With pride, emotion, and the certainty of having reached a major milestone, 833 students from the Industrial University of Santander celebrate their graduation today, marking the completion of a transformative stage in their lives and the beginning of their contribution to society.
Throughout the day, the University is holding five graduation ceremonies, organized into three sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon, at the Luis A. Calvo Auditorium on the main campus and at the Scientific Complex for Research in Health and Life Sciences. In each ceremony, graduates take center stage in a moment that reflects years of effort, discipline, and commitment.
Stories that reflect a commitment to the country
Among the graduates, their voices highlight the deeper meaning behind this achievement. Hernando Botía Ramírez, PhD in Chemical Engineering, emphasizes the social responsibility that comes with his academic journey:
“For me, this is a responsibility—a responsibility we have toward our country. I was a student in public school, public high school, and at UIS from undergraduate through master’s and now my doctorate. I also had the opportunity to work in the Colombian national oil company. This means giving back to society by putting my skills to work to help solve its challenges.”
He also highlights the role of the University in his life:
“UIS has been the ladder that allowed me to achieve success in my life. For me, research, technological development, and innovation are my passion, and they allow me to contribute my abilities so that we can continue growing together as a society.”
Meanwhile, Nicolás Mantilla Molina, a Physics graduate with Cum Laude distinction, shares the meaning of this achievement from a scientific perspective:
“I came to this university with a dream of contributing to science in Colombia and in my region. What better place than the Industrial University of Santander? This diploma represents the effort that the university recognizes in me as a student.”
A day that highlights the impact of education
The figures reflect the scale of this collective achievement: 457 women and 376 men make up this new generation of professionals .
Across the ceremonies, the academic diversity of the institution is evident, with graduates from basic sciences, engineering, health sciences, human sciences, and programs from the Institute for Regional Projection and Distance Education (IPRED).
Programs such as Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Nursing stand out for their number of graduates, who now take on the challenge of contributing to the development of their communities .
Excellence that inspires
The ceremonies also recognize academic excellence, as several graduates receive Cum Laude distinctions, reflecting their discipline, consistency, and outstanding performance .
Today, the Industrial University of Santander is not only awarding degrees. It is projecting 833 life stories into the future—individuals who now have the knowledge, tools, and conviction to transform their reality.
Because graduation is not the end of the journey—it is the moment when each graduate decides how to turn their education into opportunity, solutions, and progress.
