Despite the blockade and threats of war, Venezuela continues to demonstrate its resilience, determination, and joy. We always find reasons for hope, and this week we have immense cause for celebration. The Humberto Fernández-Morán National University of Sciences began its academic activities for the 2025-2026 academic year, and more than 600 students entered its modern classrooms with enthusiasm and excitement, where they will be trained in various branches of science.
According to its rector, Gabriela Jiménez Ramírez, the remaining students will enroll on November 17, bringing the total number of graduates to over 1.800. The Minister of Science and Technology also indicated that the students will study Philosophy, Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Cybersecurity, Oceanography, and other disciplines in classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
However, these are university training programs geared towards the scientific and technological development of the country, in line with the 13 engines of the Bolivarian Economic Agenda and the Organic Law of the Plan of the Seven Transformations.
In other words, it is a science institution of a different nature, with a different profile. Specifically, as has already been mentioned, its academic programs are geared toward contributing directly to national development, not merely to the personal fulfillment of the individual. This does not disregard each student's legitimate aspiration for professional and intellectual achievement, but rather fosters a strong critical awareness of the historical moment Venezuela is experiencing. That is to say, these are young men and women preparing themselves in an environment and framework of comprehensive education, encompassing both the sciences and the humanities.
We celebrate that, in addition to philosophy as a specific degree, the students of the National University of Sciences, without exception, will take transversal subjects with contemporary humanistic themes, such as the new trends of Latin American critical thought and the emerging epistemologies of the Global South, aspects that will undoubtedly strengthen the formation of a body of future science professionals from a perspective conducive to successfully facing the complex times that are coming for Our America and the entire planet.