The Role of Research University in the Third World

Abstract

The image of Colombia that is portrayed by the daily news is dire violence, kidnappings, and of course, drugs, are words that are conjured up at the mere mention of the country’s name. Some of it is indeed true. For the last sixty years Colombia has been immersed in a civil war between rebels, drug traffickers and the government that has shed much blood and created great misery. What is less known is that Colombia is a nation of a great intellectual and scientific heritage. From the country’s first days as a Spanish colony, when some of the earliest universities in the continent were established, to our present time as an independent republic, for centuries Colombia has had an extremely rich academic tradition. What are the perspectives for continuing that tradition into the 21st century? This essay presents a case study of the National University of Colombia, an institution that to maintain its leading role in the domestic arena, must become relevant in the international context. Even though the task of building of a world–class research university in Colombia offers unique –even daunting – challenges, the experience from the National University shows that, with long-term vision and support from the government, a way can be made.