The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) is hosting the In-Person Co-creation Meeting of the Santanderes–Antioquia –Chocó Node of the Colombian Graduate Studies Network (RCP). This two-day event brings together directors and coordinators of graduate programs from various higher education institutions across the country to strengthen collaborative efforts and define the roadmap that will guide the regional node’s actions.
“The idea is to foster cooperation among all the higher education institutions that are part of both the node and the Colombian Postgraduate Network. We have three major projects: mentoring, student mobility, and awards for academic excellence in graduate theses,” says Olga Patricia Ortegón Cancino, director of graduate studies at UIS.
UIS is part of the Colombian Postgraduate Network and a member of the Santander–Antioquia–Chocó Node, thereby reaffirming its commitment to coordination among higher education institutions to jointly address the challenges of postgraduate education in the country.
The meeting brings together approximately 13 administrators and academics, who participate in sessions of dialogue, collaborative planning, and the exchange of experiences. The agenda focuses on developing the node’s work plan, promoting joint initiatives that advance the strengthening of graduate education, inter-institutional cooperation, and the consolidation of academic networks.
“The goal of our meeting is to work on the objectives of the Colombian Postgraduate Network. An action plan for the Network and its nodes is developed annually. This agenda aims to identify actions and activities for the second half of 2026. We have been working since the first semester of 2026 on the plans and objectives; we want to make them a reality. As part of the meeting, we will carry out these activities focused on these three major themes,” explains Claudia Patricia Giraldo, director of graduate studies at the Pascual Bravo University Institution and coordinator of the Antioquia-Santander-Chocó Node of the Colombian Graduate Studies Network.
She also reiterates that “at this Co-creation Meeting, we will identify the strengths of the 13 institutions that make up the node, learn from each other’s best practices, and work as a team to strengthen graduate programs in Colombia.”
Committee Meeting
As part of the program, and taking advantage of the fact that the meeting is being held in Bucaramanga, the UIS is also hosting a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Colombian Postgraduate Network, the body responsible for guiding the strategies and actions promoted by this organization at the national level.
Currently, the Network is chaired by Simón Bolívar University, represented by Professor Yarelis Lara Rodríguez, who leads the Executive Committee, which also includes María Consuelo Nieto of the Juan N. Corpas University Foundation; Anabela Villa Saavedra of the Cooperative University of Colombia; Óscar Julián Sánchez, from the University of Caldas; José Elías Delgado, from the Andean Area University Foundation; and Mónica Andrea Farfán, an administrative staff member of the Network.
“This morning we held the regular in-person meeting of the Executive Committee of the Colombian Graduate Studies Network, during which we are addressing a very important issue for the Network’s future: a point-by-point review of the organization’s bylaws. This morning we began reviewing the first articles, particularly those related to institutional membership, the requirements for joining the Network, as well as the Network’s procedures, responsibilities, values, and purposes. “We are very grateful to the Industrial University of Santander, which has welcomed us with great hospitality to hold this Executive Committee meeting and also to participate in the co-creation meeting organized by the Antioquia and Santander node of the Colombian Postgraduate Network,” states Héctor Julián Sánchez Toro, member of the Executive Committee of the Colombian Postgraduate Network and head of the Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Caldas.
The co-creation meetings and conferences promoted by the Colombian Postgraduate Network have established themselves as strategic forums for analyzing priority issues in higher education.
Attendees took a tour of the university’s facilities, where they gained firsthand insight into its operations and the spaces available to students and administrative staff.
