Yachay Tech, Ecuador’s pioneering research intensive university, celebrated its first anniversary last month and reaffirmed its mission to drive the country’s knowledge economy.
Located two hours north of Quito in the province of Imbabura, the last year has seen Yachay Tech triple the number of students currently studying there, to 648 since its opening.
The university was created as part of an initiative by the Ecuadorian government
Speaking from an event in Quito, the Secretary of Higher Education, Science and Technology, and Innovation of Ecuador, René Ramirez said: “Yachay Tech is becoming a symbol for the country of what we want as a society: that is to build a creative and innovative society of knowledge in which the centre of wealth are the ideas of Ecuadorians.”
The university was created as part of an initiative by the Ecuadorian government in 2009 to change the country’s economy into more of a knowledge-based economy. As a result, four universities of excellence were created, including Yachay Tech.
In its first year, Yachay Tech signed seven international agreements in 2014 related to the exchange of students, the creation of research projects and particularly of graduate programmes: the first of which being a Masters in organic chemistry with the University of Barcelona starting this autumn.
Although international students only account for 1% of the institution’s student population, the university is aiming to become the centre of engineering research activity and interdisciplinary scientific research in Latin America.
“For all of us who are a part of the Yachay Tech family, this is the project of a lifetime. We are here to transform Ecuador into the leader of Latin America and the entire world,” commented Fernando Albericio, President of the Board of Trustees and Rector of Yachay Tech.
The university currently has faculty from 14 different countries and plans to welcome another 220 students this month.
