

Universities in Latin America

The struggle to make the grade

If only more of the region’s higher-education institutions were like the University of São Paulo

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Readers' comments


James AntiBr

Alas, another feel good article about Brazil. Wow, moving up 30%
or so from bottom heap this week to number blah blah.

Wake me up when the leading Brazilian Universities reach the top 25%
GLOBALLY. Maybe, just maybe I will start believing Brazil is really improving.

Now, to stir the pot a bit. How about some ideas (in a positive way) to Brazucas.
1)Adopt GED and CLEP testing from the USA where anyone can truly have an
opportunity to attend University. Not just the Elites who routinely get the
free education afforded to all, but are the only ones who can afford to prepare
for the Vestibular (an one a year; once in a lifetime change to get to University).

2)Allow Universities like DeVry but in a hybrid way (technology, business fast
track+ well funded multi-billion yuan incubator (private, of course none of that
BNDES connected; a** ki**er way) to pop up in the interior, in the Northeast and
the South. Accredite them and take them seriously as a 2 year degree or a 4 year degree.

3)Build incentives to private venture capital through tax breaks and preferred
treatment to companies that invest in all Brazilian start ups. Since most Elite
Brazilians likely won't invest in their brethen as in the historical past, foreign
concerns could have first take on 60% ownership of start ups. That should be
more than fair.

4)Place more R&D money away from already establish centers like Sao Paulo,
Rio, and Campinas into the South and the Northeast.

Brazilians have, in my view, a serious inferiority complex, and a mongrel race
complex that compounds their inability to look at their people in an objective
way. There are brains in every corner of Brazil, but if one's heritage is not
Italian or European, etc in some way it is automatically discarded by the wayside.
In case you disagree, look at the surnames of those running Petrobras, Central Bank,
and twice disgraced Antonio Pa- something.
Research Brazilian CEOS and government Officials to see that what I am saying is true.


Walk down any city block of a neighborhood in American America real America Estados Unidos whatever and you will pass 4 identical McDonalds dinners two Wal-Mart shops one Apple Store which looks exactly like headquarter apple store in NYC.Yes alas innovation and creativity in usa is staffed


An important data of this studio made by QS which it isn't in this article (I imagine why) is when they asked to 9000 companies about which University they prefer hire graduates.

UBA (University of Buenos Aires) is at the top and there are four Argentinian Universities in the top ten.

Repeat, is the opinion of the companies.


USP may be a good example for other countries, but until they fix problems within their own governments they will not catch up with Brazil. Chavez is a good example of this. He used force like he does with his government, to get the universities to let more people in. Now these universities are failing even faster. To get good universities, these Latin American countries need to fix their governments to allow for a better education starting from grade school.


This ranking is absolutely not serious.
Whoever manages to sneak in Universidad Catolica de Chile within the top 10 has intentions outside the scope of objective analysis of education.
In universidad catolica de chile students buy their degree. Nobody can fail, if a student fails, the teacher loses his job. It's not a serious place for anybody who is serious about anything.



I am shocked by the disorderliness of the Latin American higher education system. I had no idea that the system was in such shambles and that the students were receiving such an inadequate education. The problem may lie in the fact that these states are trying to run such large institutions which just can't be managed, and can't produce efficiently or on a large enough scale. If USP is the standard to which the rest of the countries look, then they need to look harder, because there were few other institutions as highly ranked as USP.

Another reason for the inadequacies of these institutions might stem from the lack of funding, both from students and the government. While the idea of free tuition sounds wonderful and should be implemented in America (in my opinion), it should be saved for countries that are producing notable GDPs and have the money to spare for student education funds. If Latin American universities can't pay for full-time professors or proper learning environments, then maybe they should look toward different methods of funding education, like taxing citizens or charging students a tuition fee.


I think there is more to this than is mentioned. It seems like they are facing the same issues as most countries education systems do, with the exception of the major lack of funding. For example, the statement that the increase in class size from 15 to 300 decreasing the quality of education is true, but really that can't be the main reason. There are universities out there that have a 3000 person class and learn a great deal (heck I'm in one right now). It's all in how you approach it.


Considering that Brazil along with the rest of South America are becoming economically viable in the world, it is vital that all of them put more focus on improving their colleges and universities. It does seem though that they are making efforts in changing their schools for the better. One important aspect that they should change is to let more people from around the world come and teach at their colleges. Having people that are not from these respective countries allows students to gain valuable insight on what other peoples views are about how the world works. Another important aspect is making sure that the teaching methods are always evolving. Just siting in a classroom and listening to someone talk about the textbook doesn't always work. Doing hands on activities and applying what you learn while you're still at school is key to keeping students interest. I think that a reason why Brazil and the surrounding countries want to overhaul their education system is to prove to the other powers in the world that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the international arena. If these South American countries are able to successfully change their education system then they will be assuring their future for years to come.


Considering how fast Brazil is growing as an economic power and how much more say they will have in international issues, it is vital for this country to have very good academic institutions. It does appear though that Brazil understands this and is trying to take steps toward making their colleges earn a world reputation for academics. I think that they want to prove to everyone that they are a region that can stand shoulder to shoulder with countries like the U.S. and China. One thing that the schools need to do is allow people not from the country to teach because it allows more viewpoints and a broader understanding of the world. The U.S. wants to make a trade bloc with all the countries in South America and having a top tier university system will help countries like Brazil, Chile and Argentina secure its future for many years to come.


Aside from notionally teaching students how to think, communicate, research etc. universites in Latin America ape European mentors in serving as incubators for leaders of the political left. While considered choice is to be praised, the custom of permitting professional 'students' to enroll for upwards of 8 to 10 years to supply a spot of brain-washing is not. That's even more reprehensible than becoming a pre-NFL school for football jocks, as so many of our Mid- and South-West colleges tend to do.

We have to break away in Latin America from the locked-in Continental curriculum many of our professors rise through yet retain enough of its humanism to keep alive the hope of producing a more rounded and effective citizen.


Just to add a positive note to the article. In 2010, 5 of my students from the Tec de Monterrey (Guadalajara, Mexico) competed in the Cisco I-Prize to design the next billion dollar idea against a total of 2900 other participants representing more than 156 countries. I am proud to say that despite the high caliber of international entrants, they won the top prize of $250,000.

Entrants came from ALL of the top universities in the world and top technology research companies. Proving that Latin American universities and their students can compete on the global stage with world-class results.


I wish Latin America could have similar schooling systems as the United States. With the work world becoming more and more international, it should be vital to give the same type of education to each country because they will eventually be working in yours. Latin America should spend more money toward education and really make an effort to create the value in education and improve it.

Leao da Montanha

IMHO USP has such a good reputation (in Brazil, at least) because of the admission process for its students.
All candidates must take an admission exam (organized by FUVEST) and only those with the best grades earn a place.
e.g. in 2011, there were 13545 candidates for the 275 open spots for medical school. So, to be selected you would have had to beat at least 13271 other candidates.
This fierce competition makes for very qualified students, which will usually yield qualified graduates/research staff.
Note that there are so many candidates because USP is reputable, and more importantly, because it offers free (i.e. paid by all taxpayers) education.

Private universities in Brazil are not for free, thus people who attend them are almost always those that did not manage to earn a place at a public university. Unsurprisingly these institutions are not so highly regarded.

Daniel Miller

While it is clear that Latin American universities still have a long way to go, it is refreshing to hear about their progress in promoting scholarly research. The rise in education also seems to indicate a shift into more advanced economies since more people graduating from the university means less people willing to work primary and secondary jobs and more people looking to go into the tech sector. The trick will be keeping graduating students from looking for better opportunities abroad and instead promoting startups in their own countries as universities become progressively better.


I believe the current state of higher education, is very difficult.
For instance, in Colombia today many students will participate at a demonstration against the new Educational System Reform.

Nonetheless, the approach of many Latin American States to cut off resources from higher education will take its toll in the long run. Why?
Society needs a lot of well trained people, and lots of Scientific Research, that could allow Latin America to harness its productive power.
I think often about the Educational System in the East, which is way more competitive and we need to look alternatives that have been effective.(They had invested in R & D) and now they are leading economies..

By the way the National University of Colombia is the best in the country, I don't think that University of the Andes should be in number 5. Only the cleverest people of the country make it to the UN, you get into the University of the Andes, because you can afford an expensive tuition fee.


It would be great to hear more voices from the region in this article. In fact three of four people giving statements are not from Latin America. Talking to people always gives a different impression than just talking about people.

I would agree much more with the comment of "forbettereducation" (below) than with the World Bank expert mentioned in the article. The problem lies within inflexible structures protected by a well-off elite. By the way, the same elite that the World Bank guys are having dinner with. ;-)

I don't see a general "hostility" (as said in the article) to hire faculty members from abroad. I also don't see the tendency to keep students in the country instead of studying or working a year or two in another country. In fact I see the opposite: people love to get experience abroad. (And if the elites would furnish better funding the number of scholarships could grow as well.)

I also cannot agree with the observation that universities tend to keep their good educated students to teach at their own faculties (at least from my own experience in a number of Brazilian universities). In case some universities really follow this policy they probably do it just the way any organisation or company would do it: why send good staff away? If they are really good, just keep them for a few years (in fact, universities in other parts of the world do exactly the same). In the end those individuals will decide on their own when the time has come to get e new experience.

Bob from DC

The Brazilian university system does not create scholars; it leaves that task to the private elementary and secondary school systems. The unfortunate majority who are left to the decrepit public schools can benefit from a quota that facilitates their access into universities along with the highest-scoring entrance exam takers; however, once in a university, all are left to their own devices in order to get an education. The whole thing may as well be an independent study.


One should be aware that behind the quality of the numbers, there are much more serious issues than excellence in scientific research, which seems to be the current policy of the University of São Paulo. Quality of research is important, but it is well known that to take part of the "USPian" community one has to have very good education, and indeed it is a highly elitist university. Each and every year our children show shameful rankings in the UNESCO (PISA) assessments, and this cannot be forgotten, as the researchers neglect, worried about high impact factor papers. I would like to see each member of the "USPian" community (which I have taken part most of my life) recognize that we need a more democratic access to good education, and this may mean changing old paradigms, re-structuring the educational system and the mentality that we have things to show off. Congratulations to those who worked hard for this achievement, and let us hope that
USP and the leading universities will give not only good numbers, but take part in changing the poor reality of Latin American education, showing excellence in ideas and attitude.


Having lived in Latin America for a while, I would argue that the issues of its university systems reflect the issues of Latin American society as a whole regarding innovation. Walk down any city block of a neighborhood in Latin America and you will pass 3 identical dispensas, 3 identical comedores, and 3 identical salones de belleza all owned by people who have lived on the block their entire lives and known each other just as long.

They are very good at copying others but, for whatever reason, rarely demonstrate a willingness to experiment with potential catalysts for creativity, invention, or growth. Rather than concerning themselves with pioneering new ground, Latin American universities seem content following the worn trails paved by others.

I do not pretend to have an explanation for this...just thought I would offer a humble observation.


I think if there are enough students willing to learn, then these universities need to step up and find people who can teach. I think they need to do what ever it takes to keep the students from dropping out if the higher education will be so important in the near future. It is up to these universities to do their jobs and teach these kids.


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