The Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) has secured its position as the main university platform within the Iberophonic world (a group of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries across all continents).
With offices and delegations in more than 35 countries, FUNIBER maintains collaboration agreements with more than 100 universities in America, Europe, and Africa, and has awarded thousands of scholarships for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies around the world.
Institutional Background and Rationale
FUNIBER was established at the end of the '90s to respond to the expectations of broad sectors of society for access to higher education through university and development cooperation experiences and activities within the framework of the UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks Program and the European Union.
The foundation's activities are guided by the World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action (UNESCO, Paris, 1998), which proclaims "the need for multicultural training based on quality, relevance, and international cooperation through university networks," as well as the principle of "lifelong learning."
This vision contemplates the challenge that anyone should be able to access academic and professional development regardless of their place of residence or employment.
Collaboration with International Organizations
FUNIBER represents a major player in the non-governmental scope that promotes cooperation and the closest collaboration with universities and civil society organizations, in addition to institutions, governments, and international organizations in Ibero-America and throughout the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, as well as other regions and nations of the world.
Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI)
In June 2022, FUNIBER signed a collaboration agreement with the OEI, endorsed by the President of FUNIBER, Santos Gracia Villar, and the Secretary General of the OEI, Manuel Jabonero. This alliance focuses on the following actions:
- Promotion and dissemination of the Portuguese language in the Ibero-American region and of the Spanish language in countries where Portuguese is spoken officially.
- Offering of specific courses in Portuguese language comprehension for Spanish speakers and Spanish language comprehension for Portuguese speakers
- Collaboration in virtual work placements for Translation and Interpreting students
- Development of seminars in the area of intercultural bilingual education
- Dissemination of FUNIBER's aid and scholarship programs to facilitate access to higher education for the most disadvantaged sectors
The OEI is the largest multilateral cooperation organization among Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Ibero-American countries, with more than 3,000 people working in some twenty Ibero-American countries.
Ibero-American Social Security Organization (OISS)
In May 2022, FUNIBER signed a collaboration agreement with the OISS represented by its Secretary General, Dr. Gina Magnolia Riaño Barón. This agreement, with an initial term of four years, contemplates the following:
- Development of joint projects for the dissemination of knowledge on the internationalization of social security.
- Adaptation of its managing entities and academic research in social and labor protection matters
- Courses, studies, and academic projects aimed at social and labor improvement in the Iberophone space
- Reinforcement of training activities in areas related to digital transformation for strengthening social security systems
The OISS brings together more than 160 institutions from Ibero-American countries and those linked by the Spanish and Portuguese languages.
International Youth Organization for Ibero-America (OIJ)
FUNIBER has established a collaboration with the OIJ aimed at promoting initiatives directed at Ibero-American youth, as well as training opportunities and professional development in the multinational space of Iberophony.
Carolina Foundation
FUNIBER has a collaboration agreement with the Carolina Foundation, an institution for the promotion of cultural relations and cooperation in the educational and scientific fields between Spain and the rest of the world. This collaboration allows:
- Expanding academic and cultural exchange opportunities between Spain and Latin America
- Promoting student mobility and university cooperation programs
- Conducting joint educational and cultural activities
Collaboration with Foundations and Specialized Agencies
Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)
FUNIBER maintains an active collaboration with the CPLP, strengthening educational and cultural ties in the Lusophone space and promoting academic exchange between Portuguese-speaking countries.
Casa África
Through its collaboration with Casa África, especially in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, promoting educational development and academic cooperation.
Royal Academy of History (RAH)
FUNIBER has signed collaboration agreements with the Royal Academy of History, strengthening the initiatives of historical research and cultural promotion in the Ibero-American area.
Commitment to Sustainable Development
FUNIBER is firmly committed to the development of all societies through university education of excellence and the promotion of quality scientific and technical cooperation aimed at promoting citizen well-being.
The foundation is a pioneering and fundamental organization in the social, educational, and institutional coordination of the intercontinental space of Iberian languages. To this end, it displays intense institutional work in the best spirit of solidarity and collaboration.
International Cooperation
The Iberoamerican University Foundation promotes and develops international cooperation projects, with European aid, for implementation in disadvantaged regions and territories, applying knowledge and technologies appropriate to each context.
Lines of Work
The projects follow two main lines of work aimed at supporting the actors involved in cooperation:
- Geographic Line. FUNIBER establishes cooperation networks among its offices and promotes collaboration with universities, governments, and various public and private institutions.
- Sector Line. Promotes the creation of projects in specific sectoral areas, developing technological and knowledge solutions in regions that require support.
Cultural Diplomacy
Through its Cultural Work, FUNIBER develops an important work of dissemination, which acts as true cultural diplomacy in the service of knowledge between societies. This initiative strengthens cultural and educational ties, promoting exchange and cooperation in the field of arts and culture among the countries of the Ibero-American and Lusophone space.
