On July 17, the Metropolitan University of Education, Science and Technology —UMECIT— held a significant academic event at the facilities of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament in Panama City, where 37 professionals from Panama, Colombia and Ecuador received their Doctor of Education degrees in person.

This ceremony was joined by another important group of doctoral graduates who participated virtually, demonstrating the international reach of the doctoral program and UMECIT's institutional commitment to accessible, rigorous training linked to the educational needs of different Latin American contexts.

The culmination of this process represents much more than obtaining the highest academic degree. The new doctoral graduates have developed a foundation based on the critical analysis of educational realities, scientific research, innovation, and the generation of proposals aimed at strengthening educational institutions and systems in their respective countries.

During their doctoral studies, the graduates advanced in developing original research based on relevant problems in their communities. This work constitutes scientific contributions that can inform decision-making, improve pedagogical practices, enhance educational management, assess quality, and design alternatives to address current educational challenges.

The Doctoral Program in Educational Sciences at UMECIT is distinguished by its promotion of high-level academic training, which combines epistemological reflection, methodological rigor, scientific production, and social commitment. The program encourages its participants to move beyond simply understanding educational problems and advance toward generating knowledge, guidelines, models, strategies, and proposals with real potential for application and territorial impact.

The presence of graduates from Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador further confirms the international nature of the program and its ability to bring together diverse academic communities around a common purpose: to contribute to the development of a more relevant, innovative, inclusive, and transformative education.

For UMECIT, each new PhD represents an agent of change capable of leading research, training, management and educational transformation processes in universities,

schools, public institutions, social organizations and other spaces linked to human development.

With this new graduating class, the University reaffirms its commitment to educational quality, doctoral training, and the production of scientific knowledge in service to society. The graduates now begin a new chapter in which they will have the opportunity to apply their learning, research, and professional skills to the transformation of their communities and the strengthening of education in Latin America.

UMECIT congratulates the new Doctors of Education and recognizes the effort, discipline and academic responsibility demonstrated throughout their doctoral training.