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What are we talking about when we talk about the territorial commitment of universities? A reflection on Chilean state universities.

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Vol. 3 No. 6 (2023): Observing complex social territories
https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-6620.2023.70760

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to propose a definition of territory for the field of higher education studies. First, it examines the uses of the concept of territory in the higher education literature and proposes an operational definition from the social systems theory, highlighting the idea of selectivity associated with the construction of territory from university organizations. Next, Chilean higher education regulations are reviewed, identifying the relevance of territory in the mission of state universities. Using the proposed definition, and in line with the literature on institutional learning, a model is introduced to analyze the relationship between state universities and territory which, considering reflection as the central axis, underlines the importance of knowledge, the distribution and interpretation of information and the development of an organizational memory. The article ends with a summary and possible lines of research in the area.

Keywords:

educación superior, universidades, territorio

Author Biographies

Julio Labraña Vargas, Universidad de Tarapacá

Dr. Phil. from the Universität Witten/Herdecke, Germany. He holds a degree in Sociology from the Universidad de Concepción and a Master's degree in Systemic Analysis applied to Society from the Universidad de Chile. He is Director of Institutional Quality and academic of the Faculty of Education and Humanities of the University of Tarapacá. In addition, he is an associate researcher at the Center for Comparative Politics of the Universidad Diego Portales and the of the Universidad Diego Portales and the Núcleo de Estudios Sistémicos Transdisciplinarios of the Universidad de Chile. He is a member of different research nuclei and national and international networks related to the study of higher education. His research topics focus on organizational change in universities, changes in the self-understanding of institutions in the sector, the analysis of the possibilities of interdisciplinarity and, in general, the development of the sociology of education from the theory of social systems. On these topics he has written articles in indexed journals and book chapters in both national and foreign publications.

Emilio Rodríguez-Ponce, Universidad de Tarapacá

PhD in Economics and Business Administration from Universidad Complutense de Madrid; PhD in Education from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona; Master in Administration with mention in Finance from Universidad de Chile; Master in Information and Knowledge Society from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, and Master Certificate in Finance Series from the University of Notre Dame, France. He is currently Rector of Universidad de Tarapacá. He has been President of the National Accreditation Commission of Chile; Intendant of the Region of Arica and Parinacota; Vice President of the Council of Rectors of the South American Central West; Vice President of the Group of Regional Universities of Chile; Director of Strategic Studies of the Consortium of State Universities. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Council of Rectors. He is a corresponding member of the Academy of Political and Moral Sciences. and Moral Sciences. He is Illustrious Son of Arica since 2013 and received the Annual Award of the Association of Faculties of Administration as the distinguished academic of the year 2009. He has been a referee of multiple journals, and member of several boards, has participated in 9 Regular Fondecyt projects and is a Full Professor Level A of the Universidad de Tarapacá. His research topics focus on higher education, institutional learning, strategic management and higher education policy.

Francisca Puyol de la Fuente, Universidad Finis Terrae

She holds a degree in History from the Universidad de Los Andes and a Master's degree in Sociology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She is a researcher at Universidad Finis Terrae. She is part of the Núcleo de Estudios Sistémicos Trandisciplinarios and the Núcleo de Investigación en Inter- y Transdisciplina para la Educación Superior of the Universidad de Chile. Her research topics focus on academics and higher education.

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Labraña, J., Rodríguez-Ponce, E., & Puyol de la Fuente, F. . (2023). What are we talking about when we talk about the territorial commitment of universities? A reflection on Chilean state universities. Critical Proposals in Social Work, 3(6), 6–24. https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-6620.2023.70760
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Critical Proposals in Social Work
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales
Universidad de Chile
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