Half a century of history in a single lifetime

By: Alejandro García Suárez – Advisory Office of Communications

In an office filled with books, yellowed notes, and mementos that seem to have found their own place, Luis Álvaro Cárdenas Pachón speaks with the serenity of someone who has walked alongside the University of Cundinamarca for 55 years. His story not only accompanies the institution's founding; it is part of its living memory. "When I arrived in August 1970, I didn't know I was joining a project that would mark my life forever," he recalls with a mixture of nostalgia and gratitude.

That initial version of the institution, the Cundinamarca University Technical Institute (ITUC), emerged under the Latin American philosophy of creating regional universities with a technical and technological focus. “I didn't enroll in a professional degree program, but rather in a technical program. It was a limitation, but also the only opportunity I had. It was already August; there was no time to look for another path,” he recounts. In fact, it was a scholarship offered by the mayor of Paime, Cundinamarca, his hometown, that opened the door to a world that at the time seemed distant for many young people from rural areas.

Luis Álvaro vividly recalls those early years: scarce resources, few students, modest classrooms, and an environment where studying was a privilege that had to be defended with discipline. “Finishing high school was already difficult; getting into university was even harder. That's why being a university student was a source of pride that people recognized. You felt like you couldn't fail,” he says.

Among his most cherished memories are the years 1986 and 1987, when he assumed the position of Academic Vice-Rector. Those were times of arduous institutional work; six programs were renewed, the Bachelor's Degree in Primary Education was approved for distance learning, and graduation ceremonies were held in various regions of the country. “We traveled to municipalities, bringing education to places where it had never reached before. They were intense days, but profoundly rewarding,” he says, his eyes seemingly drifting back in time. He also participated in national events representing the institution, experiences that, as he himself confesses, helped him grow both professionally and personally.

Today, looking back, Luis Álvaro summarizes his journey with the serenity of someone who has fulfilled a profound purpose: “Here I realized my life's project.” He was a student leader, professor, dean, administrator, and above all, a witness to the transformation of a small technical institute into the regional university that now impacts thousands. “UCundinamarca shaped me as a person, and I tried to give back that legacy to every student who passed through my classes,” he says calmly.

And if he had to define the essence of the institution that has been with him for more than half a century, he wouldn't hesitate to answer: "UCundinamarca must be an institution committed to regional development, bringing high-quality education to every corner of the department." A phrase that, for him, sums it all up: "UCundinamarca: High-quality higher education for the people of Cundinamarca."“

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