More technical careers and repowering, in plans for the UDA

Francisco Salgado was re-elected rector of the University of Azuay (UDA), in the elections held the previous Friday. This is one of the most important higher education centers in Cuenca with 53 years of institutional life.

For the 2022-2027 period, Salgado has clear management lines that are based on shared work with students, teachers and workers. And among his plans, he plans to promote technical careers, enhance service to society and improve the academic and infrastructure part of the higher establishment.

He won the elections with 60,3% of the weighted vote, according to the results issued by the Electoral Tribunal.

From his office, he explains that the achievements made during his first period and the goals to be met are due to the “enthusiastic participation” of the university community.

For the coming years, it aims to strengthen the relationship between the UDA and the community by strengthening development objectives, for example, the implementation of ten two-year technical careers aimed at important sectors of society such as crafts and agriculture.

With them, the objective is academic because they would enhance their knowledge, but there is also a social context, since a better product or production would help curb situations such as migration due to lack of employment.

In addition, it would help to maintain it in the new generations.

The CES has already approved ten new two-year technical careers.

interest in producing and that this generates a good quality of life.

The courses have already been approved by the Higher Education Council (CES) and the offer is about to be launched.

The classes will be blended, which includes practices at the Bicentennial campus, located in the rural parish of Baños. In its planning, it is planned to open them in the first half of 2022.

The work proposed by Salgado is linked to others, such as the strengthening of the Service to Society office, where accounting, legal, and psychological advice, among others, is provided free of charge.

Although this is an open space for any citizen, it raises that the students.

One of the goals is to strengthen the service offered to society, these new technical careers are dedicated to what they know how to do best, produce, and that the procedures have the company of the students and teachers of the institution.

Cuenca has been described as a university city, because four higher education establishments are at its service: the University of Cuenca, Catholic, Salesian Polytechnic and Del Azuay.

In the latter, the re-elected rector points out that the work for the coming years will also focus on maintaining that unity that has allowed them to carry out joint plans with a common benefit.

It refers, for example, to the plans developed for the return to classes in person after the first stage of the pandemic or the execution of the first doctorate in Natural Resources, in conjunction with the University of Cuenca.

Being a co-financed university, it has suffered from a cut in the budget provided by the central government, money that has been allocated exclusively for the 2.650 scholarships per semester, he maintains.

Since 2017, the annual budget of the UDA for scholarships is $11 million, of which $8 million were provided by the national government.

In 2021 they were reduced by $5 million, a considerable figure, but despite this they have maintained the same amount and number of beneficiaries, based on their own resources. And in certain cases there is an accompaniment until the student graduates, he says.

One of the aspects that he executed in his first administration and that will continue is the physical improvement of the central campus, located on Avenida 24 de Mayo. From his perspective, it stopped being a parking lot to become a "good place" where gardens, modern buildings and new structures converge, such as the Tech campus or the Bicentennial campus, located in the Baños parish.

But he also highlights issues related to knowledge, what he calls the dynamics of the UDA. This is a continuous process of participation and organization in conferences, symposiums, national sporting events and, of course, art and culture processes. “In other words, there is a favorable environment for people to develop (…). We are very inserted in the processes of the city with the Municipality and private companies”.

To this, add ongoing processes such as the Service to Society office, where totally free psychological, legal and accounting services are provided as personal management issues. But they have also become involved in larger issues in the city, such as the Yanuncay River Basin Management Board, an aspect linked to climate change.

Due to the trajectory of the UDA of 53 years, Francisco Salgado maintains that his work will not only aim to improve the infrastructure or the chair, but also the human part of the students to train them as caring citizens.

Currently, the UDA offers 30 undergraduate and 9 postgraduate courses, welcoming more than 6.000 students, according to the re-elected rector. (I)