The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) was the venue for the first meeting of the Community Heritage Seedbed (Comuna 3 – San Francisco), an initiative led by the Bucaramanga Institute of Culture and Tourism, whose purpose is to establish guidelines for conserving, preserving, and safeguarding the cultural wealth of each community.
“This commune has great heritage value, as it includes the UIS Central Campus and traditional neighborhoods such as San Francisco and Modelo. We seek to highlight and protect official heritage sites, as well as identify other elements that deserve recognition among citizens and community groups,” said José Luis Hernández Jaimes, advisor on cultural and material heritage at the Institute of Culture and Tourism of Bucaramanga.
For the Institute’s representatives, it is essential to strengthen alliances with the UIS and to have the support of its experts in order to advance awareness and protection of the city’s diverse heritage elements.
“The idea is to develop a joint project with the School of History, the School of Industrial Design, Civil Engineering, the UIS Communications Department, and the Cultural Department, in order to recognize how the university is linked to other cultural settings and identity references in commune 3, from the point of view of tangible and intangible heritage,” added Hernández Jaimes.
Members of other higher education institutions also participated in the meeting, agreeing on the importance of strengthening this program in Bucaramanga.
“As a citizen and now in my role supporting the university in its cultural processes, I have been very close to what is happening in the community, particularly in San Francisco. I feel that there is great tourism potential and a valuable opportunity to show who we are. That is why I am here supporting this initiative,” said Camila Botero, cultural director of the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga.
The Community Heritage Seedbed (Community 3 – San Francisco) has scheduled new meetings at the UIS Central Campus to continue its work in protecting and promoting local heritage.
