The Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Begins Dialogue Between the University and the City with Bogotá Council Members

The rector of the UPN, Helberth Choachí, met with Bogotá council members from different political parties to build an agenda that promotes ongoing dialogue among public and private universities, the community, the District, and the council members. This initiative aims to analyze the barriers to accessing education in the city and collectively identify solutions and strategies to address them. 

The council members acknowledged the University’s care and well-being strategy aimed at enabling the most vulnerable populations to access higher education through initiatives such as: food subsidies to guarantee breakfast and lunch for students, technological tools to facilitate access to education for people with disabilities, free enrollment in academic programs, new educational spaces, and the expansion of coverage to other regions of the country.  

Within the framework of this conversation, Rector Choachí highlighted three key points to begin the dialogue: “First, issues of coexistence in the relationship between education and the city. Second, the issue of differential tuition rates for students from public and private higher education institutions in Bogotá. And, turning the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, through the Bogotá City Council and beyond political differences, into a territory for memory and peacebuilding.”  

Likewise, the council members agreed on the need to create different mechanisms to foster connections between the university and the city, such as: technical working groups to address issues related to drug trafficking, mobility, and security; a special commission to make differential fares for students feasible; open council meetings to listen to citizens; effective spaces for dialogue with District secretariats, especially the Department of Security; among others.

The University’s commitment to the city is to build a roadmap that integrates issues of coexistence, mobility, and student retention, under its commitment to care, well-being, and the future of the city.