UPN and SAIH Sign International Cooperation Agreement to Protect Student Activists at Risk

In a significant step toward the defense of Human Rights and the guarantee of access to higher education, the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (UPN) and the Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund (SAIH) have signed an international cooperation agreement to launch a pilot program in Colombia aimed at protecting Spanish-speaking student activists at risk.

This agreement, signed by UPN’s Rector Helberth Augusto Choachí González, establishes the framework for welcoming young activists from the region who face persecution for their advocacy work. Through this program, they will be provided with a safe environment to continue and complete their university studies.

Professor Choachí stated, “This agreement is very important for us because individuals who have been part of our university community and have exercised student leadership have been victims of persecution and legal prosecution, which has led to exile. For this reason, institutional decisions have been made in recent years to support students and professors facing risks related to their activism and social or academic leadership.”

Professor Alejandro Mantilla Quijano, Head of the Office of Inter-Institutional Relations, expressed his gratitude to his team for making this agreement possible and emphasized the importance of this act of solidarity: “Considering that student activism, especially in Latin America, is difficult and often subject to pressure, threats, and risks, international solidarity has, at various times, saved lives,” he remarked.

SAIH is a Norwegian organization with over six decades of experience promoting higher education and academic freedom. Since 2012, it has led the Students at Risk (StAR) program, which enables persecuted students to complete their studies in Norway. This new collaboration with UPN marks a milestone, as it seeks to replicate and adapt that experience in Latin America, positioning the Colombian university as a regional reference.

The project will be financed through a donation of 1,000,000 Norwegian kroner (NOK) to cover academic and living expenses for up to five student activists, as well as an emergency fund and advocacy actions.
The program will have a Selection Committee composed of representatives from UPN, SAIH, and the Colombian Association of University Students (ACEU), which will evaluate both the applicants’ risk conditions and academic suitability.

The agreement will remain in effect until December 31, 2026, with the possibility of extension by mutual consent between the parties. This initiative reaffirms UPN’s commitment to building an inclusive, supportive, and human-rights-oriented public education system, strengthening its role as a key actor in Colombia’s and Latin America’s educational and political landscape.