The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) continues to consolidate its position as an academic benchmark in Latin America by welcoming Cuban nuclear engineer Pablo Enrique Díaz in the second semester of 2025, who is beginning his master’s degree in Materials Engineering thanks to the Colombia Scholarship for Foreigners.
Pablo, a graduate of the University of Havana, was selected from among applicants of various nationalities for his academic excellence and his motivation to strengthen his skills in research and development of advanced materials. For him, coming to Colombia represents much more than an academic opportunity: “When I discovered the scholarship on social media, I remember that it was Colombia, a country I didn’t know. I began to learn about its culture, which is really beautiful, and among the universities that applied, the UIS stood out for its academic and industrial support. It seemed like a wonderful adventure to me.”
The new international student hopes to leave UIS with a high-level technical education, with knowledge applicable in both laboratory and industrial settings, which he can then replicate in other contexts: “One of the great virtues of this scholarship, and of UIS in particular, is that it allows people from different backgrounds to benefit from the country’s academic and industrial experience. It is a very enriching cultural, economic, and educational exchange.”
Pablo’s arrival is part of the UIS’s institutional efforts to strengthen its internationalization process, one of its strategic commitments in recent years. In this regard, Professor Liliana del Pilar Castro, Director of External Relations, highlighted: “In line with the UIS’s mission, we have worked to position ourselves as a pillar of internationalization and inter-institutional alliances. Cases such as Pablo’s are testimony to that commitment.”
For his part, Professor Ángel Manuel Meléndez, from the School of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, emphasized the importance of having international students: “It is an honor for the university. The presence of foreign students is key to the transfer of knowledge and to enriching our academic processes.”
With his arrival, Pablo will not only contribute his previous experience as a nuclear engineer, but will also become an ambassador for academic and cultural exchange that continues to strengthen ties between Colombia and other countries in the region. “From the very first minute, it feels spectacular to be here,” he added, “because of the infrastructure, the professors, and the prestige of the institution both inside and outside Colombia. I think it’s an adventure worth living.”
The UIS thus reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence, internationalization, and the training of professionals capable of leading transformations in different sectors of knowledge and industry at a global level.
