Mr. Vice President of the Board of Regents, Mr. Jordi Portet

Ladies and gentlemen belonging to the Board of Regents and the Academic Council Executives, teachers and collaborators of the university.

Mr. Carlos García, Director of Executive Education of the Institute of Superior Studies of Administration (IESA), and guest of honor of the Rectory
Mrs. Guest Speaker, Wendy de la Rosa
Graduates and graduates
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is rigorous that my first words are to express INTEC's congratulations to the protagonists of this act, who are, obviously, the male and female graduates. All managers, teachers and employees share with our future graduates the feelings of pride for the effort made, of happiness for the goal achieved and of excitement for the possibilities that open up from this point on the path. We are pleased to know that, after successfully passing many ninth weeks, each graduate has earned the right to wear academic clothing and say quite properly: "INTEC, give me a band!"

Of course, I take the opportunity to extend our congratulations to all the people who have provided support for the success of our students in the life cycle that closes today. I mean mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, wives and husbands, daughters and sons, uncles and aunts, among many others. What do you think, male and female graduates, if you stand up for a moment and offer an applause of recognition to those great heroes and heroines who accompany you today?

After that noble gesture of thanks, let me briefly share some eye-opening facts about the profile of our graduates and some guesses about their future trajectories. First, 51% are women; 72% graduate from undergraduate level and 28% graduate; and 2 out of 10 graduate with honors. 

On the other hand, the Exit Survey reveals that our graduates and graduates value in a special way the learning experience in their final works, simulations, laboratories and field work. In labor terms, 2 of each 3 already has some work, either full-time or part-time, and 5% is developing a personal project. Of those who are already employed, about half have been working for a year in any activity related to their profession.  

1 in 10 graduates hope to start their own company, 1 in 3 have plans to pursue postgraduate studies, and 3 in 100 would like to dedicate themselves entirely to research. Finally, almost all male and female graduates consider that the structure of the curriculum allowed an adequate progression of learning, which for us is obviously a reason for satisfaction. It is evident that our graduates have with them all the conditions for a successful insertion in the job market.

But if we look to the future, what does the data tell us about the likely trajectory of our graduates? Institutional studies allow estimating that, in the next three years, around 96% of you will be working, the majority in the private sector. Of these, 80% will be working in fields related to the career studied and 20% will have ventured into other fields. Most will be in companies with more than 200 employees, but a good part will be developing their own initiative. One in four will be pursuing a master's or doctoral degree.  

This data shows the variety of paths that are opened for our graduates and graduates, each of whom today enters a world where everything is yet to be written and the options for professional growth are limitless. But if the workplace is important, no less important is the scope of their development as human beings. In this new stage in which he will be a graduate of INTEC, each graduate has the moral obligation to give the best of himself in his professional and social field.

INTEC hopes, for example, that Karina Maria Rodriguez, who today graduates Summa Cum Laude in Medicine, will be an important actor in the search for solutions to our health problems; We trust that Anthony Nunez Lopez, SCL of Civil Engineering will be part of the solution to the problems of overcrowding in our cities, and we anticipate that Nicole de la Cruz Gutierrez, upon graduating Magna Cum Laude in International Business, will contribute fully to the development of our export capabilities and attraction of foreign investment.    

This corresponds to the institutional agenda, which is committed to serving the solution of national issues. That is why our institution is an important voice in processes such as social security reform (where the OSES is located), the dissemination of technology (where the ONTIC operates), the improvement of education (where we contribute with the Center for Studies Educational) and on issues related to equality with women (where we have an active arm in the Center for Gender Studies).   

In summary, we can say that no aspect of society is alien to us. A particularly relevant area is the dialogue for the reform of the labor code, which is currently carried out in our institution. It is a difficult and difficult issue, but of great relevance, since the productivity of our companies and the living conditions of our employees depend on their results. In this regard, we maintain the hope that a result will be reached that allows greater efficiency while preserving the workers' prerogatives.   

In closing, I now present our guest speaker. Wendy de la Rosa was born in the Dominican Republic, where she lived much of her childhood until she emigrated to New York City, along with her family. He earned his bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors. She is a co-founder of Common Cents Lab, a Duke University financial research laboratory, which creates and tests ways to help low-income households achieve financial well-being.

Prior to starting Common Cents Lab, De La Rosa helped build Google's first Behavioral Economics unit, optimizing product design and strategy, retention, and customer engagement. His work has been published in Scientific American, PBS Newshour, and Ted. In addition, it was recently included in the selection "30 under 30 years" in the Finance line of Forbes magazine. Let's greet it with loud applause.