The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) participated in the 113th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Corporation Network of Education, Research, and Development Institutions of Eastern Colombia (UNIRED), a meeting that addressed key issues such as the financial and management report for 2025, as well as proposals for the action plan and budget for 2026, among other matters of interest to universities in the region.
During the meeting, which took place at the University of Santander (UDES), Juan Camilo Montoya, rector of the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga (UNAB) and president of the UNIRED Board of Directors, highlighted the positive outcome of the meeting and the coordination between higher education institutions.
“We had a very interesting conversation about the 2025 results at UNIRED and the outlook for 2026, along with the meeting of the Higher Education Cluster, which is a central focus of the network. It was a positive meeting that reaffirms the universities’ commitment to regional development,” he said.
For his part, Gerardo Latorre Bayona, administrative vice-rector of the UIS and representative of the Industrial University of Santander on this council, highlighted that the management balance was favorable and expressed his satisfaction with the objectives set for the current year.
“Within the budgetary constraints that the network has had, the balance can be considered positive. Progress has been made in the lines of action defined to strengthen the participation of higher education institutions in the region in addressing the problems of Santander society,” he said.
Subsequently, the seventh strategic committee of the Santander Higher Education Cluster was held, during which the action plan for 2026, the proposal for an annual education and human capital event, and the progress of the Education Observatory project were analyzed.
At this meeting, in addition to the participation of the academic vice-chancellor, the UIS was represented by the director of the School of Industrial and Business Studies, Luis Eduardo Becerra Ardila, who explained that the meeting allowed for the definition of a clear roadmap for the cluster’s work during the year. “After structuring the framework, the governance model, and some of the cluster’s initiatives, the purpose was to define a concrete path that includes holding an event, consolidating the cluster with its participants, managing resources, and coordinating new actors in the system,” he said.
Becerra Ardila also highlighted the progress of the Education Observatory project, an initiative that seeks to strengthen the academic offerings of higher education institutions in coordination with the region’s productive sector.
“The observatory will allow us to collect data that will be transformed into key information for designing strategies not only for training but also for regional competitiveness. It will be a fundamental instance for converting data into knowledge and knowledge into productivity, taking into account Santander’s leading role in the country’s development,” he concluded.
