institucionales que requieren renovación. Para que la reingeniería de la universidad sea un proyecto factible, es esencial que los tomadores de decisiones abran sus mentes y se den cuenta de que las universidades en el siglo XXI requieren cambios sustanciales de gobernanza. Además, las narices de todo el personal deben girar hacia la misma dirección, lo cual significa una intensa cooperación, en la que cualquier rastro de corrupción, colusión o nepotismo, sea eliminado.