400 faculty members have resigned since late 2023, shrinking the department by 13 percent
En la Universidad de Buenos Aires, dos de las carreras más demandadas del país —Ciencias de Datos e Informática— llevan casi dos meses sin clases regulares, atrapadas en un conflicto laboral que refleja una crisis más profunda en el financiamiento universitario argentino. La erosión salarial ha empujado a más de 400 docentes e investigadores a renunciar desde finales de 2023, adelgazando la planta profesional de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas en un 13 por ciento. Lo que está en juego no es solo un semestre perdido, sino la capacidad del Estado de sostener la formación en los campos que el futuro tecnológico del país más necesita.
- Casi dos meses después del inicio del ciclo lectivo, miles de estudiantes de Ciencias de Datos e Informática en la UBA aún no han recibido clases en materias centrales de sus carreras.
- La huelga docente y no docente, anclada en el reclamo por la Ley de Financiamiento Universitario y el deterioro salarial, amenaza con convertir un conflicto laboral en la pérdida total del semestre.
- La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas perdió más de 400 profesionales desde fines de 2023, reduciendo su planta de 3.000 a poco más de 2.500, con renuncias impulsadas directamente por la caída del poder adquisitivo.
- El rectorado de Ricardo Gelpi ha desplegado aulas virtuales, materiales digitales y esquemas de 'huelga a la japonesa' para sostener la continuidad académica, pero estas medidas no han alcanzado para estabilizar las carreras más afectadas.
- El conflicto permanece sin resolución y las próximas semanas definirán si los estudiantes pueden recuperar el calendario académico o si se suman a quienes ya vieron su formación interrumpida.
Casi dos meses después del inicio del semestre, los estudiantes de Ciencias de Datos e Informática de la Universidad de Buenos Aires no han podido cursar varias materias troncales. Estas carreras, entre las más solicitadas del mercado tecnológico argentino, permanecen paralizadas por medidas de fuerza de docentes y personal no docente, y la posibilidad de perder el semestre completo ya no es descartable.
El conflicto tiene raíces estructurales: la disputa por la implementación de la Ley de Financiamiento Universitario y el deterioro sostenido de los salarios docentes en todo el país. En la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, el golpe ha sido especialmente severo. Mientras otras unidades de la UBA lograron mantener cierta continuidad —con clases virtuales, materiales digitales y cronogramas parciales—, estas dos carreras no han podido establecer ningún ritmo regular de enseñanza.
Debajo de la crisis inmediata se acumula un daño institucional más silencioso. Desde finales de 2023, más de 400 docentes e investigadores han renunciado a la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, reduciendo la planta profesional de aproximadamente 3.000 a poco más de 2.500 personas. La causa principal es la pérdida de poder adquisitivo: quienes dependen exclusivamente del salario universitario han visto evaporarse sus ingresos reales. Esas renuncias erosionan la calidad de la enseñanza y la viabilidad de programas que exigen acompañamiento intensivo y continuo.
Las autoridades universitarias reconocen la gravedad del cuadro y afirman su voluntad de evitar la pérdida del semestre, pero admiten que el conflicto sigue sin resolverse. Algunas carreras de la UBA avanzan con normalidad; otras lo hacen a media máquina; y en casos como los de Ciencias de Datos e Informática, el semestre prácticamente no ha comenzado. Lo que ocurra en las próximas semanas determinará si estos estudiantes pueden recuperar el año académico o si su formación quedará suspendida por una disputa laboral que no muestra señales de agotarse.
Nearly two months into the academic semester, students enrolled in Data Science and Computer Science at the University of Buenos Aires have yet to attend classes in several core courses. The two programs, among the most sought-after in Argentina's technology sector, remain stalled by ongoing labor actions from faculty and non-teaching staff. The disruption has triggered alarm among students and university administrators alike, with the real possibility that the entire semester could be lost.
The strike is rooted in a larger conflict over the implementation of the University Financing Law and the deteriorating salaries of teaching staff across the country. At the Faculty of Exact Sciences, where these programs are housed, the impact has been particularly acute. While most of the UBA has managed to push forward—some courses moving to virtual platforms, others rescheduled—these two programs have been unable to establish any consistent rhythm of instruction. The uncertainty is compounded by the fact that Data Science and Computer Science are not peripheral offerings; they represent some of the most in-demand fields in the Argentine job market, and the loss of a semester carries real consequences for students' career trajectories.
Rector Ricardo Gelpi's office has emphasized that the university attempted to maintain academic continuity across most faculties during the strikes, employing virtual classrooms, digital course materials, and partial teaching schedules. In some cases, administrators deployed what they call "Japanese-style strikes," where operations continue without disrupting exams or core content delivery. Yet even these measures have proven insufficient in Exact Sciences, where certain courses have either not started at all or have begun only in truncated form.
Beneath the immediate crisis lies a deeper institutional hemorrhage. Since the end of 2023, more than 400 faculty members and researchers have resigned from the Faculty of Exact Sciences. The department's professional workforce has contracted from approximately 3,000 to just over 2,500—a loss of roughly 13 percent in less than two years. Many of these departures stem directly from salary erosion; faculty members who depend entirely on their university wages have found their purchasing power evaporating. The resignations have begun to corrode the quality of instruction and the viability of programs that demand sustained, intensive mentorship.
Administrators at both the faculty and rector's office acknowledge the severity of the situation and have stated their commitment to preventing semester loss. Yet they also concede that the conflict remains unresolved. Some programs at the UBA are proceeding normally; others are limping along with partial instruction; and in isolated cases, like Data Science and Computer Science, the semester has not truly begun. The coming weeks will determine whether these students can salvage the academic calendar or whether they will join the growing list of those whose education has been interrupted by a labor dispute that shows no signs of ending.
Citações Notáveis
The objective is to avoid students losing the semester, though the conflict remains unresolved— Faculty of Exact Sciences and UBA Rector's office
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that these are Data Science and Computer Science specifically? Couldn't any program be affected?
These aren't peripheral courses. They're the fields where employers are actually hiring right now in Argentina. A lost semester in accounting might be recoverable; a lost semester in data science means students fall behind in a market that moves fast.
The source mentions 400 resignations since late 2023. That's a lot. What does that actually mean for a student sitting in a classroom?
It means fewer professors available to teach, larger class sizes if classes happen at all, and professors who are stretched thinner. It also means institutional knowledge walking out the door. When experienced researchers leave, you lose mentorship, research opportunities, the whole ecosystem that makes a program worth attending.
The university says it tried virtual classes and alternative methods. Why didn't that work here?
Sometimes it does work. But in programs like computer science, you need hands-on labs, real-time problem-solving with an instructor, the ability to ask questions and iterate. A recorded lecture can't replace that. And if the strike is ongoing, even virtual instruction becomes sporadic.
What happens to these students if the semester is truly lost?
They either repeat it—losing a year—or they graduate late, which cascades into job searches, visa sponsorships, life plans. For some, it might mean reconsidering whether to stay in the program at all.
Is there any sign the conflict might resolve soon?
The source doesn't suggest it. The underlying issues—university funding, faculty salaries—are systemic. This isn't a dispute that resolves in a week or two. It's structural.