Act of Hoisting of Flags

47 Anniversary of INTEC, 9 of October 2019

Rector's words
Dr. Rolando M. Guzmán

Friends and friends,

I want my first words to be an expression of sincere thanks for the presence of each one of you in this act of celebration. My thanks have a special touch for those who, after several years without physically returning to the Hive, have separated a time to meet again in fraternal embrace with friends of always. That means that at this moment several generations of intecians are being seen in the eyes, whose combined memories could reproduce day by day (or at least, year by year) the whole trajectory of INTEC.

It is exciting to think, for example, that at least a few of you were present in the first classes taught at La Salle School, that others witnessed the transfer to this campus and the construction of the first buildings, that others saw emblematic initiatives emerge as the PIES scholarship program, and that several witnessed the first adventures of Otto Coro or Anamé Henríquez.

This act is a way of paying tribute to all that history, all those people and all those dreams that are miraculously summarized in the word INTEC. However, it is necessary to admit that my evocation of the past does not simply respond to a nostalgic or sentimental outburst, as it also constitutes a deliberate act of existential reaffirmation.

Each rector has the obligation to remind the new generations of intecians that we are heirs of an institutional heritage that began to form for half a century, and that we have the mission to deliver it (not equal, but improved), to the generations that will succeed us .

The importance of this obligation increases every day, because with the inexorable passage of time there will come a time, which we hope is still distant, when we can no longer count on the guardianship of those visionaries who gave our institution its original form.

When that time comes, the risk that the feat that has brought us here will be increased by the dust of oblivion will increase, and in the absence of a permanent effort of memory, we will run the risk that the word Guayacanes ceases to be a source of inspiration to simply become a Taíno word.

This act is therefore an ideal means to remind ourselves of where we come from and where we want to go, and to appropriate ourselves with that germinal writing that described INTEC as follows: “INTEC is a hope of creative work, a product of the government (sometimes imprudent) of the imagination, where new ideas cannot always be realized, but they are discussed with an open mind, and where innovation is a rule of the game and the possibilities of improvement are not closed by small interests ”.

That has been, that is, that must remain INTEC.

In that same spirit, having paid tribute to our past, allow me to inform you very briefly of recent accomplishments, to visualize with you the near future. A first notable fact is the implementation of a new Strategic Plan, which is guiding our actions to the 2022. I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that the construction of this plan was the most participatory institutional process that I remember, and that its systematic execution will eventually lead INTEC to a new stage of development.

An essential aspect of the plan is the curricular reform, in which the first two doctoral programs of our country have emerged in the fields of science - specifically, environmental sciences and energy management - a cohort of the first Dominican program in Biotechnology and In a next graduation we will deliver to the country the first group of graduates in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Social Sciences oriented to education.

This serves as a sign of the institutional commitment to provide answers to the country's needs. Also as a reflection of that commitment, the year 2019 was declared by the Rectory as the Year of the Linkage for Development and Competitiveness, which has been accompanied by a renewed effort in the establishment of strategic alliances with key sectors. It is not by chance that, according to recent measurements, INTEC appears among the best-known Dominican institutions.

An essential aspect has been the strengthening of research, which has been enhanced with the emergence of 5 new academic journals. Consequently, the publication levels of our scientific community have multiplied, while the activities of patent-generating innovations are increasing. If a few years ago the generation of a patent was a reason for the news, we are approaching the moment when such a thing has a routine nature.

Finally, in the administrative order, I highlight the implementation of a model of services to its students, thus combining academic excellence with excellence in care. This emphasis is paying off. Satisfaction results have reached levels higher than 80% for the first time since it has memory.

All these facts are the result of the work of many bees to which I want to give a public recognition, because I must admit that I find it difficult to imagine an institution in which one works with as much enthusiasm as is done in INTEC. As we approach the half century, our university looks more vigorous than ever, its social impact is increasing and its capacity for innovation is a mandatory reference in the higher education system.

However, far from puffing up, this forces us to continue threshing the path we have set. That is why, in recognition of that fact, and this last year in which I enjoy the honor of addressing you in this activity, let me conclude with a public expression of my aspiration for INTEC to come.

It is my fervent desire that this institution remains forever an idea in development, an unfinished work, an unfinished project. That INTEC always remains a source of inspiration, a space of inclusion and an environment of realization. Anyway, that INTEC is always a dream - that dream of our Founders, whose birth, through the magic of art, I invite you now to imagine.

Thank you very much.