The Diplomat
The Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) presented yesterday at the Casa de América headquarters in Madrid the report Higher Education, Competitiveness and Productivity in Ibero-America, which analyzes the “historical deficit in productivity” in Ibero-America, “exacerbated by the pandemic”.
The report, prepared by academics Germán Ríos and Victoria Galán-Muros for the OEI’s Ibero-American Institute for Education and Productivity, analyzes the current state of university education in the region and its capacity to promote innovation and competitiveness in the Ibero-American business environment.
Among its main conclusions, the report shows that productivity in Latin America has declined over the last 50 years and is low in all sectors, which has generated a “competitive lag” compared to OECD countries. It also highlights the high level of informality in the labor market, which throughout the region affects around 50% of employees, and warns that, with the outbreak of the pandemic, youth unemployment has become a serious social problem in the region, as many young people drop out of secondary education in an unsuccessful attempt to enter the labor market. The study also points out that, although women have been gaining ground in the Ibero-American labor force, female unemployment rates are higher than those of men.
During the event, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, said that “the report reveals a significant mismatch between what the market demands and what the education system offers, “and that is the gap that needs to be closed”. “Ibero-American governments should better regulate industrial doctorates and dual technical training” and promote “public-private cooperation to overcome the crisis with transformation”, she added.
Mariano Jabonero, secretary general of the OEI, highlighted the fundamental role of universities as the driving force behind innovation and research in Ibero-America, since 60% of both factors “are developed in our universities”. He also warned that “now is the time to address the historic deficit in productivity, exacerbated by the pandemic”, a challenge that must be addressed through education, “the most strategic and sustainable resource available to the region”.
For his part, Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD, warned that “the region’s backwardness is enormous” and that “productivity in Ibero-America is stagnant” and only represents “38% of the average productivity of the OECD”. For this reason, he said, it is necessary to involve the entire higher education system, which must “foster the entrepreneurial spirit of young people.” “Our young people must stop being the main victims of the pandemic and become the main rebuilders of Ibero-America”, a “resilient, inclusive, sustainable, united and strong” Ibero-America, he concluded. Finally, Enrique Iglesias, the first Ibero-American Secretary General, affirmed that today there are more than 35 million students in the region and, therefore, “we owe it to Latin America to bring the debate from the universities to these spaces”.
