The event, filled with emotion and milestones achieved, took place at the Mario Laserna Auditorium and featured the participation of Aurora Vergara Figueroa, Minister of National Education; Veneta Andonova, Dean of the School; Juan Camilo Cárdenas, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Latin America and the Caribbean (CODS); Manuel Rodríguez Becerra, Professor Emeritus; and members of the boards of Corporación Manos Visibles and USAID.
This milestone was possible thanks to the leadership of Paula Moreno, President of Corporación Manos Visibles, USAID, and Universidad de los Andes, which provided scholarships to 60 Afro-Colombian and Indigenous leaders from 25 territories. The program aims to generate change in their communities and train high-level leaders capable of incorporating and managing environmental dimensions through innovative strategies that add value to their stakeholders.
One of the most emotional moments came during Minister Aurora Vergara’s speech:
“This ceremony has a very special symbolic value. Many people I have met in different territories, rivers, and communities are here today to demonstrate the power of opportunity. It is moving and inspiring to see the result of so many joint efforts—the alliance between Universidad de los Andes, Corporación Manos Visibles, and USAID to connect beneficiaries from Colombia’s Pacific region to the Master’s in Development Management and Practice under the ‘Fondo Potencia Pacífico’ program. You are the present of change and represent a dignified and prosperous future for new generations.”
De izquierda a derecha: Diana Puerta, Directora de las Maestrías MGA y MDP; Giorgio Triulzi, Director del Doctorado en Administración; Sandra Vilardy, viceministra de Medio Ambiente; Aurora Vergara Figueroa, ministra de Educación Nacional; Manuel Rodríguez Becerra, Profesor Emérito de la Facultad de Administración y Veneta Andonova, Decana de la Facultad de Administración.
Juan Camilo Cárdenas, Director of CODS, also emphasized the significance of this achievement for graduates, their communities, and society:
“It is not possible to have a sustainable planet without social justice, nor social justice without a sustainable planet.”
Diana Puerta, Director of the Master’s program, added:
“This cohort is a milestone for diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, impacting territories through the leaders who graduate today.
The ceremony celebrated the School’s commitment to inclusive education and its role in driving social transformation from the territories.
