The event brought together representatives of higher education institutions in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area to present the first report on the sector’s capacities, contribution to employment, and institutional sustainability in Santander.
During the UNIRED session, the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) participated in the official launch of the Santander Education Observatory and the presentation of its first report, “Key Figures on Higher Education in Santander: Capacities, Contribution to Employment, and Institutional Sustainability.”
Representatives from higher education institutions across the Bucaramanga metropolitan area learned about the findings of an analysis aimed at understanding the dynamics of Santander’s education system and its contribution to the region’s competitive and sustainable development.
An Observatory to Understand the Education Ecosystem
The report addressed three fundamental dimensions of higher education in Santander: capacity, access, and quality; contribution to employment; and institutional sustainability.
The analysis included aspects such as the evolution of first-time admissions, student enrollment, territorial distribution, academic offerings, and progress in accreditation. It also examined teaching and administrative employment, as well as the financial performance of the five higher education institutions that generated the most employment in the department.
Through this information, the Observatory sought to provide evidence to identify the strengths of the education ecosystem and contribute to the definition of initiatives to strengthen Santander’s Higher Education Cluster.
UIS Highlighted Santander’s Educational Potential
Representing the Universidad Industrial de Santander, Administrative Vice-Rector Gerardo Latorre Bayona emphasized the importance of positioning the department as a region with strengths across all levels of education.
“The message is that Santander must present itself to the country as a region of education, not only higher education, but also secondary education, based on the opportunities and strengths of the region’s higher education institutions.”
UIS’s participation in this space underscored the importance of coordination among educational institutions to strengthen the department’s capabilities and showcase its educational opportunities to the country.
Institutions United by a Shared Vision
During the launch, Margarita María Contreras Díaz, Rector of the Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Santander campus, highlighted the value of joint efforts among institutions and the need to move toward a shared vision for regional development.
“First of all, this is proof that together we can move forward in Santander, advancing together toward the future, precisely within the framework of the 2050 vision and the shared vision of the education cluster, which is cross-cutting across the other clusters and the region’s economic and competitiveness initiatives.”
The Rector also emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination with secondary education and generating greater capacities to attract students from other regions of the country and from around the world.
“There is a great deal of potential in Santander. Universities must commit more to creating this shared vision, which must also focus on coordination with secondary education and, of course, on generating greater capacities so that people from the rest of the country and other parts of the world want to come to Bucaramanga and Santander.”
Education as a Driver of Regional Development
The launch of the Santander Education Observatory provided a meeting space for higher education institutions in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, with the purpose of strengthening knowledge about the sector and contributing elements for decision-making.
Through initiatives such as this, UIS participated in building a shared vision that recognizes education as a strategic component of competitiveness, employment generation, and sustainable development in Santander.
