In a notable effort to promote the internationalization of the Alma Mater in Cauca, the Rector of the University of Cauca, Dr. Deibar René Hurtado Herrera, accompanied by the Academic Vice-Rector, Dr. Aída Patricia González Nieva, and the Vice-Rector of Research, Dr. Francisco Pino, undertook a significant academic mission in Brazil at the end of last year.

During this journey, our representatives from Unicauca visited two important educational institutions: the Federal University of Santa Catarina, headquartered in Florianópolis, and the Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul, in Porto Alegre. The primary purpose of this tour was to strengthen and create more opportunities for academic mobility, promote joint research initiatives, and enhance the presence of our university community internationally."It was very important for the University that the Rector, the Vice-Rector of Research, and us from the Academic Vice-Rectorate were present in Brazil through this academic mission because we already had previous collaborations with both institutions and were also going to sign a couple of agreements, including an extension, as we already had the agreement and what we did was an additional agreement. So, the fact that the Rector personally met with his counterparts at such prestigious universities brings many institutional benefits because these ties remain when an agreement is signed, but when there are faces, names, and clear contacts, there are more opportunities to concretize actions," stated Dr. Aída Patricia, Academic Vice-Rector.

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On his part, Rector Deibar René Hurtado, a graduate of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul where he completed his graduate studies, shared profound reflections about his experience during the recent trip. "It was a very revealing journey for me, firstly because it allowed me to embrace my own history. Remembering the efforts and sacrifices my family made to give me the opportunity to study in Brazil allowed me to reconcile with my own story, and that was one of the most important moments of the trip for me. Additionally, visiting the institutions where I studied reinforced my commitment to taking significant actions in my current role. That's my challenge because I left in 1995, and making the decision to leave behind what I already had to pursue my postgraduate education required conviction, courage, and valor. Being there again made me realize that."

As such, the trip, in addition to being a highly enriching and significant experience for the daily exercise of university leadership, fulfilled its purpose of creating more opportunities for academic mobility for Unicauca students who dream of expanding their horizons globally. "One of the immediate outcomes resulting from this experience is the possibility for teachers, in the early months of 2024, to participate in a cultural, research, and educational exchange through a scholarship to spend 15 days at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre. Secondly, it is also about strengthening mobility within the Medicine Program. The idea is to explore how the Faculty of Health Sciences can collaborate with the Office of International and Institutional Relations (ORII) to ensure that our students can effectively continue their studies at universities in Brazil after they graduate," expressed the Vice Academic Rector.

Without a doubt, this trip not only underscores the commitment of the University of Cauca to generating opportunities to transform lives through academic excellence, but also reflects our constant interest in establishing strong ties with prestigious institutions globally. The openness to new collaborations and knowledge exchange consolidates as a central element in the vision of this nearly Bicentennial University of Excellence and Solidarity, thus driving our positioning at regional, national, and international levels.

For more information:

Academic Vice-Rectorate

 Email: viceacad@unicauca.edu.co