The rector of the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Hernán Porras Díaz, was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN) for the 2026–2028 term, during the 161st National Council of Rectors, held on October 22 and 23 at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá.
The new board brings together rectors from public and private higher education institutions across different regions of the country, with the aim of strengthening collaboration within the sector and guiding key priorities for higher education in Colombia.
The Board of Directors will be chaired by Father Harold de Jesús Castilla Devoz, rector general of Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO), with Luis Fernando Polanía Obando, rector of Universidad del Quindío, serving as vice president. Hernán Porras Díaz is among the board members and will represent UIS in this leadership and collaborative space for the university sector.
Representing Universidad Industrial de Santander, Olga Mercedes Álvarez, vice president for Academic Affairs, also attended the national meeting, which brought together representatives from institutions affiliated with ASCUN.
A strategic agenda for higher education
The new Board of Directors will face key challenges, including ensuring the sustainability of higher education institutions, strengthening dialogue with the incoming national government and Congress, and contributing to the development of the 2026–2030 National Development Plan and legislative initiatives affecting the sector.
It will also address challenges such as demographic changes and their impact on student access and retention, digital transformation, the integration of artificial intelligence into academic and administrative processes, and strengthening public trust in universities.
These priorities will be essential to promoting joint initiatives that contribute to the development of Colombia’s higher education system and strengthen both public and private institutions across the country.
Working together to strengthen higher education
The appointment of the new Board of Directors marks the beginning of a new chapter for ASCUN, an association that brings together 100 higher education institutions in Colombia and will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2027.
With its rector serving on this governing body and its vice president for Academic Affairs participating in the national meeting, UIS continues to engage in dialogue and collaboration across the university sector, supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening higher education in Colombia.
