INTEC will chair the Central American and Caribbean Network on Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management
The university was represented at the Forum by its acting rector, Professor Alliet Ortega.
SANTO DOMINGO.– The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) was chosen unanimously as president of the Network of Higher Education Institutions committed to Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management (RiesGIRD/LAC) for Central America and the Caribbean, during the VIII Latin American and Caribbean Interuniversity Forum on Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation, held in Colombia.
The university, which was represented by its acting rector, Alliet Ortega, participated in the event held in Colombia, which also included the Assembly of Rectors of the Latin American Network of Higher Education Institutions Committed to Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management (RiesGIRD/LAC), of which INTEC has been a member since 2023.
At this meeting, INTEC was unanimously selected as president of the Network for Central America and the Caribbean, under the technical coordination of Milagros Yost, from the University of the Caribbean, a specialist in risk management.
The Forum, held at the UPB Forum Events Center in Medellín, Colombia, brought together representatives of higher education institutions from across the region to reflect on current actions that promote a resilient future.
In her speech, Acting Rector Ortega was part of the panel “Successful experiences in disaster risk management, climate change, and sustainability”, where he shared the institutional progress of INTEC under the approach “Governance: From theory to practice, let's be sustainable and sustainable”During his presentation, he highlighted how the university has integrated sustainability as a cross-cutting theme in its planning, infrastructure, organizational culture, and risk management processes.
Ortega explained that the institution has structured its strategic plan around four fundamental guidelines: global citizenship with a STEAM focus, research for sustainable development, effective engagement with productive sectors, and consolidation as a green and sustainable campus.
He also stated that the university has demonstrated a comprehensive approach to sustainability through the implementation of institutional structures such as the Safety, Health, Risk, and Environmental Sustainability Committee (CSSRSA), the Joint Subcommittee on Occupational Health and Safety (SMSSIT), and the Subcommittee on Risk Management, Diversity, and Accessibility (SGRDA). In addition, it has updated emergency plans (2013 and 2024), institutional drills, trained brigades, alert systems, signage, and awareness campaigns.
At the academic and research level, INTEC leads key initiatives such as the Climate Change Observatory, the Environmental Management Center, and the UNESCO Chair on Climate Change, Resilience and Complex Systems, a space focused on knowledge generation, capacity building, and international cooperation to address the challenges of climate change. These actions are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.
Likewise, INTEC has translated its research into concrete actions with a territorial impact. Projects such as REDSARGAR, a network of universities to address the sargassum problem in the Caribbean, and the project of Franco-Dominican cooperation on agricultural waste and sargassum, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The latter promotes sustainable waste management and the exchange of best practices between France and the Dominican Republic.
About the VIII Interuniversity Forum
The Pontificia Bolivariana University hosted the VIII Latin American and Caribbean Interuniversity Forum on Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation, a two-day academic event that brought together experts, institutional representatives, university networks, and public entities from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The meeting was held under the motto “Present actions for a resilient future” and aimed to promote the exchange of experiences, reflections, and best practices related to risk management, governance, education, and sustainability from a university context.
The opening day featured the participation of host universities, the RiesGIRD LAC Network presidency, and partner organizations. The event featured keynote addresses, panels, and discussion forums led by guests from institutions such as Florida International University (United States), the National University of Asunción (Paraguay), the University of the Caribbean (Dominican Republic), and the University of Concepción (Chile), among others.