Academy strengthens ties in the Upper Magdalena

By: Juan Carlos Monzón - Communications Advisory Office

The University of Cundinamarca defines itself as a translocal institution, striving to defend its identity as a public university understood within its departmental context and its reality in the face of globalization. Hence the importance of this event, the Network of Universities of the Upper Magdalena (RUAM). At this forum, the director of the regional branch, Dr. Miguel Ángel Ávila, shared his experience and listened to the presentations of his colleagues.

The event was divided into several parts, which were: the management report for the year 2022, where progress made in the areas of quality, internationalization, teacher training, and the challenges for 2023 were discussed.

The event featured engineer Daniel Fernando Aguiar, the director of the Center for Regional and Urban Studies for Sustainability (CERUS), Dr. Patricia Villareal, and Dr. Juan Carlos Cuadros, who coordinate the RUAM. Participating institutions included the following universities: Piloto de Colombia, Minuto de Dios, UNAD, and Riges Colombia, among others.

For the branch director, this event was of utmost importance. “I had the opportunity to speak about the quality hub and the progress we have made in the last year regarding certifications such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and the non-discrimination seal. All of this falls within the framework of the rector's strategic plan entitled, Dreaming of the University We Want 2016-2026. This plan states that for UCundinamarca, from program accreditations to institutional accreditation, these certifications are key.”.

Similarly, he emphasized the importance of working in partnership with other educational institutions to coordinate processes. “If each of the universities present here acts separately, achieving their goals becomes much more difficult; therefore, with this network, we aim to achieve objectives focused on quality, teacher training, and support for internationalization processes that allow us to understand our culture and knowledge. It is from this perspective that we can engage in cross-border or international dialogue.”.

In closing, the senior executive concluded that strengthening each of these nodes is crucial. “It is essential that we achieve this. There are already examples of the work being done with a Mexican university where we have forged closer ties that have yielded results in research and mobility.”.

For his part, engineer Daniel Fernando Aguiar gave a detailed account of the research that has been carried out since 2021. “These initiatives are framed from the perspective of city, business and social responsibility with communities and in that sense, there are already projects like the one being done on the banks of the Bogotá and Magdalena rivers from an environmental perspective with the people who live in that environment.

Regarding his five-year vision for this network, this expert is optimistic. “I believe we can become a bastion of research, academia, and community outreach, which will help the region achieve positive development and transform our communities.”.

Given the momentum this initiative has gained, she didn't hesitate to invite other stakeholders to participate. "We started with five institutions and now there are fifteen, so I'm taking this opportunity to encourage others to contact us and join.".

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