In a key meeting for the educational future of the department, national, regional, and academic authorities made progress on the possibility of creating a higher education center in Guainía—a project aimed at opening new opportunities for young people in the region and reducing migration to other cities in the country.
The meeting included the participation of Dr. Luis Álvaro Gallardo, Director of Promotion at the Ministry of National Education; the governor of the department, Arnulfo Rivera Naranjo; Professor Jorge Villamizar, coordinator of the UIS in Territories strategy at the Industrial University of Santander (UIS); and Iván Rojas, Director of Physical Infrastructure at UIS. Together, they analyzed the first steps toward making the construction of a university campus in Inírida a reality.
The initiative is part of the Ministry of Education’s commitment to bringing higher education to historically remote territories of the country. In this context, the goal is to replicate similar experiences developed in regions such as Vaupés, as well as strengthen the educational offer in departments like Vichada and Arauca.
A project to encourage young people to stay in their territory
The main objective of the project is to ensure that young people in Guainía can access professional education without having to leave their region. Each year, between 500 and 600 students graduate from high school in the department, but many must migrate to other cities to continue their higher education.
“The goal is for young people to be trained in their own territory and remain there, contributing to the development and social transformation of their region,” participants stated during the meeting.
Land and technical studies: first steps
One of the most important outcomes of the meeting was the proposal by Governor Arnulfo Rivera Naranjo to allocate land for the future university campus. The proposed site is the Cubanare Farm, a property of approximately 22 hectares, which will undergo technical studies to determine the specific area for development.
As part of the initial commitments, the Governor’s Office will carry out the topographic survey of the land, while the Industrial University of Santander will conduct soil studies—essential inputs for the design and future construction of the educational infrastructure.
The design of the academic offering will be built based on the needs of the territory. According to the technical team, surveys and consultation processes with the community will be conducted, as was done in previous experiences such as in Saravena, in order to identify the most relevant academic programs for regional development.
In addition, the project includes the initial construction of modular learning environments, a strategy that would allow academic activities to begin while planning the campus’s growth with new buildings that could be financed by the Governor’s Office in the future.
Planning based on educational demand
Another key aspect will be analyzing how many young people from the territory are currently accessing higher education. This assessment will make it possible to realistically project the academic offerings and the number of available spots.
According to similar experiences, such as the one developed in Saravena—where the student population reached nearly 1,900—the growth potential in Guainía is significant if local access to university programs is guaranteed.
The project also contemplates coordination with secondary education, especially with grades 10 and 11, to facilitate students’ transition into technical and professional training.
