UNESCO IESALC and the Higher Institute for Teacher Education Salomé Ureña Strengthen Capacities in the Dominican Republic

On July 22 and 23, 2026, the Higher Institute for Teacher Education Salomé Ureña (ISFODOSU) and the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO IESALC) celebrated the completion of the Teacher Competency Development Program (PDCD) and the Culture of Peace Program, implemented between the second semester of 2025 and the first semester of 2026. The event consolidated a partnership aimed at strengthening education and human development in the region.

The ceremony was opened by ISFODOSU Rector Nurys del Carmen González; Academic Vice Rector Carmen Gálvez; Franklin Tejeda, UNESCO Focal Point for the Dominican Republic; and Blanca Bernabé García, UNESCO IESALC Academic Coordinator and program lead. Also participating were Milta Lora, Vice Rector for Innovation and Development; academic directors and program and campus coordinators; representatives of the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT) and Ministry of Education (MINERD); as well as teachers, counselors, and participants from both programs, alongside representatives of UNESCO IESALC.

The Teacher Competency Development Program (PDCD) supported 71 faculty members through a 100-hour training process, resulting in the redesign of 56 syllabi incorporating active learning methodologies, digital technologies, and a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Culture of Peace Program trained 13 counselors in 25 hours, who collaboratively developed four Institutional Culture of Peace Pathways aimed at conflict prevention and fostering coexistence through a human rights-based approach.

In her welcoming remarks, Academic Vice Rector Carmen Gálvez emphasized the importance of sustainability for ISFODOSU, an institution that has already advanced strategies to become a Green Campus. She expressed the institution's intention to continue implementing the integration of the SDGs into course syllabi in partnership with UNESCO IESALC.

Blanca Bernabé García, UNESCO IESALC Academic Coordinator, highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen the capacities of higher education institutions across the region.