INTEC recognizes journalist Miguel Franjul as Honorary Professor
SANTO DOMINGO. - The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) granted the recognition Honorary Professor to the prominent Dominican journalist Miguel Antonio Franjul Bucarelly, director of the Listín Diario newspaper, for his exemplary career, his contribution to national journalism and his ethical commitment to society.
The decision was made by the university's Academic Council through Resolution No. 20250311-06/19, approved on March 11, 2025, in response to a proposal submitted by the late rector, Julio Sánchez Maríñez. The Honorary Professor award is granted to professionals whose intellectual output and contributions to society make them role models for the university community.
The Academic Council highlighted, among other merits, that the journalist has been Awarded the 2020 National Journalism Award, awarded by the President of the Republic, and has received Honoris Causa Doctorates He has been a member of national and international universities. He has also represented the country in organizations such as the Commission on Press Freedom and the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), of which he is vice president for the Dominican Republic.
In her welcoming address at the inauguration ceremony, Alliet Ortega, acting rector of INTEC, stated that the university is proud to pay tribute to a distinguished figure in Dominican and Latin American journalism: Miguel Franjul, "whose voice, pen, and judgment have contributed, for more than five decades, to forging a freer, more ethical, and more committed press."
Ortega emphasized that Franjul's name is inextricably linked to the evolution of contemporary Dominican journalism. "As editor of the newspaper Listín Diario, he has witnessed and participated in the most momentous moments in our recent history. But beyond the headlines, his greatest contribution has been elevating the journalistic profession to an exercise in public awareness, always maintaining a balance between freedom of expression and social responsibility."
He asserted that Franjul has demonstrated, over several decades, an unwavering defense of democratic values, respect for the truth, and an admirable ability to adapt to technological and cultural changes without losing the ethical compass that guides his writing.
The figure of the teacher
At the award ceremony, Dr. José Joaquín Puello Herrera, a founding member of INTEC, gave a biographical account of Miguel Franjul, with whom he has shared a friendship of more than 40 years. Puello Herrera stated that, for his personal and professional achievements, the honoree deserves the title of maestro. "Miguel has left his mark on everyone he has met throughout his life, and that goes beyond his entire professional resume," he stated.
The Academic Vice-Rector of INTEC, Arturo del Villar, read the Resolution of the Academic Council in which Franjul is granted recognition as Honorary Professor of the University.
The red academic sash that distinguishes the Intecians was placed on Franjul's shoulders by Deans Dalul Ordehi and Luisa Taveras, of the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, and of the Division of Academic Development, respectively.
Words from the Honorary Professor
In his inaugural address as Honorary Professor, the director of Listín Diario proposed that INTEC lead the creation of a National Ethics Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure the oversight of technology with a human face in the country.
"As an honorary professor, I enthusiastically and fervently propose and support the idea that INTEC lead the creation of a National Ethics Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to guarantee the oversight of technology with a human face in the country. Through this Council, we can lay the groundwork for regulations and standards, a process in which we are lagging behind in the country," he said.
He also transported the audience back to 1972 by recounting an October night when, as a reporter for Listín Diario, he attended the founding of INTEC in the classrooms of Colegio Dominicano La Salle. "In that small space, a silent revolution took shape," he recounted, referring to the emergence of the university that today recognizes his career.
He also said that "INTEC has a historic mission to bridge two worlds: helping to convert data into wisdom for development, and algorithms into tools for equity."
About Miguel Franjul
Miguel Franjul has worked as a journalist, writer, director, and producer with a career marked by the defense of press freedom, social justice, and ethical values in the media. He was founder of the newspaper Hoy in 1981, where he served in various roles including deputy editor-in-chief, managing editor, deputy editor, and senior columnist.
In 1986, he became editor of the newspaper La Información in Santiago de los Caballeros, and in 1999, he edited La Nación. In 2000, he took over as editor of Listín Diario, a position he still holds.
In addition, he has produced and hosted television programs, and is the author of works such as Somoza and Duvalier, the fall of two dynasties, Bosch, ninety days of clandestinity, The imprisoned society y On the edge of the news.
Miguel Franjul was born in Baní, Peravia province, and has five children. As director of Listín Diario, he developed the program Journalist for a Year (PPA), through which dozens of young journalists do their internship in that medium.
He stands out as an inspirational figure whose legacy in the fields of communication and critical thinking continues to impact generations of professionals and citizens committed to truth and the common good.
Present at the ceremony were journalist Wendy Santana de Franjul, wife of the honoree, his children, grandchildren, and several of his friends, including Ruddy González; Persio Maldonado, director of the newspaper El Nuevo Diario; the rectors of the Universidad Católica Nordestana (Northeast Catholic University), Isaac García; and the rector of the Pontifical Catholic Mother and Teacher University (Mother and Teacher University), Secilio Espinal.
In attendance at the event on behalf of INTEC were Rosario Aróstegui, Vice-Rector for Research and Outreach; René Grullón, member of the Board of Regents; as well as deans, coordinators, professors, students, and members of the academic community.