Greatness and miseries of universities, an historical perspective

Abstract

The present article states the importance of reforming the Chilean university system, evaluating  qualitative and equity components in universities. This article summarizes the history of relations between society and university, and establishes analogies between the crisis between 1900 and 1910, the first anniversary of Independence, and that which begins to hatch in 1997; and then analyzes the role of student movements on changes in society and politics in college, especially the university reform of Cordoba (1918), and Chile (1967). Finally it reviews the mission of the university today.