INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DE SANTO DOMINGO (INTEC)

GRADUATE AWARD
November 27th 2013

Rector's words
Rolando M. Guzmán 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Two thousand years ago, a thinker summed up in an unforgettable phrase the inescapable relationship that exists between the effects and causes of things. "By their fruits - he told us - by their fruits, you will know them." And he concluded by saying, in deep yet deceptively simple words: "Every good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit." It is my appreciation that this teaching has equal value when it comes to the product of a human heart, the future of a family or the result of an institution.

That is why, with great enthusiasm, tonight, we recognize a group of graduates whose life trajectory constitutes a sample of the fruits that this university wants to bring to Dominican society. In them we identify the ability to work, the vocation for leadership, the ethical sense and social responsibility. And through them, we recognize the contribution of 25,000 male and female graduates, who in more than thirty countries, and for more than forty years, have raised the spirit of the Internet.

The seven awardees were chosen through a rigorous weighing process. Therefore, let me congratulate both them and their families, thank them for making us feel the pride that we feel thanks to them, and wish them with all my heart that they continue to be the example they have been until now. But in the same way, I want to extend my congratulations to the other nominees and nominees, who were not selected on this occasion, but have more than enough merit to deserve our admiration and respect.

The time is also ripe to celebrate the unique nature of our institution. It should be remembered that INTEC is an institution without an owner, which is to say that it belongs to Dominican society, and that its purpose, established in its own Statutes, is to contribute to the social transformation of the country and the continuous promotion of the quality of life of its inhabitants. INTEC is also a plural university community, committed to the formation of upright, capable and internationally competitive citizens, and its goal is to be recognized, locally and internationally, as a model of university.  

We are aware of the effort we must make to fully fulfill this aspiration. However, tonight's winners are a clear example of how far we can go. They represent, in short, not only what we are, but also what I am sure we will become.

Thank you very much.