A good part of the academic and scientific development of a nation is postgraduate education. This is a fact that is clearly evident in Colombia, where the expansion of postgraduate studies, and in particular doctorates, presents a series of difficulties.
Specializations, master's degrees and doctorates have the potential to significantly influence the quality of research carried out in the country and the training of professionals with high levels of specialization who contribute to the socioeconomic development of the nation.
Despite this growth, The number of doctorates in Colombia is low compared to other countries. For example, Chile graduates 600 doctors per year, Mexico 2,700 and Brazil more than 11,0002. This is why there is a need to strengthen the range of postgraduate programs available in a variety of disciplines.
This not only implies guaranteeing the academic excellence of these programs, but also their relevance in relation to the needs and demands of the country. In a world increasingly focused on technology, innovation and competitiveness, The relevance of these programs is crucial for the sustainable development of Colombia.
“Advances in engineering, driven by doctoral research, can lead to the creation of new technologies, offer sustainable solutions to environmental problems, as well as contribute to the improvement and development of more efficient and robust infrastructures. In this way, a positive impact is generated on the economy, promoting job creation, promoting business innovation and strengthening the competitiveness of companies.” says Carolina Sarmiento, leader of the computational modeling and simulation line at the ECCI Faculty of Engineering.
“The idea of the program is to strengthen experience in advanced research and specialized knowledge in materials, computational simulation and sustainable energies; coupled with communication skills, capacity for innovation, networking and adaptability. These qualities make our future doctors able to efficiently confront complex engineering problems, providing real solutions to the industry” assures Luis Carlos Ardila, leader of the materials and processes line at the same institution.
According to a study by Fedesarrollo in 2022, for every million inhabitants in Colombia, there are 16 people with postgraduate studies. This represents an improvement compared to 2016, when the figure was 12.6; and with 2008, when the country had three graduates per million.
The fields of study for doctorates are diverse. According to available data, Social Sciences, Law and Political Sciences are the areas with the highest number of doctoral programs, with a total of 841. This is followed by Engineering with 80 programs, and Mathematics and Natural Sciences with 75 programs.
