From educational transformation to institutional resilience: new challenges for Health Sciences universities

Abstract

Higher education is undergoing a transformative period marked by health crises, economic constraints, technological advances, and growing social demands. The Transforming Education Summit +4 (TES+4), convened by the UN and UNESCO in July 2026, underscores the need to strengthen the resilience of educational systems and demonstrate concrete results toward the 2030 Agenda. For Health Sciences universities, this transformation implies moving beyond isolated technological incorporation or curriculum reforms; it requires consolidating quality assurance systems as intelligent management mechanisms that integrate planning, evaluation, risk management, and continuous improvement. Artificial intelligence and digitalization offer opportunities to personalize learning and strengthen university management, provided they are integrated ethically and inclusively. In Latin America, persistent social inequalities and funding limitations demand strengthening university governance and promoting evidence-based decisions. Institutional resilience should not be understood solely as the capacity to withstand crises, but as the ability to continuously transform itself to fulfill the university's social mission. The fundamental challenge is to develop the permanent capacity to lead and consolidate institutional change.