Desarrollo de un campus virtual para la transferencia de conocimiento en la gestión acceso y uso de datos espaciales

Abstract

The gap in access to higher education in Latin America, where the enrollment rate of 40% is significantly below the global average of 57%, represents a structural obstacle that limits not only general professional training but especially the development of specialized and constantly evolving disciplines such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. While the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for the adoption of virtual learning models, evidenced by the growth of distance learning programs from 11.4% to 17.5% between 2010 and 2019 in countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, this progress also exposed deep structural deficiencies related to technological infrastructure, inequality in connectivity, and insufficient teacher training. In this context, organizations like SELPER face the imperative of transforming their knowledge transfer models, overcoming the economic, geographic, and organizational barriers that have historically restricted access to specialized in-person training. The available evidence demonstrates that the transition to digital, flexible, and inclusive educational models is not an option but an urgent necessity to democratize knowledge in remote sensing and geographic information systems, thus ensuring accessible and relevant specialized training for the entire region