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On May 15, The State University of Haiti (UEH) and all the Public Universities of the Regions (UPR) launched the National Network of Public Higher Education (ReNES), to boost education, research, science, and innovation in the Caribbean country.

The event took place in a hybrid format (virtual and face-to-face), with a ceremony preceded by the Rector of UEH and President of ReNES, Fritz Deshommes; the Minister of National Education and Vocational Training, Nesmy Manigat; the director of the National Education Fund (FNE), Mr. Jean Ronald Joseph; other authorities from UEH and the UPR, the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie in the Caribbean (AUF) and KAIROS.

“The ReNES is committed to working relentlessly to improve the education provided by our universities in the 10 departments the country has, to make increasingly accessible relevant training to all sons and daughters of the Haitian nation, to put the expertise and skills of our teachers at the service of development and innovation, and to respond to the Haitian companies, public and private sector, for an innovative support of science, technology, and technology," emphasized the Rector of the UEH, Fritz Deshommes.

The National Public Higher Education Network aims to create and develop an interactive and dynamic infrastructure for research, teaching, learning, and community services that respond to colleges’ and universities’ real needs contributing to sustainable development in Haiti. This will promote values such as solidarity, mutual aid, inclusiveness, integrity, ethics, academic excellence, and commitment.

ReNES has 11 founding members, the UEH and the UPRs, which include the public universities of the South, Artibonite, North, South-East, North-West, Centre, Grand'Anse, North-East, Nippes, and Bas-Artibonite. The Association is open to all other public higher education institutions and private institutions to join.

Minister Manigat highlighted the support of essential partners for the creation of ReNES, including RedCLARA, with an agreement to strengthen connectivity in Haitian public universities with their Latin American and Caribbean peers. “This Ministry fully subscribes to the mission of its new association, to contribute to establishing and develop the connectivity of Haitian public universities with the various global university networks for the improvement of university education, scientific research, and community services in our country,” he said.

The ReNES President, Fritz Deshommes, also thanked several partners, including REDCLARA and its Executive director, Luis Eliecer Cardenas, who enabled ReNES to receive “its baptism of fire” through the Agreement signed last year, on 26 April 2022, by “which Haiti became the first Caribbean country to access this important Latin American network”.

The RenES president highlighted that among the first strategic actions framed in the agreement with REDCLARA, the largest computer network of Haitian academics with more than 100,000 faculty, staff, and students will be able to use connectivity services to facilitate online teaching, joint research collaboration and the provision of innovative services to the Haitian community. It also provides for exchanging digital resources, experiences, and knowledge and expanding mobility opportunities for students and teachers.

Joining RedCLARA, the Haitian higher education institutions will interconnect with 2,000 other universities and research centers in the region and link with academic networks in Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world.