Described by the Director of the Escuela de Artes UIS, Professor Jhon Eduard Ciro Gómez, as the most successful defense of a Bachelor’s Degree project, the task undertaken by undergraduate student Fabián Orlando Londoño Villamizar.
Family members, classmates, professors, academic authorities, as well as officials from the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC), accompanied by the Office of the Ombudsman, gathered at the Salón Santanderl of the Sede UIS Bucarica to delve into the details of the thesis: ‘Resocialization through pedagogical-musical strategies contributing to the social reintegration of inmates from the medium-security prison in Bucaramanga.’
In detail, the UIS student explained how the project was conceived and developed, resulting in the creation of ‘Orquesta 36’, a musical ensemble composed of inmates from the correctional facility. He remarked, ‘It’s a painstaking process, not easy at all, but fortunately, I’ve encountered wonderful people along the way who have contributed to the development of this pedagogical proposal.’
Highlighting its impact, he emphasized, ‘The best thing about this project is that they [the inmates] can undergo a transformation, thinking about change, reintegration, and having life possibilities anchored in music once they regain their freedom.’
The director of the Escuela de Artes UIS expressed, ‘It’s incredible to see the final result of our future graduates and see them considering these types of projects. This is where the university should stand, in line with our mission and vision, because we’re constantly professing it, but also executing it. It’s our social responsibility.’
Professor Jhon Eduard Ciro added, ‘It’s impactful to know that we’re doing it right and heading in the right direction, seeing how we merge knowledge, experience, and everything learned in a classroom with real-life and social transformation. Seeing today that student I met in the first semester, now in his final defense, and the inmates, individuals whose only hope is that instrument and who, thanks to dedicating their time to performance, were able to reconnect with their families for a moment, it’s something that touches the heart, knowing that we’re doing it from our School, from the Universidad Industrial de Santander. That’s why we hope to continue carrying out projects like these and many more.’
Finally, student Londoño Villamizar stated, ‘This is a step forward in my educational journey because my goal isn’t just to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree in Music, but to pursue a pedagogical master’s degree to be able to implement all these types of schemes, pedagogical proposals, in the country’s correctional facilities.'”
