Commitment to sustainable development in the province of Veraguas

In its firm commitment to contribute to sustainable development and meet regional needs, UMECIT, through the Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Directorate, led by Dr. Magdy de las Salas, in collaboration with the Research, Postgraduate and Outreach Coordination of the Santiago Campus, under the management of Eng. Ashley Acosta, made key visits to various institutions in the province of Veraguas.

The objective of these visits was to gain a first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by communities and to explore how institutional research can generate concrete solutions to mitigate these problems.

Among the institutions visited are:

• The Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Environment, represented by Lic. Alejandra Blasser and Professor Ezequiel Abrego, who shared important perspectives on the environmental challenges of the region.
• The Mayor's Office of Santiago, where the vice mayor, Lic. Bernardina Pardo, highlighted the priority needs of the district.
• The environmental organization Ambissa, headed by Lic. Cynthya González, who provided valuable proposals to address specific environmental problems.

During the meetings, critical issues such as waste management, water pollution, the implementation of environmental education programs and the execution of social interventions in vulnerable communities were discussed.

The initiative also had the active participation of professors and researchers from the Santiago campus, as well as Professor Roberto Moreno, coordinator of the research groups. This effort strengthens the ties between UMECIT and public and private institutions, reaffirming its role as a university committed to social transformation and environmental preservation.