When someone hears “La Guajira,” they might imagine the desert, Wayuu culture, and strong winds. In this case, a research team from Universidad de La Guajira adds another image, their study designs a future‑oriented model to boost science, technology, and innovation at the university and across the department.
Instead of waiting for “good luck,” this team built a prospective model for Universidad de La Guajira. Think of it as a future map that says, if the university wants to help the region grow, here are the steps it should follow.
Universidad de La Guajira, more than classrooms and grades
In a place like La Guajira, a university is not just a campus full of exams. It can also act like an engine that pushes new ideas, useful technology, and better jobs for local people.
Life in the department is changing fast, with pressure from the economy, the climate, and social issues. Because of that, Universidad de La Guajira cannot stay on autopilot; it needs a clear plan to grow science, technology, and innovation in ways that fit the region’s reality.
That plan is built with a prospective approach, which means looking at possible futures, choosing the one that fits La Guajira’s dreams, and then working backwards to today, asking what should start now to reach that point.
Step one, understand what pushes and what holds back
Before drawing any fancy diagram, the research team listed the forces that affect the university’s work in science and innovation. Some are outside, like national research policies, funding programs, companies in the region, or social needs.
Others are inside, like how many active research groups there are, how projects are managed, whether there are incentives for publishing or patenting, and how much time professors have for research.
This double view avoids the classic blame game. It is not only “Bogotá’s fault,” and it is not only “internal bureaucracy.” The model recognizes that both external and internal pieces must move together.
MIC‑MAC explained
At this point the team used a tool with a very long name, MIC‑MAC. No worries, it is not a new superhero. It is more like a very organized to‑do list that shows which factors are most powerful.
Imagine writing all important factors on sticky notes and then checking how each one affects the others. MIC‑MAC does that in a structured way. In the end, you learn which variables are “big bosses” that push many others.
For Universidad de La Guajira, the analysis showed around seven very influential variables. Things like research policy, links with companies, availability of resources, and training of human talent had a strong effect on the whole system.
Those key elements became the spine of the prospective model. If the university pays attention to them, many good changes can follow, just as moving one main gear in a machine sets others in motion.
From model to daily life, connecting university and territory
With the “big bosses” identified, the research team shaped the model for promoting science, technology, and innovation. One of its central ideas is to boost the connection between Universidad de La Guajira and local companies and organizations.
That means research should not end only as articles in a journal. It should also become prototypes, consultancies, social projects, or new processes that answer real questions in La Guajira, for example, clean mining, renewable energy, or education in rural areas.
Inside the university, the model points to actions such as clearer rules to select and support projects, stronger offices to handle research management, and training for staff in project design and technology transfer.
These changes are not magic tricks, they are small but steady steps that can make it easier for a good idea in a classroom or lab to reach the outside world.
A 2030 vision so the future does not stay vague
The study does not stop at today. It looks toward 2030 and asks how Universidad de La Guajira should look if everything goes well. The desired picture includes a more active research culture, strong ties with government and companies, and results that improve daily life.
Using prospective methods (tools to think about the future in a structured way), the research team builds scenarios and then chooses one that fits the region’s identity and resources. From there, they list concrete actions that the university can start so that vision does not fade into a forgotten document.
In other words, the model turns “we want to be better in science and innovation” into “these are the levers to move, and this is when to move them.” By mixing a simple explanation of influences, an easy‑to‑picture use of MIC‑MAC, and a clear 2030 vision, the model gives the university a friendly but serious roadmap. If it is followed, La Guajira might be known not only for its landscape, but also for its science, technology, and innovation stories.