The Senate attempted to approve the creation of Smartum University, a higher technical institute offering courses in cryptomining and trader training, through a bill presented by Senators Natalicio Chase and Juan Carlos “Nano” Galaverna. The proposal was added as a last-minute amendment just days before internal elections, without the binding opinion of the National Council of Higher Education (CONES), as required by law.
Smartum University, recognized by the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) in 2023, plans to expand its offerings to include degrees in Politics and Public Management, Public Accounting, and Psychopedagogy, as well as specializations in Financial Technology, International Stock Market Analysis, and Risk and Tax Management. It also intends to offer professional master’s degrees in Educational Management and Administration and Business Administration, along with three doctorates in Education, Business Administration, and Law with an emphasis on International Law.
The vice-rector of Nihon Gakko University and chair of the Senate Education Committee, Hermelinda Alvarenga, highlighted that the institute is a “significant reference in training traders who operate in national, regional, and international financial markets.” The university’s headquarters would be located in Asunción, at the intersection of Nossa Senhora de Assunção, Manduvirá, and Jejuí streets.
However, Senator Esperanza Martínez of the Patria Querida Party criticized the rush to process the bill and the lack of transparency regarding the university’s shareholders. She pointed out that the Senate Education Committee did not issue an opinion and that the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (ANEAES) sent its reports directly to senators allied with the government, compromising the legitimacy of the process. Martínez also reminded that Law No. 4995 stipulates that CONES, not ANEAES, must issue binding opinions for the creation and closure of universities and higher institutes.
In response to the controversy, ANEAES president José Duarte Penayo announced the suspension of issuing new opinions for the creation of higher education institutions, including Smartum University. He requested that Congress return the opinions already issued so they can be reviewed under stricter criteria, which will include infrastructure requirements, economic and territorial impact analysis, and the creation of a Technical Commission to update evaluation parameters.
Duarte Penayo stated that ANEAES’s old system, based on a simple checklist, will no longer be used and recommended that Congress refrain from approving new projects until the new criteria are implemented. This decision comes after the Senate postponed the vote on the creation of Smartum University, which drew criticism for its rapid processing and lack of a binding CONES opinion, contrary to current legislation.