The National Council for Higher Education, Science and Technology (CONESCyT) approved a series of measures aimed at strengthening the quality, autonomy, and international presence of Dominican higher‑education institutions. The council, chaired by Minister Rafael Santos Badía, met for its most recent session in Santo Domingo. During the meeting, Dr. Jorge Asjana David was sworn in as the new rector of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) for the 2026‑2030 term. He became a council member at the same time. “Our commitment is to continue raising the quality of Dominican higher education, recognize institutions that meet established standards, and create conditions for greater international visibility,” said Santos Badía. Autonomy for qualifying institutions CONESCyT granted full autonomy to eight universities that met the legal requirements set out in Article 48 of Law 139‑01: a minimum of 15 years of existence and two consecutive favorable five‑year evaluations. The institutions now may design and offer programs within their scope without prior council approval, as permitted by law. The universities granted autonomy are: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Exactas (INCE) Universidad Adventista Dominicana (UNAD) Universidad Tecnológica del Cibao Oriental (UTECO) Universidad Eugenio María de Hostos (UNIREMHOS) Universidad Federico Henríquez y Carvajal (UFHEC) Universidad de la Tercera Edad (UTE) Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE) Politécnico Loyola The council will review the autonomy applications of the following institutions at its next session: Universidad Nacional Evangélica (UNEV), Universidad Dominico‑Americana (UNICDA), Universidad Católica Tecnológica de Barahona (UCATEBA), Universidad Psicología Industrial Dominicana (UPID), Universidad Nacional para la Defensa “General Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez” (UNADE), and Universidad Dominicana San Valero. Revised criteria for the pre‑medical cycle The council adjusted the interpretation of the duration of the pre‑medical cycle in the Medicine program. The new guidelines base the cycle length on the minimum academic load required by each institution’s organizational model. The council discussed credit thresholds of 90 for the semestral system, 100 for the cuatrimestral system, and 113 for the trimestral system, to avoid equating the two‑year academic reference with two calendar years. Internationalization policy CONESCyT unanimously approved the Higher Education Internationalization Policy, a strategic framework to coordinate academic mobility, international partnerships, curriculum offerings, and research. The policy supports the “Dominican Republic, Academic Destination” initiative, which seeks to position the country as a competitive destination for international students and to expand the global presence of Dominican institutions. A technical working group was also established to monitor the policy’s implementation. Council dynamics Former Minister Ligia Amada Melo praised the participatory and democratic nature of the session. She highlighted that council members had the opportunity to discuss issues in depth before decisions were adopted, rather than merely approving pre‑draft proposals. Melo urged that this approach be maintained in future meetings. Participants and next steps The session included representatives from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), university associations, rectors, and other council members. Among those present were Rafael Santos Badía, Jorge Asjana David, Ligia Amada Melo, Paula Disla, Juan Francisco Viloria, Israel Contreras, José Alejandro Aybar, Radhamés Mejía, Secilio Espinal, Rafael Teijeiro, Wady Ramírez, José Ramón Holguín Brito, Otto Vargas Lora, Genaro Rodríguez Martínez, Ramón Sánchez, Luis Santos, Osmar Olivo, General Rafael Vásquez Espínola, Regla Brito de Vargas, Ángel Bienvenido Moreta Aguasvivas, Rafael Emilio Yunén Zouain, Yahaira Sosa Machado, Edian Franco, Eladio Arnaud, Alfaniris Vargas, and José César Guzmán. In its next session, CONESCyT will consider additional applications and proposals related to the recognition of foreign degrees, micro‑credentials, and lifelong learning competency certification.
Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto