The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) convened the members of its Governing Council at the UIS Málaga campus, with the participation of the Minister of National Education, Ilva Myriam Hoyos Castañeda, and the governor of Santander, Juvenal Díaz Mateus, who serves as president of this governing body. The event included a tour of the facilities, a discussion on the challenges facing higher education, and an educational fair featuring 10th- and 11th-grade students from Málaga and other municipalities in the province of García Rovira.
The session held special significance for the institution: after 11 years under the leadership of Rector Hernán Porras Díaz, a sitting Minister of National Education attended and participated in the deliberations of the UIS Higher Council. During the meeting, the minister expressed her satisfaction with the university’s achievements and affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the strengthening of the institution and education in Santander.
The Ministry of Education visited the UIS Higher Council
The minister’s presence was in response to one of the priorities that, as she explained, had been assigned to her by the President of the Republic, Abelardo de La Espriella: to strengthen the Ministry of National Education’s participation in the governing boards of public universities.
“This university is a source of pride for the country,” said Hoyos Castañeda, highlighting the UIS’s educational achievements and noting that the Ministry had provided the necessary support to strengthen the university community.
During the session, issues related to higher education and the funding of tuition-free education were addressed. Referring to the latter topic, the minister explained that the national government had taken stock of its financial commitments through 2026 and had also held discussions with the Ministry of the Treasury regarding the resources allocated to the program in the following year’s budget.
The official acknowledged the financial difficulties involved in funding these commitments and noted that the issue was among those discussed during the meeting. She also indicated that the conversation extended to requirements related to preschool, elementary, and middle school education in the department.
As part of her commitment to institutional engagement, Hoyos Castañeda announced that, given the difficulty of personally attending all sessions of the governing boards, she would seek to appoint an academic delegate to represent the Ministry of National Education in these forums.
“We will continue to maintain a presence at the various public universities,” stated the minister, who also highlighted her background as a university professor and her satisfaction at touring the facilities at the UIS Málaga campus.
Edga Mireya Uribe Salamanca took over as faculty representative
During the session, Professor Edga Mireya Uribe Salamanca was sworn in and officially assumed the role of faculty representative to the Higher Council of the Industrial University of Santander. She holds a Ph.D. in Language and Culture Education from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris and has an academic background that includes undergraduate and graduate studies at the UIS and other institutions of higher education.
With her inauguration, Uribe Salamanca assumed the responsibility of representing the faculty before the university’s highest governing body.
A campus that meets García Rovira’s needs
At the end of the session, the Minister of National Education, the governor of Santander, and the Departmental Secretary of Education, Karina Araujo Maestre, toured the facilities at the new UIS Málaga campus, where they were shown the academic spaces and infrastructure designed to strengthen higher education in this province.
The visit highlighted the scope of the UIS’s institutional presence in the region and provided an opportunity for dialogue on the potential for expanding academic offerings in line with the population’s needs and the region’s economic characteristics.
Governor Juvenal Díaz Mateus emphasized the importance of assessing student demand and the relevance of the programs that could be developed at regional campuses. As an example, he mentioned plans for a UIS campus in San Gil, with a focus aligned with that municipality’s tourism sector.
Regarding Málaga and the province of García Rovira, he raised the possibility of integrating academic offerings with agricultural and tourism activities. He explained that the development of new programs must proceed in accordance with student enrollment and the identification of the region’s needs.
This perspective highlights the importance of linking higher education to the social and economic dynamics of each province, so that university education contributes to regional development.
The UIS Reached Out to the Future High School Graduates of García Rovira
The event concluded with an educational fair at the UIS Málaga campus, presided over by the participating officials and the rector of the Industrial University of Santander, Hernán Porras Díaz. The event brought together 10th- and 11th-grade students from schools in Málaga and other municipalities in the province of García Rovira.
The event introduced the young people to the educational opportunities at UIS and allowed them to experience the university environment firsthand at a key moment for making decisions about their academic and professional futures.
The students’ presence also gave the event a regional focus: in addition to matters specific to university governance, the gathering brought to the forefront those who will be able to benefit from the opportunities for access to higher education offered by the University.
Through this session of the Governing Council, the UIS strengthened its dialogue with the national government and departmental authorities, while also opening its facilities to the educational communities of García Rovira to bring the University closer to young people and discuss the educational opportunities the region needs.
