Design schools create national association to strengthen training and innovation in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Association of Design Schools (ADED) brings together 12 higher education institutions and seeks to promote joint projects, raise academic quality and strengthen the recognition of Dominican design.
SANTO DOMINGO. After several years of collaborative work, twelve higher education institutions formalized the creation of the Dominican Association of Design Schools (ADED), an organization that was created with the purpose of strengthening design education, promoting academic cooperation and contributing to the development of this discipline in the Dominican Republic.
The official launch of the partnership took place in the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), during the activities of the Dominican Republic Design Biennial (dRD), following an effort initiated in 2018 when representatives of the country's main design schools began a dialogue to build a common agenda in favor of the training of new professionals.
During the opening ceremony, Margarita Rodríguez, a pioneer in design education in the Dominican Republic, and Angélica Rodríguez Bencosme, both professors at INTEC, highlighted that the legal constitution of ADED represents a historic event for the sector, making a reality of an initiative that required years of consensus among universities and higher institutes, the development of common statutes, and a legal formalization process that allows the organization to manage resources, establish alliances, and develop projects of national scope.
In his welcoming remarks, Deyslen Mariano, Dean of the Engineering Department, recalled that the initiative originated during a meeting at the 2018 Dominican Republic Design Biennial, where the need arose to create a permanent space for collaboration among institutions offering design-related programs. He noted that the establishment of ADED demonstrates that cooperation among academic institutions is the best way to foster innovation and raise the profile of Dominican design.
The association's mission is to strengthen academic relationships among higher education institutions linked to design, foster knowledge exchange, and promote professional development to contribute to the national and international recognition of Dominican design. Its objectives also include the organization of the National Meeting of Design Schools, a space that will allow sharing experiences, exhibiting student projects and generating healthy competition between the different academies.
La ADDED It was formed by twelve founding institutions: the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC); the Higher Technical Community Institute (ITSC); the Mercy Jacquez Higher Technical Institute (ITESUMJ); the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA); The Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD); The APEC University (UNAPEC); The Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM); The Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE); The National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU); The Central University of the East (UCE); The University of the Third Age (UTE) and University of Organization and Methods (O&M).
The association's first board of directors will be headed by INTEC, who will hold the presidency for the next two years. The vice-presidency went to ITESUMJ; UNIBE PUCMM assumes the General and Minutes Secretariat; PUCMM is responsible for the Treasury, while the OUTDOORS and O&M They serve as members. Meanwhile, the UNPHU will be in charge of coordinating the First National Meeting of Design Schools (EDED).
During the event, university representatives agreed that the creation of the association marks the beginning of a new era for design in the Dominican Republic and recognized the leadership of Professor Angélica Rodríguez Bencosme, the project's driving force, for her perseverance in achieving consensus among the various institutions. They also pledged to work together to strengthen the training of future designers and promote Dominican talent both domestically and internationally.
With the formalization of ADED, the institutions seek to consolidate a permanent platform for collaboration that contributes to developing academic initiatives, research, activities linking with the productive sector and projects that strengthen the culture of design as an engine of innovation and development for the country.