Higher Education in Argentina

With 1,600,522 students enrolled in university in 2008, the Argentine higher education system includes two categories of institutions: universities and academic institutions (more than a hundred, public and private), institutions of university higher education (several hundred).

Since the politico-economic crisis of 2001, the doctoral education for example, have strongly developed and the idea that university education remains the surest way to access a better standard of living, as well as a social condition more favourable, has been considerably strengthened.

In terms of R&D expenditure, the contribution of public universities is much higher than that of private universities: 26% versus 1.5% of total national expenditure.
Centres of excellence located throughout the territory with however, a high concentration within the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) represent a major strength of the system.

In terms of academic cooperation between France and Argentina, actions focus on five main areas:

- Institutional cooperation and French networks. In this context an event Europosgrados will be held in Buenos Aires on 14 and 15 April 2011 with key European partners (Spain, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom) and the EU Delegation in Argentina;

- Scholarship programs including for example, "Bernardo Houssay" programme which funds post-doctoral stays for French researchers in Argentina, from 3 to 12 months (see our article dated December 21, 2010);

- The CampusFrance Argentina agency, a reception and information place about graduate studies in France, established in 2008 and located in Buenos Aires in the premises of the Department of Cooperation and Cultural Action of the Embassy of France;

- The ARFITEC  (Argentina-France-Engineering Technology) program, one of the flagship initiatives of academic cooperation between France and Argentina, based in particular on the mobility of students, teachers and researchers;

- The cooperation in the Humanities and Social Sciences with the Franco-Argentine Centre (CFA) at the University of Buenos Aires which has become since its foundation in 1996, a benchmark in this field.

For more information, you can download the "Fiche Argentina" on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.