Madrid, 2 April 2025. The Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) and the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) signed a cooperation agreement this afternoon at an institutional event held at the OEI headquarters in Madrid.
The agreement aims to lay the foundations for joint activities to be developed by both organisations in order to promote dialogue and cooperation with CRUE counterpart institutions across Ibero-America. To this end, it seeks to strengthen the institutional capacities of countries in the region in the field of higher education through the exchange of good practices and theoretical and research-based reflections on education that support evidence-based decision-making.
The agreement will also enable both institutions to contribute to greater cohesion and quality across the Ibero-American university system as a whole, ultimately fostering the development and progress of present and future societies through improvements in scientific research and knowledge transfer.
The agreement was signed by Mariano Jabonero, Secretary General of OEI, and Eva Alcón Soler, President of CRUE and Rector of Universitat Jaume I, at an event attended by Ricardo Mairal Usón, Rector of the National University of Distance Education (UNED); María Teresa Lozano, Secretary General of CRUE; and Juan José Santos, Higher Education Specialist at OEI.
During the event, Jabonero welcomed the agreement, stating that “mobility and quality are a priority for OEI; we support the flow of students between Spain and Latin America and promote improvements in educational quality, adapting to the specific needs of each case and country”. For her part, Alcón emphasised that “Ibero-America is a priority for CRUE”, and stressed that “unity makes us stronger and helps us respond to challenges, both as university systems and as a society”.
