Restricted Access Chapter 21 Argentinian International Higher Education under COVID-19

PERROTTA, DANIELA

Higher Education and the COVID-19 Pandemic Cross-National Perspectives on the Challenges and Management of Higher Education in Crisis Times

BRILL

Lugar: Leiden; Año: 2022; p. 371 - 390

Before the pandemic, the governance of international higher education in Argentina was complex but not perceived as an issue that needed urgent attention. COVID-19 re-kindled not only the field’s academic debates but also the need for strategies and proactive policy-making from the State. This chapter argues that the management of the pandemic activated three dimensions of the issue: first, a claim or appeal to the national state for the administration or management of the emergency and risk situation; secondly, a resurface of previous debates on the need for regulation of the transnational sector and finally, the necessary reactivation of regional arenas to promote cooperation or integration activities). This work focuses on the two critical issues for governance in international higher education: distance education and international scientific collaborations and present a comprehensive socio-historical background of each issue in Argentina to situate the state of the discussion and provides some key points (capabilities and challenges) for future policies on the issue. Finally, the chapter shows that the current situation demands an in-depth dialogue on persistent inequalities and internal asymmetries in the higher education sector and the need to redirect these debates as well as the centrality of the State as a key-player, while respecting the autonomy of institutions.