The University of Tolima has received transcendental news, not only for the Institution, but also for the development of the Department. The Territorial Development Bank, Findeter, through the National Government program that seeks to strengthen the expansion of higher education in various regions of the country, has approved an investment close to 811 million pesos.
According to Marcela Barragán Urrea, director of the Office of Planning and Institutional Development of the alma mater, “these funds are intended for the preparation of studies and designs for the construction of the north and south headquarters of the University of Tolima in the municipalities of Chaparral and Ladybird.” And she added that the initiative materializes “as a result of institutional planning framed in the Development Plan of our University and through the rector’s plan led by Dr. Omar Mejía.”
The call, led by Findeter, specifically aims to contract the “Preparation of studies and designs for the construction of the south and north headquarters of the University of Tolima in the municipalities of Chaparral and Mariquita, department of Tolima”, for a value of 811 million 640 thousand 720 pesos.
This important advance is part of the national strategy of the government of President Gustavo Petro, who has focused his efforts on generating substantial changes in the educational sector, with a particular emphasis on access to higher education as a fundamental right. In this context, the Ministry of National Education, MEN, implemented the “University in your territory” strategy, whose objective is to increase educational coverage in the country and facilitate the incorporation of 500 thousand new students in undergraduate programs in public education institutions. superior.
Precisely within the framework of the educational infrastructure initiatives, the MEN identified and considered them “viable and priorities for the region”, in line with the territorial commitments of the Government strategy and part of the National Development Plan 2022-2026 “Colombia Potencia World of Life”, the projects “ID_003: Studies and designs for the construction of the southern headquarters of the University of Tolima in Chaparral” and “ID_004: Studies and designs for the construction of the northern headquarters of the University of Tolima in Mariquita ”.
“We had very important support from the departmental government and the municipal governments of Chaparral and Mariquita. It is thanks to the effective coordination between all these actors that the National Government has given us a yes to allocate important resources that will then allow us to build the south headquarters and the north headquarters of our University,” highlighted the board of directors of the Institution.
In turn, the rector Omar Mejía Patiño reported on the start of this new phase of the projects within the framework of the accountability hearing held by the alma mater last Tuesday, June 25 on its campus.
“Our special thanks to President Gustavo Petro for his commitment to higher education for peace in southern Tolima. During his visit to campus he made the commitment to support this project and we are getting closer to achieving it,” highlighted the rector of the alma mater.
