Editorial

Research in higher education and its impact on social exclusion decrease

Development is based fundamentally on research. This is shown from experience of developed countries and other important indicators that are happening in South America. These countries have positioned themselves on the world stage as growing countries after serious search work to generate new knowledge that may lead in the improvement of the quality of life of citizens and the necessary competitiveness in times of globalization.

The strengthening of research in Colombia has been taking place during the last two decades, from the formation of human resources in higher education abroad through scholarships, the development of master's and doctoral degrees inside the country, the creation and consolidation of groups research, and finally from the self-assessment processes with a view to obtaining qualified accreditation records high quality undergraduate and graduate programs and institutions.

Moreover, the social exclusion of minorities and vulnerable people has not been entirely overcome in the country, although it is defined in the Constitution as an inclusive and pluralistic country. In recent decades, it has developed a policy of inclusion in education in general and higher education specifically, to enable the participation of people with disabilities, or belonging to vulnerable groups and ethnic groups. This inclusion is recognized through accreditation systems and verification conditions for quality higher education programs as a plus, given that institutions should ensure inclusion of diverse and vulnerable population.

It is important to remark on the relationship between the level of scientific and technological development and the level of social development among other things, this can be investigated through the analysis of indicators of science and technology and their comparison with available social indicators, including which stands the human Development Index. To carry out any work in this area, there should be defined a way on how to weight the indicators of science, technology and social facts. Measuring the social impact of science and technology in Colombia has not been easy since there is not much literature to the present. It can only be counted on some experiences in the area, mainly in developed countries.

In this sense, one can say that the design of public policy on research is an important reference, but the question is how often they are considered. In the production of standards, we cannot always take into account the results of research projects, which would be extremely important, because in the process of creating the rules, it should be taken into account comparative law, to know how other countries have solved similar problems, as research in the community that suffers the problem to be solved in order to establish the resources and the ways in which the same people want to fix it or has tried to fix it.

Thus, Colombia have adopted standards that have been applied in other countries, without consulting the context and regardless therefore Colombian reality, which creates difficulties in its implementation and in the process of internalization that citizens should do about those rules. That is, there is a research work in comparative law, but it is not taken into account the context and the community to which the law is created.

The UN has highlighted from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS, Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005) attended by governments of all countries, international organizations, businesses and corporations in the ICT(Information and communication technologies) sector, and what is more important, there were representatives of civil societies from five continents, that the use and social appropriation of information technology provides unprecedented opportunities for progress to meet the goals of development and its ability to remove together with the policies of curricular flexibility, many obstacles or limitations that existed prior to access to vocational education, especially time and distance.

Technological advances should not be an exclusion factor, but on the contrary, technological and scientific knowledge should enable the development of all human potential giving the development of their families and communities. However, in many parts of the country are many basic needs that must be satisfied on a priority basis, at which access to information technology is secondary to medium and long-term political agendas.

It is vital to design strategies in higher education programs for the inclusion of all population sectors on the benefits and advantages of the information society, so this is truly inclusive, and contribute to the reduction of social exclusion from the terms of specific individuals and groups, sometimes traditionally excluded and discriminated. In this way, it can be limited the digital gap, creating the appropriation of new information technologies, which is embodied in a use and application for research, training, updating and obtaining reliable information for decision making and for improved quality of life.

It is not enough that this may be achieved in developing countries. To implement new infrastructure technologies appropriate and up to date information, it is essential to ensure equal access and improved implementation. Consequently, higher education plays a very important role, as it allows a large population have contact and learn to use the full extent of these new technologies, especially in the conditions of social inequality that the country is, despite the progress that has been achieved since the 1991 Constitution, which provided the guarantee of rights and the quest for equality in the context of the rule of law.

Internationally, it is recognized that no one should be excluded from the information society and knowledge, especially the ability to update these technological tools. These tools are specifically used in the field of law, not only facilitating communication, but they are resources whose use facilitate judicial procedures, changing the scenario and requirements in the procedural field such as notifications and other aspects of the New General Code of Procedure. Technology also facilitates the process of regulation of visits as these are agreed on the basis of frequent virtual meetings, even newspapers that allow social relationships despite the changes that occur in families, distance and multiple situations, under the principle of family unity.

Arbitration has been one of the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that have been used more technological resources as well as changes in the penal system, also brought new technology needs. Given the above, it is increasingly important training in information technology for all professionals and especially for lawyers, whose professional work increasingly requires the management of these technological tools.

This means that the technological revolution of recent decades not require training, but ongoing training and skills that can adapt to each new application version that leaves almost obsolete previous knowledge and skills. The time commitment is greater by educational institutions and the state and course of system users, for his role against new technologies is not passive, as in other cases and other mass media, but the opposite an active role, which requires constant interaction. From here it can be submitted an exclusion of those who cannot get themselves to use and beyond the simple use, the appropriation of new information technologies and communication.

Moreover, it cannot be deny that there has been an achievement and a breakthrough in the use of information technology and communication in education, as these have permeated the educational processes and teaching to increase activities, classrooms and virtual programs that have facilitated student interaction with the world and allow some flexibility to handle today in education. Thus, this flexibility is a major educational trend, especially at the top level. The question is, if the population is ready to access so much information to handle such media to interact in multiple languages, using high-level technological resources for the development of educational activities, among other things, and if these technologies and social appropriation of information and communication in the education sector is given as equal to the entire population.

Now, the question would be if these advances have been just as much in urban areas as in rural areas, because although the latter differ from the activities required performances in cities, this does not mean they have to be isolated and decontextualized features of globalization and internationalization, and also that they do not have the right to information and education that can be accessed by means of new technologies.

Finally, it is important to note that equality and social inclusion are related to another important concept that is justice, and more specifically one of the ways to understand this concept is that of social justice. This implies equal opportunities and rights in a society, which guarantees stable and dignified conditions, in the context of the social state of law for citizens.

So there must be equal access for all to education at different levels. Education quality must be measure by all means. This will ensure not only coverage, but the compliance with the standards embraced by the academic community and the state. This is a valid and necessary aspiration, in which communication technologies and information can be decisive.

Rocío Vásquez Fruto
Lawyer and Psychologist, master of education, doctoral student in social sciences
and professor at the Caribbean Autonomous University.