Building higher education in Soacha

The construction of the alternative campus in Soacha begins, a project that expands access to public education and will benefit 360 students per shift.

By: Alejandro García Suárez – Advisory Office of Communications

A dream begins to come true. The Ministry of National Education, in coordination with the Virgilio Barco Vargas National Real Estate Agency (ANIM) and the University of Cundinamarca, officially launched the construction of the new university campus in Soacha, a project that seeks to expand access to public higher education and close historical gaps in the municipality.

With an investment of more than $11.6 billion, this first phase will enable the school to serve 360 students per school day in 17 modular classrooms and 9 regular classrooms. The campus will offer programs such as Geomatics and Surveying Engineering, Robotics and Automation Engineering, and Statistics and Data Science Engineering, among others.

During the official ceremony, Dr. Adriano Muñoz Barrera, the university president, highlighted the importance of Soacha as a strategic area for the department’s development and announced the launch of 10 new undergraduate programs, with 80 % applications approved and others pending, including Mathematical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence.

The executive also highlighted the support of the National Government and the progress in managing the municipal stamp tax, which is key to strengthening research, innovation, and consolidating free tuition.

For his part, Education Minister Daniel Rojas Medellín invited young people from Soacha, southern Bogotá, and the surrounding region to embrace this educational project, noting that the campus will open its doors in the coming months, offering free, high-quality education with dignity. He also announced an investment of $69 billion for the second phase of a conventional campus that will have approximately 760 spots per session, to continue strengthening the public university.

For her part, Marcela Peñaloza, delegate of the Presidency of the Republic to the Superior Council, noted that this project represents a real opportunity to transform lives and keep young people away from violence, contributing to closing gaps in higher education.

For his part, student leader Santiago Suárez shared his experience as a high-performance triathlon athlete, highlighting how public education has allowed him to grow and represent the country and his institution, emphasizing values such as discipline, endurance, and self-improvement.

With this project, the University of Cundinamarca not only expands coverage, but also opens real opportunities for hundreds of young people, dignifying lives and strengthening the development of the region through education.

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