The María Cano University Foundation, through the coordinator of the headquarters and the teachers of the Popayán headquarters, participated in a committed manner in the third phase of inclusive dialogues called «Territorial Thematic Tables», led by the Ministry of Education in the department of Cauca , taking part as moderators, rapporteurs and contributors in the five challenges identified in the 2 previous phases: permanent dialogues for higher education and popular youth assemblies for higher education; and the preparation of a document with contributions from people, institutions and organizations interested in higher education. This work seeks to generate a fundamental input for the construction of the document that allows establishing the bases for a national agreement that strengthens higher education in the country and that advances with the motto: For an education that restores human dignity.

This third phase is committed to the elaboration of the national agreement for higher education, guided by dialogue, participation and coordination, for the transformation of higher education, which allows closing inequality gaps and consolidating an educational system that responds to the needs of the country and its territories ensuring the right to higher education in Colombia.

The challenges that were discussed, and consensus was built, even generating new proposals were:

• Financing: advance the financing of higher education in public and private entities and in the solidarity sector of technical, technological and university professional training, both in rural areas and in ethnic communities.
• Quality and relevance: guarantee a wide and relevant higher education offer with quality, which reaches the territories and communities of the country and is articulated with the systems of science, technology, innovation, work, human development, competitiveness , as well as with arts and cultures, among others.
• Governance: expand and consolidate the governance of the higher education system and HEIs with greater participation and better decision-making conditions. Likewise, a greater incidence with other actors, levels of education, sectors and in the educational and training system of the country.
• Teaching dignity: dignify the teaching profession in terms of its social and cultural place in the higher education system, in HEIs, in territories and communities; also the conditions for their development and professional growth in teaching, research and social projection.
• Wellbeing: expand the conception of well-being of the HEI communities and its effects on competitions with other sectors and institutions.

#MásMaríaCano commitment to the future of higher education in Colombia.