Editorial Universidad Del Rosario

ADVANCES IN SCIENCE From the . 1 – YEAR – ISSN 2017 2590 – 924X O Universidad del Rosario BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA N O. 1 – YEAR 2017 – ISSN 2590 – 924X ADVANCES INADVANCES SCIENCE / UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO / BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA - N

Founded in 1653 … WE SHOULD KNOW ALL ABOUT OUR LANDS, CALCULATE THEIR AREA, THEIR ARABLE LAND, THEIR FORESTS, THEIR PASTURES AND THEIR ROCKY HEIGHTS. LET US DESCRIBE THEIR PLANTS AND MINERALS; DISTINGUISH THEIR USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM THOSE THAT ARE NOT YET USEFUL; COMPARE WHAT WE HAVE WITH WHAT WE LACK; … STUDY THE PHYSICAL CONSTITUTION, CHARACTER, VIRTUES, VICES, AND OCCUPATIONS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SUCH DIFFERENT AND EVEN OPPOSITE CLIMATES; STUDY PHYSICAL AND MORAL EDUCATION AS IT EXISTS TODAY, AND THE MOST BENEFICIAL FORM OF EDUCATION AT EVERY JUNCTURE; EXAMINE THE MOST COMMON ILLNESSES, EPIDEMICS, NECROLOGICAL TABLES, AND ALL THAT MAY IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING AND HAPPINESS OF MAN

Francisco José de Caldas. Prospectus for the year 1809 of the weekly scientific bulletin, the Semanario del Nuevo Reino de Granada

ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Universidad del Rosario EDITORIAL STAFF July 2017 Editorial Director President Juan Felipe Córdoba Restrepo José Manuel Restrepo Abondano Editorial Coordinators Vice President and Provost Mara Brugés Polo Stéphanie Lavaux Carlos Roberto Reyes Romero

Vice President for Financial Reporters and Administration Marlyn Ahumada Yanet Miguel Francisco Diago Arbeláez Mara Brugés Polo Jaime Dueñas General Secretary Alejandro González Catalina Lleras Figueroa Ángela Constanza Jerez Inés Elvira Ospina University Council Carlos Roberto Reyes Romero Andrés Cadena Venegas Ninfa Esperanza Sandoval Alberto Fergusson Bermúdez Víctor Solano Franco Andrés López Valderrama Mauricio Veloza Víctor Hugo Malagón Basto Ann Mason Infographics Jerez & Sandoval Director of Research and Innovation Diana Carolina Velasco Malaver Special Collaboration Amparo Peláez Editorial Committee Ingrith Torres Torres Mara Brugés Polo Juan Felipe Córdoba Restrepo Photography Stéphanie Lavaux Mara Brugés Polo Amparo Peláez Nicolás Jacob Carlos Roberto Reyes Romero Leonardo Parra Juan Carlos Ramírez Carlos Roberto Reyes Romero Gloria Amparo Rodríguez Rafael Serrano Esguerra Alberto Sierra Luis Enrique Sierra Viviana Vargas Cema HarvestPlus LAC Presidencia República de Colombia Reuters 123RF

Design Juan Carlos Ramírez

Translations by Andy Klatt Peter Wix ConEmpathy

Cover Image Adapted from the photography of Emilio Constantino in Un frágil tesoro: las mariposas colombianas (A Fragi- le Treasure: the Butterflies of Colombia), page 120.

Printing Panamericana Formas e Impresos S.A.

Universidad del Rosario Advances in Science from the Universidad del Rosario Calle 12C No. 6-25 ISSN: 2590-924X Telephone (57-1) 2970200 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12804/rd2590924X www.urosario.edu.co

2 Detail from a 1921 oil portrait of Liborio Zerda (1833-1919), fellow and professor at the Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario for 60 years. Painting by Eugenio Zerda from the Collection of the Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial 1 Transforming Research 10 El Rosario Champions the Training of Colombia’s Future Researchers 14 Research at El Rosario is More Active than Ever 18 URosario Research in Figures 20 All Out for Research 24 Transformative Research 30 UR is among the Best Colombian Universities in SCImago

Inclusive Research

34 Women at Risk of Extreme Violence 38 Uncovering the Hidden History of the Arhuacos 2 42 Schizophrenia on the Couch 46 A GPS that Gives Alzheimer’s Patients Autonomy 50 Cigarette Taxes: Good Health! 54 An Inclusive Chair Brings El Rosario its First Shared Patent 58 Colombia Should Rethink its Migration Policies 62 From the Incubator to Kangaroo Mother Care 66 Older Adults: An Asset or a Liability on the Social Balance Sheet? 70 El Rosario in Open Access Journals

Towards an Ecologically Sustainable Environment

74 From the British Moth to the Amazonian Butterfly 3 78 Plants Hold the Secret To Mitigating Climate Change 82 The World Wants Cacao 86 Energy Efficiency for a Better Environment 89 Research Networks Beyond Peace Accords

92 Boys and Girls of Steel 96 The Contribution of Peace to the Economy 4 100 The Tentacles of Evil 104 Youth Inclusion: A Challenge for Colombia in the Post-conflict Period 108 The Human Mind: Crucial in the Post-conflict Period 112 Land in the Hands of a Few 116 Colombia is Living aTurbulent Peace 120 JANUS: Initiative for a New Research Model 123 EL Rosario’s Contributions to Peace in Colombia

Adding Disciplines to Improve Quality of Life

126 Highly Personalized Medicine 5 130 Universidad del Rosario, A Pioneer in Researching Autoimmune Diseases 134 Molecules Give Universidad del Rosario Researchers Clues on Tackling Disease 138 Yes, Physical Activity is Important 142 The Research Ecosystem at UR

Considering issues on the National Agenda

146 How Do We Regulate the Universe? 150 Foreign Influence on the Colombian Police 6 Our To-and-Fro Relationship with Venezuela 154 158 Citizen Participation as a New Lever of Power 162 The Sustainability of an Organization Depends on Development of the Community 166 Agricultural Subsidies are Inefficient 170 Training Researchers

Leadership and Social Innovation

174 Emilio Quevedo, Historian of Colombian Medicine 178 What is the Recipe for Business Success? 7 182 Indigenous Women Leaders Raise their Voices against Violence 186 Workers: Dare to be Innovative 190 Innovation, A Part of Academic Life EDITORIAL

esearch is today part of the natural ways and means of the Universidad del Rosario, but it has been one of our firm assets for a very long time. This institution has participated assiduously in many research projects, among which the Botanical Expe- dition is perhaps the most vivid in the memory of Colombians. Scientific research is manifested by its outcomes, and making sure these are visible is an ongoing challenge in today’s society. The strategies developed to achieve such outreach include, among others, seminars, forums, debates, and symposia, but we also rely on televi- R sion, radio, print media, and social networks, all of which have become great allies. Other channels open to us include getting across information through the publication of books and articles in specialized journals and widely-circulated magazines. Just recently, some colleagues and I were discussing the importance of publicizing, disseminating, and sharing the fruits of research carried out at universities. We led off from Professor Savo Heleta’s challenging proposals, in particular the importance of academics entering into dialogue with the world, thus breaking with the tradition of exchanging ideas exclusively among peers. Universities are far more than spaces cloistered from society; they are a dynamic and active part of it, so dialogue must take place. Our task is to lay down bridges between knowledge and human beings. It is the explicit goal of this publication is to get research carried out by the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia to a large number of readers, showing them, through science journalism, the daily investigative work carried out at this institution. And we want the world to see it in the spirit of the ultimate meaning of the practice of research, just as it was expressed two centuries ago by one of our most illustrious sons, Francisco José de Caldas, who underlined that it is “all for the well-being of humankind.”

Juan Felipe Córdoba Restrepo Editorial Director

6 CLOISTER CAMPUS

QUINTA DE MUTIS CAMPUS

CENTER FOR ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION

MÉDERI HOSPITAL NETWORK

7 1 Transforming research Transforming research Transforming research ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

10 By Carlos Roberto Reyes / Photos by Leonardo Parra

El Rosario CHAMPIONS THE TRAINING OF COLOMBIA’S FUTURE RESEARCHERS

The University set up a research training program that starts at undergraduate level, and offers young people the chance to build and develop careers as scholars.

hroughout its history, the Universi- We have been finding out that a key element is to take on dad del Rosario has unquestionably full-time lecturing staff with exclusive dedication to academia, been a vehicle for scientific progress and that we needed to attract outstanding people from the in Colombia, and the legacy of the greater world of science while simultaneously training up our intellectual, José Celestino Mutis, own talents. This led El Rosario, for the first time in its history, to points to this institution’s commit- establish scholarships at Master’s degree and ment to fomenting knowledge. doctorate levels. T University President, José Manuel This means that as young people make Restrepo, explains that over the years the insti- their life plans they need just one overriding SOME tution focused on becoming a university of ex- priority: research. As a result, we developed a UNIVERSITIES cellence in teaching, yet around twenty years research training program starting at the un- ago it made the decision to return to its origins MAY NOT VALUE dergraduate level, one offering students the by strengthening its research agenda. EFFORTS TO GET chance to work with full-time professors in A specialist in Finance with a master’s de- THEIR RESEARCH conducting research. gree in senior management and a Ph.D. in ACROSS AND Higher Education Administration, Restrepo MAKE IT VISIBLE. What was the role of research incubators in says that El Rosario “is an example of a uni- HERE WE DO, the orientation of this strategy? versity that has managed to rapidly boost its BECAUSE THAT IS (JMR) There were different models of research research capacity, and it has done so through PART OF OUR incubators, since each school or faculty within a distinctive and successful management mod- PHILOSOPHY the University enjoyed autonomy and inde- el.” He fleshes out his point of view in the fol- pendent administration. We generate a cul- lowing interview: ture of research so that young people studying at undergraduate or even postgraduate level How does the University del Rosario inte- José Manuel Restrepo will fall in love with the idea of creating new grate research activities into its academic President knowledge and feel keen to build their own ac- program? ademic projects. José Manuel Restrepo (JMR). The University’s project led off from our acknowledgement that What results have you seen so far from this commitment to we are an institution devoted to excellence in research by the Universidad del Rosario? teaching, and that it was indispensable for us to (JMR) The most significant result is the understanding at the become a university of teaching and research. University that research is not just another focus, but a central

11 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

one. There is a genuine concern that it is not enough to pass on knowledge; we must also have the capacity to produce it. The Universidad del Rosario is focused on matters of interest to universities around the world, such as how intellectual production functions, how it generates impacts within the academic community, and how society is transformed by the knowledge it creates. This strategy has also led to a profound institutional transformation, because you cannot aim to carry out research without a library up to the task and without a dedicated and proper- ly-developed publishing setup.

So, as this pathway to training and the creation of new knowledge advances, what else is needed and in what direction should it be moving? (JMR) I think it is indispensable to become increasingly better-integrated within the scientific community. This necessarily involves our measuring our efforts in the international context and ensuring that our research becomes progressively more relevant to the needs of society. We should continue building the institution and recruiting young talent that will add to the life of the university, while we train up their skills from the very first day of classes. And we must certainly keep raising standards for intellectual output, and continue to feature in the most prestigious academic journals and publications.

What know-how does the University del Rosario have now Colombia and the world have drawn closer that distinguishes it from other universities in terms of re- We generate a through conducting research into both human search and training? culture of and political sciences, and even in economics. (JMR) We have definitely seen life projects dedicated to aca- research so In the latter field, for example, El Rosario in- that young demia, as well as enough intelligence to define scholarly proj- people troduced a new school of research thinking ects as an institution, well linked to teaching, to the curriculum, studying at in microeconomics, and I could name several society, and to educational approaches. undergraduate similar developments in each of our schools or even At El Rosario, we are building a school, and this is valuable postgraduate and faculties. because it entails our own unique vocabulary and a special way level will fall in The university has been smart in recogniz- of carrying out research. We have managed to put together life love with the ing that the scientific outcomes from this com- creation of projects dedicated to academia from undergraduate to Ph.D. new mitment to research must necessarily seek level, bringing in all the experience of research groups, and in knowledge. impacts on society. Jurisprudence is a good ex- interaction with lecturers, thus genuinely creating generations ample of this. The University now features high of people trained at this institution. in the context of environmental rights issues, and not only in research but in teaching too. In addition to health sciences, El Rosario has also been in- In the human sciences, we have been able to volved in social research. set up a relatively new interdisciplinary proj- (JMR) What has been valuable is that the University has done ect for the Colombian university sphere, one research not only in the traditional basic health sciences, but involving philosophy professors working as has also focused other areas that have traditionally tended to part of a network with sociologists, anthropol- foment research, such as jurisprudence and administration. ogists, and other researchers. This is the case

12 That said, there are indicators in any process, including in teaching. In terms of research, those benchmarking systems can indicate whether a University is on the road to excellence, or if its scientific output is increasing and proving relevant. Along these lines, I believe such benchmarking systems must be seen as indicators. In the case of the Universidad del Rosario they indicate that the institution has undertaken a research strategy that combines a small number of research groups with high standards of excellence and growing productivity, teams progressively more oriented to the frontiers of knowledge, with more and more concern about the impact of research on society, and with a desire to display its achievements not only in the academic world but in society as a whole. They show a growing urge to train future generations of researchers and attract and keep the best possible talent in each specific area of- re search. Similarly, research groups at the Univer- sity are increasingly interconnected in order to carry out interdisciplinary projects that will impact the needs of the country and obtain higher levels of productivity and feedback to foment knowledge. in gender studies, ethics, and social responsi- Finally, what challenges still bility, which are relatively new subjects to the face the University? scientific debate, but which have a bearing on THE INSTITUTION (JMR) Getting research groups our national context. to evolve by feeding off oth- In political science and international rela- HAS ADOPTED er groups either inside or out- tions, interdisciplinary areas have been iden- A RESEARCH side the institution, or beyond tified in urban questions, national security, and STRATEGY THAT their own networks, embracing in political participation. Within management COMBINES A new interdisciplinary problems we have made a different commitment to com- where they can contribute new pany strategy and direction. SMALL NUMBER knowledge, and continuing at- OF RESEARCH tempts to bring in both domestic There are currently several ranking systems GROUPS WITH and international funding. used to compare universities. Do you think HIGH STANDARDS There is also the challenge of that they reflect the state of research in the keeping up the drive for a diver- country? OF EXCELLENCE sified university that strives for (JMR) A university cannot worry about fairness and the aforementioned ranking systems, because this should not be variety, as well as strengthening the purpose behind work in teaching, nor in everything that surrounds re- research, nor behind university tasks. If we search in its environment, and making sure that fix them to a ranking we limit ourselves se- spaces for clinical practice are really centers of verely. knowledge.

13 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Research at EL Rosario is More Active than Ever 14 By Mara Brugés / Photo by Luis Sierra

University administrators, professors, students, and staff are engaged in a new cycle of research that promotes a flexible and open management model, one offering greater backing to researchers and improved practices in the way science is carried out. It aims for a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, innovation, formative research, and internationalization, while reworking the traditional paradigms of funding and managing research.

he Universidad del Rosario has re- rethought research in the University, aware that we couldn’t cently undergone a transformation continue to rely on the same concepts and tools then in use, so to put more emphasis on research we had to provide the community with instruments to boost in every aspect of the strategic vi- research. sion that defines its Integrated De- In order to do this, we had to be honest with ourselves, velopment Plan (IDP). This is not in other words recognize our strengths and weaknesses, ob- the first time that the University jectively measure where we stood, and compare our perfor- T has transformed its guiding princi- mance with that of other leading institutions in every disci- ples. On the contrary, it has done so numer- pline where we shared points in common with them. ous times over the course of more than 360 We looked for inspiration in excellent international prac- years since its founding. Never before, how- tices and then built a supportive, accompanying ecosystem ever, have such audacious steps been under- that would provide substantive and practical support to all the taken in implementing new strategies for the different kinds of research carried out here. This process pro- production of science at all levels. duced a strategic plan in which research is found at every level, The goals are now set clear, and university from formative research enabling a more effective educational rankings are afforded the least importance, al- process for our students, to the more formal aspects affecting though the Universidad del Rosario has fared a community of consistently more efficient and competitive well in these too, with Scimago rating it in lecturers. first position in Colombia in 2016 for scientif- We have consciously included scientific production in all ic production. What is truly indispensable is aspects of the IDP, because high-quality research requires in- the consolidation of a robust research culture vestment. through a supportive, transversal ecosystem that works not only in teaching, research, and How did you begin to implement the chan- outreach, but also in administration and orga- ges? nizational areas. WE ARE (SL) With clear strategic objectives, we pro- This is undoubtedly a time of great prog- DEVELOPING AN posed a much more efficient organizational ress for research at the Universidad del Ro- ENVIRONMENT TO model that meant the transformation of a sario, but who has brought about all these HELP Center for the Management of Knowledge changes? Many people, including administra- and Innovation into a true Research and In- tors, advisers, and staff under the leadership RESEARCHERS novation Council. It went from being a service of the Vice President and Provost, Stéphanie FOCUS ON THEIR center to a higher body exercising authority Lavaux, a political scientist and researcher SCIENTIFIC over academic research. who “put everything on the line,” as we say LEADERSHIP, To strengthen this mission, the Universi- in Colombia, to make this new research envi- ty empowered three councils: the Academic ronment a reality. It was not easy, but positive LEAVING Council, the Student Council, and the Out- results can already be seen. She explains the ADMIN TASKS reach and Interinstitutional Relations Coun- changes in the interview below. TO PROJECT cil, as well as the University Press and the Re- MANAGERS source Center for Learning and Research. All How did this process of transforming re- these intersect on key areas, and uphold the search begin? WHEREVER support ecosystem. Stéphanie Lavaux (SL). The first step stra- POSSIBLE The Councils promote research, set guide- tegically was to carry out self-diagnosis. We lines, and advise on the changes academic

15 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

We accept that research and ways of doing science are different across the disciplines. Therefore, they cannot be approached using exactly the same instruments, nor observed and measured in the same way.

units wish to make. At the same time, they are supported This way of accompanying research also by an administrative ecosystem that sees the strategic im- provides new, lively, dynamic, and very flex- portance of research and strong leadership in management ible tools to support researchers. This means capable of backing up the whole organic system through ef- that we are going to be able to adjust and fective policies and tools. modify them based on needs, and by the year Another of the great transformations to boost this move- 2020 we will have diganosed the use of these ment was the University Library, which evolved into the tools in order to tweak the research support Resource Center for Learning and Research (RCLR), which system. provides important suport to the junior or senior researcher, We are developing an environment to including access to bibliographic resources and a portfolio of help researchers focus on their scientific services, both within an institutional policy of open access. leadership, leaving administration tasks to project managers wherever possible. As new- Research is diverse and heterogeneous. How does the new ly-defined members of the R&D team, these model accommodate these concepts? project managers are there to make headway (SL) They are accommodated through the new support eco- with ideas from technical and administrative system. We accept that research and ways of doing science angles. are different across the disciplines. Therefore, they cannot The important thing is to engage in science be approached using exactly the same instruments, nor ob- in keeping with the respective discipline, al- served and measured in the same way. ways alert to current best practices, but also Our new system of incentives for scientific production rec- innovating good practices that can have an ognizes accomplishments in keeping with the discipline, and impact out there. this is achieved through many different instruments. There is no longer a single fund for financing research projects; we now And what about innovation? have several funds that adapt to different scientific cultures. (SL) The other great transformation was the

16 Photos by Leonardo Parra

inclusion of innovation as part of the permanent cycle of the production of knowledge, a policy committed to technology “We made a transfer, to patents, and, in general to the transfer of scien- firm strategic decision to tific knowledge to society. The development of transfer pro- put ourselves cesses, validation, and the social appropriation of knowledge forward and has previously been supported somewhat timidly. But we are participate as an institution now working with researchers to this end, and their results in multilateral are coming through in all sorts of products, not only scientif- consortia ic publications but also industrial design, artistic exhibitions, that plan and develop participation in legislation, and public policy, among other specific things. actions for Although we do have our own policy on intellectual prop- improving the training of new erty, we face the challenge of orienting our community on this generations of subject and creating a culture that embraces innovation as researchers,” part of academic life. Without an overt policy on innovation in affirms Stéphanie the past, the Universidad del Rosario has always got involved Lavaux, Vice in social innovation. Several of our research groups work di- President and rectly with communities, and with the help of the Outreach Provost of the Universidad and Interinstitutional Relations Council, we are officially -be del Rosario. coming a transformative University, and this is underlined by our activities in social innovation. Yet we have never previously had such a relationship with technological innovation, which is why we are now aiming to boost this at the University. We are developing a safeguarded technology portfolio, and arranging possible protection with a view to future negotiations. We are also endowing our management with technological monitoring of research lines, strengthening the applicability and vision of research groups in ways that will better our position as an institution both nationally and internationally. What are the differentiation factors associ- How is the training process advancing in terms of interna- ated with research at the University? tionalizing research? (SL) Our process of constructing a research (SL) This is a very important commitment since it begins at the culture and disseminating undergraduate level with research incubators, and continues related knowledge includes up to Ph.D. level. We place particular emphasis on transform- several things that differing master’s degree courses and postgraduate schools; the idea entiate us. Among them, I is that they can grow together with the research groups and THE IMPORTANT would emphasize the inter- in the near future we will be able to establish more doctorates THING IS TO disciplinarity that is a clear and excellent research projects as part of international coop- ENGAGE IN SCIENCE and real part of our individ- eration schemes. IN KEEPING WITH ualized support ecosystems; We made a firm strategic decision to put ourselves forward our commitment to man- and participate as an institution in multilateral consortia that THE RESPECTIVE agement of innovative re- plan and develop specific actions for improving the training DISCIPLINE, search; an academic-admin- of new generations of researchers. That is why the Universi- ALWAYS ALERT TO istrative alliance that places ty, represented by the Research and Innovation Council, is the CURRENT BEST lecturers, faculty heads, and national contact point for the European Union’s Horizon 2020 administrators on the same Programme on Health, Demographic Change, and Wellbeing. PRACTICES, BUT level of involvement; and, to We are also part of the Agence Universitaire de la Francopho- ALSO sum up, everything brought nie (AUF), a worldwide network made up of some 850 univer- INNOVATING about by the transformation sities in 100 countries that coordinate in the areas of research, GOOD PRACTICES of research at the University, training, and management procedure. This sphere looks for something that will soon see efficient ways to carry out science, with new instruments and THAT CAN HAVE us shifting frontiers and tak- paradigms enabling new global perspectives. AN IMPACT OUT ing a stronger place in global THERE research.

17 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE URosario Research - in figures The Research Council at the Universidad del Rosario implements mechanisms to promote and strengthen research at the institution, which now has 42 research groups, 5 research centers, and a Research Institute at the highest level. This enables the University to contribute to the regional, national, and international progress of science and development.

PUBLICACTONS IN THE SCOPUS DATA BASE (2015) TWO OUT OF EVERY 42 of these documents FIVE documents were RESEARCH have international published in Q1 journals, those GROUPS 36% authors having the greatest impact.

One out of every274 eight documents is among the 10% of documents most cited worldwide. Since 2015, we have been among the top five Colombian institutions in the SCImago Institutions Rankings. This index, developed by the SCImago group, is a resource for evaluating the innovation and scientific contributions of knowledge-producing institutions worldwide.

274 SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION OF UR IN SCOPUS AND NORMALIZED IMPACT (2006-2015) 235 250 0.97 1.0 0.89 0.88 200 0.81 0.77 0.75 0.8 0.68 184 0.71 0.67 0.66 172 150 126 127 0.6 110 139 100 0.4 69

per Paper (SNIP) Paper per 46 0.2 50 Source Normalized impact impact Normalized Source Number of Products in SCOPUS in of Products Number 0.0 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Source: SciVal, 2017 SciVal is a tool published by Elsevier that calculates metrics for measuring the scientific performance of institutions, areas of knowledge, and countries.

2.95 AREAS OF UR 3.0 SCIENTIFIC 2.5 KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION WITH 2.0 MOST IMPACT 1.55 1.48 1.47 ACCORDINGTO 1.5 1.22 1.14 1.06 SCOPUS (2011-2015) 1.0 The SNIP compares the impact AT UR: 0.80 of UR publications to the average (SNIP) Paper per 0.5 impact of all similar publications in the same area of knowledge. 0.0 The standard reference value impact Normalized Source is 1.0. Nursing Years: 2011-2015 Science Agriculture & Environmental Source: SciVal, 2017 Multidisciplinary ImmunologyMicrobiology and & Pharmaceutics Biological Sciences Biochemistry,& Molecular Genetics, Biology Pharmacology, Toxicology, 18 AREAS OF UR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION 12% - Immunology and IN SCOPUS (2011-2015) Microbiology A document may pertain to more than one area of knowledge. 8% - Economics, Econometrics, and Finance 16% Social 7% - Agriculture and Sciences Biological Sciences

17% 5% - Arts and Humanities Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular 5% - Psychology Biology 3% - Mathematics

2% - Business, Management, and Accounting 2% - Nursing

2% - Environmental Science 58% Medicine 2% - Computer Science

2% - Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmaceutics 11% - Other areas

- Neuroscience - Engineering - Decision Sciences - Health Sciences - Multidisciplinary - Energy - Chemistry - Chemical engineering - Veterinary Science Years: 2011-2015 - Earth and Planetary Sciences Source: SciVal 1003 DOCUMENTS - Physics and Astronomy - Materials Science

PERFORMANCE OF UR AND ITS PEER INSTITUTIONS We have six BASED ON THEIR PERCENTAGE OF INTERNATIONAL strategies in the COLLABORATION, NORMALIZED IMPACT, AND VOLUME Integrated OF SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION IN SCOPUS (2006-2015) Development Plan 1.6 (IDP) 2020 CONVENTION University 2006 2011 1- Research -2010 -2015 1.4 promotion Change 2- Promotion of scientific talent 1.2 3- System for scientific integrity Universidad de Los Andes 4- Flexible and 1.0 dynamic incentives for scientific production Universidad 5- Support for del Rosario 0.8 Universidad publication de Antioquia Percentage of documents 6- Support for Universidad with at research management Nacional Universidad least one 0.6 del Valle international author Source Normalized impact per Paper (SNIP) Paper per impact Normalized Source Pontificia Universidad Javeriana 0.0 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% % of production with international collaboration

19 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

All Out for Research

20 By Inés Elvira Ospina / Photos by Leonardo Parra

The Research and Innovation Council was set up in 2016 as a necessary step towards achieving the ambitious goals of a university with great potential, and in keeping with its 2020 Institutional Development Plan.

Financing, support for scientific talent, help with dissemination, a structure to aid research management, and the development and implementation of a system for scientific integrity: the university’s expanded research program depends on these five strategies to ensure the highest standards of quality, relevance, and rigor.

he Universidad del Rosario has in- implementation of a system wth scientific integrity that aims creased its number of published ar- to promote a culture of academic rigor in research, one that ticles over the last ten years by 297%. prioritizes respect for research subjects and objects, as well as It increased the number of articles in transparency in linking research methodologies to achieving Scopus-indexed journals from 69 in results,” she points out. 2007 to 275 in 2016. Diana Carolina The head of the Research and Innovation Council explains Velasco, head of the Research and how research is integrated within the differ- TInnovation Council says that these ent areas of the university. increases stem from the consolidation of a research culture stimulated by implicit and ex- Why is research important for the Universi- plicit policies maintained consistently over the WE ARE A dad del Rosario? course of the last two decades. MEDIUM-SIZED (DV) Through its mission statement and na- Velasco says that promoting the existence tional outlook, the Universidad del Rosario of a research ecosystem not only requires in- UNIVERSITY, BUT has made research a cornerstone. Our stud- creased investment of economic resources, THE VOLUME OF ies have an impact on the life of the country but also means implementing strategies for OUR SCIENTIFIC and on global problems through the im- attracting and retaining talent, positioning PRODUCTION IS provement of quality of life and health, better published work in the best journals in their public policies and, in general, by making the specific topics and areas of research, identi- LARGE FOR OUR work of the State more effective. The produc- fying calls for papers, and opportunities for SIZE. JUST OVER tion of knowledge contributing to the solving financing to develop high quality research 12% OF OUR of theoretical and practical problems at local projects. All this involves academic networks PUBLICATIONS and global levels is at the core of our research. that help maximize the impact of the scientif- One recent example is the study run by the ic knowledge produced. WERE AMONG THE Center for Autoimmune Disease Research “In other words, give all our professors in- 10% MOST CITED (CREA), which discovered the relation be- centives to carry out high-quality research, WORLDWIDE, SO tween the Zika virus and Guillain-Barré Syn- the results of which will nurture courses on WE HAVE A drome. We produce such knowledge for the offer, exposing young students at the Univer- benefit of society, upon which it has an im- sidad del Rosario to state-of-the-art curricula SIGNIFICANT IMPACT mediate impact. that both critiques and reflects the state of the ON THE WORLD’S We carry out studies nationwide through country and the world. This is all down to the SCIENTIFIC AGENDA local entities in society and in cooperation

21 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE with researchers from other universities. Al- though our facilities are concentrated in Bo- Over the last gotá and Cundinamarca, we do research in ten years, the Universidad every region of the country. So the research del results produced at the Universidad del Rosa- Rosario has rio circulate throughout the global scientific increased its number of communities at the head of different knowl- publications edge areas, having a direct impact on the by 297%. problems that trouble the country. Diana Carolina Velasco, head When were the different strategies for of the strengthening research initiated? Directorate of Research and (DV) Research has been at the heart of the Innovation, University since the Center for Research says the and Planning was established in 1975 and reason for this increase strengthened in 2005 with the establishment is the of the Center for the Promotion of Knowledge consolidation and Innovation. It was this capacity-build- of a research culture at the ing framework that made it possible for the University. Research and Innovation Council to be established in 2016 as a necessary step toward reaching the ambitious goals of a university with great potential, and in keeping with its 2020 Institutional Development Plan. A new approach and structure were neces- strengthen research in all the areas of knowledge developed sary for the university to reach its ambitious in our different academic units. goals for scientific production and its intended impact on society through research results. What is the strategy behind this big push? We needed a new vision. The Research (DV) Our obsession is on providing our researchers with all and Innovation Council aims to promote and possible support mechanisms in line with the best research

OUR FIVE STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT RESEARCH

Support for research Support for scientific talent projects (financing) • Various instruments and entities that support the • Various funding sources, development of research. almost all through tenders. • Support for involvement with the university by • Financing from small individuals widely recognized in their fields for 1 initiatives (through seed 2 the purpose of consolidating lines of research. capital funds) to those • Involvement of recent Ph.D. graduates for the requiring large investments in consolidation of their scientific research and high-cost equipment. careers. • Support for research • Involvement of associate professors, lecturers, incubators where and researchers with positions in more than undergraduate students one department, and who help in building participate voluntarily. collaborative networks. • Financing of products and • Instruments for the retention of senior teaching prototypes that result from staff and others with a solid history of research. this research. • Identification of undergraduate students with an • Support for the formation interest, talent, and a personal calling for research, of academic networks by to encourage and support them on this path from financing the organization of their incubation until their integration in research conferences on topics that the groups on master’s degree and Ph.D. programs. University considers relevant. • Different incentives for publishing articles.

22 practices, so that they can develop their skills in just the right and proving useful to others. Quantity is very environment. important to the university but it must be Research products result from a process and from constant high quality. This effort shows up in our first- research cycles, so to make the most impact we must provide place position in the Scimago 2016 ranking, our professors with the mechanisms they need to develop which takes an overall balance of quantity more and better project proposals in their areas of study. Thus, and quality in scientific publications. we define five different strategies to support the research- cy We are a medium-sized university, but we cle through its different stages, and we also guarantee that ac- have a large volume of scientific production ademic units can meet their research agendas. The strategies for our size, and it is generally of high quali- are: internal financing of research projects and ty. A little more than 12% of our publications initiatives; support for scientific talent, thus were among the 10% most cited worldwide, creating better research teams and partners; so the knowledge that is being produced at ongoing support work including the search for THE PRODUCTION the University has a significant impact on the most appropriate journal for publication, the world’s scientific agenda. plus editing assistance; a system of scientific OF KNOWLEDGE integrity that promotes scientific quality and CONTRIBUTING TO Why is the number of publications import- rigor; and support for research proposals and THE SOLVING OF ant to someone who is choosing a univer- management, whereby we help in finding op- THEORETICAL sity? portunities, calls for papers, and external fi- DV) If our professors play important roles nancing, among other things. We are already AND PRACTICAL in the scientific community, the University seeing results: In 2016, 50% of our scientific ar- PROBLEMS AT offers an assurance that it has teaching staff ticles were published in Q1 journals, which are LOCAL AND GLOBAL of the highest quality, acknowledged by the the most highlyranked and widely circulated LEVELS IS AT THE scientific community, and who are producing in the world. new results in their fields. So we can certainly CORE OF OUR be more confident that what they impart in When the quantity of production is in- RESEARCH class will reflect the latest knowledge in their creased, sometimes quality suffers. How do fields, thus guaranteeing that our students you get round this problem? will acquire the best tools for learning how to (DV) It’s not just a question of getting published in indexed do research, and that they have access to the journals, but of knowing whether the the material is being read latest trends in their subject areas.

Supporting publication Supporting Implementation of • Help for professors proposals and a scientific integrity in selecting the best management system journal in which to • A team of project • Two sections of the publish, keeping in managers works Institutional Ethics 3 mind that the rate 4 with professors to 5 Committee (a social of rejection in some keep them abreast sciences section and a journals may reach 80- of opportunities for life sciences section) to 90%. external financing guarantee due respect • Editing help for texts in and calls for for research subjects English to increase the articles. and objects. chances of acceptance • A help portal for •Membership of by journals. researchers with the Committee on • Payment for open- eight services, Publication Ethics access publications. The covering 24 (COPE). university covers the categories, and with • Coordination of costs and the research is answers provided research ethics in available on the Internet to any question in research methodology for all who want to read less than 24 hours classes. or download it. (on work days).

23 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Transformative Research

FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY’S OFFICE, WE SUPPORT RESEARCH WORK BY PROVIDING THE RIGHT INTERNAL PROCESSES FOR OUR PROFESSORS TO ALWAYS RELY ON INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT IN CARRYING OUT THEIR SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS

Catalina Lleras General Secretary

24 Photos by Alberto Sierra / Leonardo Parra

THE UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO INVESTS MORE THAN 11,455,000 U.S. DOLLARS IN RESEARCH ANNUALLY. THIS SUM SHOWS UP IN SUPPORT FOR RESEARCHERS AND THEIR RESEARCH TEAMS, LABORATORIES WITH THE MOST MODERN HIGH-TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT, AND A MOTOR FOR PROGRESS THROUGH ALL THE MECHANISMS NEEDED TO SUPPORT A COMPETITIVE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

Miguel Francisco Diago Vice President for Financial and Administration

WE ARE COMMITTED TO HIGH QUALITY INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ON A COOPERATIVE BASIS, AND WITH THE GOAL OF UNDERSTANDING AND FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST URGENT SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF OUR SOCIETY. WE ALSO BELIEVE IN FORMATIVE RESEARCH SO WE CAN LEAVE A LEGACY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF SOCIAL RESEARCHERS, SETTING THE MOST AMBITIOUS GOALS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH A COMPELLING SOCIAL CONSCIENCE

Carlos Patarroyo Dean of the School of Human Sciences

25 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

THE COLOMBIAN POLITICAL SITUATION IS EXCEPTIONAL IN THE REGION AND REFLECTS MANY OF THE PROBLEMS BEING EXPERIENCED IN THE WORLD TODAY. WE TRY TO STIMULATE OUR PROFESSORS’DESIRE TO SHOW HOW THE COLOMBIAN EXPERIENCE CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND, BOTH THEORETICALLY AND EMPIRICALLY, THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS BEING EXPERIENCED AROUND THE WORLD

Mónica Pachón Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Government, and International Relations

THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS HAS BEEN A CLEAR LEADER IN ECONOMIC RESEARCH IN COLOMBIA OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. WE ARE WORKING TO BECOME A LEADER IN LATIN AMERICA IN QUALITY ACADEMIC RESEARCH IMPACTING THE REALITY OF NATIONAL STATE POLICIES

Carlos Eduardo Sepúlveda Dean of the Faculty of Economics

26 Photos by Alberto Sierra / Leonardo Parra

THE RESEARCH CARRIED OUT AT OUR SCHOOL TRANSFORMS SOCIETY IN A POSITIVE SENSE

Alejandro Cheyne Dean of the School of Management and Business

OUR FACULTY IS STRENGTHENING TOP-LEVEL RESEARCH AND IMPACTING SOCIALLY

Juan Carlos Forero Dean of the Faculty of Jurisprudence

27 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

WE RECOGNIZE AND BUILD ON THE STRENGTHS OF OUR HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN LEGAL RESEARCH, AND WE ARE WORKING TO POSITION OURSELVES AS A GROUP OF ACADEMICS WHO DEFINE AND INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEMS RESEARCH UNCOVERS

Lina Céspedes Vice Dean of the Faculty of Jurisprudence

TODAY’S RESEARCH IN HEALTH SCIENCES IS TRANSLATIONAL, WHICH COMBINES BASIC RESEARCH WITH ITS CLINICAL APPLICATION AND FEEDS BACK FROM CLINICAL PRACTICE TO RESEARCH. SO, CREATING THE FIRST TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE INSTITUTE IN LATIN AMERICA IS THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE’S IS THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES’ BIGGEST COMMITMENT

Gustavo Quintero Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences

28 Photos by Alberto Sierra / Leonardo Parra

RESEARCHERS AND RESEARCH TEAMS FORM THE FOUNDATION OF THE TEACHING MODEL BEHIND COMPREHENSION IN OUR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS. RESEARCH RESULTS ARE FOCUSED ON SOLVING HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE IN THE CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY SPHERE

Ana Isabel Gómez Vice Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences

RESEARCH IN THE FACULTY HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED THOUGH A NEW UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN BIOLOGY (FEBRUARY, 2014) AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE (FEBRUARY, 2017). OUR INTERNATIONAL SEARCH FOR NEW PROFESSORS IN THE FIELD HAS BEEN CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION: IN BIOLOGY: ECOLOGY, ECO-SYSTEMIC SERVICES, EVOLUTION AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY; IN MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY, DIGITAL SECURITY, DATA SCIENCE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS, ACTUARIAL SCIENCE, MODELING AND SIMULATION FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES. IN BIOLOGY, OUR PUBLICATIONS IN HIGH QUALITY INTERNATIONALLY- INDEXED JOURNALS INCREASED FROM 9 IN 2013 TO 24 IN 2014, 28 IN 2015 AND 48 IN 2016. THE QUALITY OF THE PUBLICATIONS HAS INCREASED, OUR PRESENCE IN JOURNALS RANKED IN THE FIRST QUARTILE (Q1) RISING FROM 66.7% IN 2014 TO 80.0% IN 2016

Mauricio Linares Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

29 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

UR is among the best Colombian universities in SCImago The Universidad del Rosario has been consistently ranked among the top five Colombian universities in the last three evaluations conducted by SCImago.*This classification is based on the quantity and quality of scientific works published on the Scopus platform. This is the result of work that began 20 years ago, during which time 1,707 documents have been published. The goal is to double this number in 2020.

United States

• Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences • Arthritis and Rheumatism • Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Q1 • Journal of Autoimmunity • PLOS Genetics • PLOS ONE • Retina • Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology Q2 • Peptides

• Biomédica (Colombian National Q2 Health Institute journal) • Historia Crítica (Colombian History journal)

Colombia

Spain Source: Scopus and SCImago, only including Q1 and Q2 journals publishing more than five UR documents from 2006 to 2015. • Neurología (Spanish Medicine Q2 and Neurology journal) • Nutrición Hospitalaria (Spanish Medicine and Nursing journal)

30 HOW SCIMAGO RANKS INSTITUTIONS

* The SCImago ranking is an annual measurement conducted by the SCImago LAB research group. The classification is made of universities and scientific institutions worldwide in order to construct tables that reflect the research, innovations, and social impact generated by institutions. It takes Scopus data as its basis. The scientific journals analyzed in the ranking are divided into four quartiles (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4) based on their circulation, the amount they are consulted, and their citations by the academic community.

• Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases • Journal of Infectious Diseases Q1 • Malaria Journal United • Molecular Ecology Kingdom • Genes and Immunity Q2 • Lupus

• Autoimmunity Reviews • Energy Economics Q1 • Infection, Genetics and Evolution Netherlands • Vaccine • Acta Tropica Q2 • Economics Letters • Gene

• Israel Medical Q2 Association Journal Israel

% of UR publications are in Q1 journals based on 15 SCImago ranking. % of UR publications are in high impact 41 journals.

Egypt Q2 • Autoimmune Diseases

31 2 Inclusive research Inclusive research Inclusive research ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Sixty-five thousand women are murdered in the world every year. Twelve women die daily in Latin America and the Caribbean. A woman dies at the hands of her partner or ex-partner in Colombia every two-and-a-half days; a woman is killed in Argentina every 30 hours, and in Mexico, suspected homicides of women number six per day.

34 Por Marlyn Ahumada

Women at risk OF extreme violence Beatriz Londoño, professor at the Faculty of Jurisprudence of the Universidad del Rosario, provides a stark outline of the violence to which women are subjected.

he numbers are chilling: every year, her. Then, of course, the men who consider their wives’ and 65,000 women worldwide are daughters’ bodies to be their property. The list is long and murdered just for being women. universal. The statistics are horrifying in Latin America and the Caribbean: WOMAN: A CONSUMER PRODUCT 12 women die daily for the same Women are treated like any other consumer product, as mar- reason. In Colombia alone, every ketable goods, so much so that today they must even “go on T two-and-a-half days a woman dies the market” with labels and manuals, ready for any contingen- at the hand of her partner or her ex; in Argen- cy. “Handle with care, delicate, vulnerable, sensitive product” tina a woman is killed every 30 hours; and in should be tattooed on their bodies to avoid them suffering -se Mexico suspected homicides of women num- xist affronts for the simple reason of being a woman. ber six per day. Relevant procedures are, in fact, available on internet, whi- The world is witness to constant aberrant le a first-aid guide for female victims of acid and other chemi- and inhuman acts of homage to the cult of cal attacks is soon to be published (written by machismo, such as in Mecca, where police Natalia Ponce de León, Beatriz Londoño, Jua- preferred to see young girls burn to death nita Ospina, and others, and financed by El rather than let them emerge from their bur- CRIMES OF Rosario’s External Support Fund. ning school and be seen naked (i.e. without One such guide already exists, the purpose burkas) by male spectators of the fire. There MASCULINE POWER of which is to provide information on the ri- are, for example, cases of human trafficking, AND DOMINATION ghts of those victims of attacks with chemical a booming business, especially in girls under ARE KNOWN agents who, by the way, do not refer to them- 12 years of age. Or using women as the spoils AS FEMICIDE, selves as victims but as survivors. It is called of war. Or the cases of women’s faces and bo- The Rights of Victims -Survivors- of Chemical dies attacked with acid to disfigure them and COMMITTED BY MEN Attacks, and is the work of the Natalia Ponce make them undesirable and “useless” in the AGAINST WOMEN de León Foundation, the Public Action Group, eyes of men. And there are also the “well-off JUST BECAUSE and the Legal Consultancy of the Universidad boys” who decide one day to stop the car THEY ARE WOMEN del Rosario. and pick up a young girl—the incarnation Crimes of male power and domination are of innocence—to rape, torture, and murder known as femicide, and are committed by

35 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The world is witness, inexplicably, to constant aberrant and inhuman acts against women, such as the “well-off boys” who decide one day to stop the car and pick up a young girl –the incarnation of innocence– to rape, torture, and murder her.

men against women just because they are wo- All of the above reflects the scant judicial weight affor- men. Any reasonably-aware human being mi- ded to cases of this legal territory, those not actually sett- ght expect these kinds of atrocities to be aba- led within a regulatory framework but in relation to social, ting. But they are not. Their rising frequency psychological, and cultural matters. is shown by the studies of fortunately increa- Domestic violence cases are devalued in the legal sys- singly-detailed research carried out by indivi- tem, precisely because most of them deal with issues invol- duals and entities in numerous countries. ving women. In general, it is thought that these are ideal for dealing with family issues because they will have a better VIOLENCE CANNOT BE CONCILIATED understanding of them. In truth, however, patriarchal cul- Beatriz Londoño Toro, professor and mem- tural assumptions constructed, integrated, and circulated ber of the Human Rights Research Group at in society prove to be the overriding factors in judges’ de- the Universidad del Rosario, is the academic cisions. editor of the book The Role of Judges against One female judge, for example, ruled in favor of a jealous Intimate Partner Violence in Colombia, 2005- boyfriend who brutally beat his girlfriend when he found her 2009 [El papel de los jueces contra la violencia dancing with another young man, arguing that the act was the de pareja en Colombia, 2005-2009], which result of the intense pain and fury the boyfriend had expe- exposes cases of revictimization of women rienced at that moment. by the Colombian State. Family welfare agen- However civilized, no country is immune from this kind cies, for example, usually issue subpoenas to of outrage. Fortunately, the unlimited wealth of worldwide victims with instructions to deliver them to communication that allows for modern technology helps tear their aggressors, which clearly puts them at down borders in defending human and environmental rights. imminent risk. In addition, they strive for re- In related problems, the discourse of judges worldwide is gra- conciliation between the parties, as if violence dually sharing common ground. could be conciliated. In the courts, judges often do not apply the COLOMBIA AND SPAIN ON GENDER ISSUES law from a gender standpoint. On the con- The Universidad del Rosario and the University of Málaga re- trary, their rulings are full of prejudices and cently announced the results of a joint study, the Comparative match their sociocultural tendencies, senten- Study of Colombian and Spanish Legislation on Gender Vio- cing in mechanical fashion. lence in the Decade from 2004-2014. Participants from the

36 Photos by Viviana Vargas / Leonardo Parra

Judges often do not apply the law from a gender standpoint. On the contrary, their rulings are full of prejudices and match their sociocultural tendencies, sentencing in mechanical fashion.

Professor Beatriz Londoño says that the communication media have played a crucial role in the development of legislation by providing significant amounts of space in their pages for news Universidad del Rosario included the Human of violence While in theory Colombia has similar measures, in practice against women, Rights Research Group, the Gender and Fa- information that they are not obeyed or they are inadequate, and many women mily Violence Clinic, and the Criminal Law was previously die during the legal process. While government attorneys are Group, working alongside the Faculty of Me- exclusive responsible for investigating crimes of violence against wo- to the dicine and Health Sciences’ Forensic Research sensationalist men, they order protective measures so infrequently that im- Group from the University of Málaga. press. punity is the norm in such cases. Their starting point was the recognition of state laws and policies as instruments for tac- LONG LIVE IMPUNITY? kling gender-based violence in Spain and Co- Legal impunity is precisely one of the main lombia. They also agreed on the need for effec- reasons why women don’t make use of insti- tive systems to evaluate the legal, social, and tutional structures or report the crimes com- cultural impacts of these instruments over time. MUCH REMAINS mitted against them. So, it is necessary for The study pointed to protective measures BEFORE JUSTICE both countries to move toward constructing as central to an effective system against gen- IS DONE AND a new model for comprehensive support for der-based violence, and in this sense the two THE WORLD victims. countries diverged in terms of the legitimacy According to Professor Londoño Toro, and responsibility of those who enact such FINALLY REALIZES “both women’s organizations and the com- measures. THAT PEOPLE munication media have played crucial roles In Spain, they are dealt with by courts esta- OF BOTH THE in the development of legislation,” the media blished to deal with cases of violence, and they MALE AND having given significant news space to violen- are executed by the social services or welfare ce against women, information that was pre- agencies controlled by local authorities, such FEMALE GENDER viously exclusive to the sensationalist press as hospitals and legal counseling services run ARE HUMAN (although it must be said that this news is still by bar associations. Examples of such measu- BEINGS WITH THE presented in a way that “excuses” men’s beha- res include the enforced removal of offending SAME RIGHTS, vior). But much remains before justice is done parties from households, changes of accom- and the world finally realizes that people of modation, restraining orders, prohibitions on REGARDLESS OF both the male and female gender are human communication, and the suspension of child THEIR PHYSICAL beings with the same rights, regardless of custody or parental rights. MAKE-UP their physical make-up. 37 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Uncovering the hidden history of the Arhuacos

A century ago, six Arhuacos came to Bogotá to demand that their rights be respected. The government responded by issuing decrees whose loopholes only increased abuses against the indigenous community. A seven-year-long research project by the Intercultural School of Indigenous Diplomacy at the Universidad del Rosario revealed the details of these events.

38 By Inés Elvira Ospina / Photos by Rafael Serrano / Leonardo Parra

Research shows how the arrival of religious missionaries and the forced relocation of Arhuacan children to an orphanage brought about the social decomposition of the community through oppression and violence. Stories passed down mouth to mouth provide a profoundly historical approach to the past. According to Bastien Bosa, researcher at the Intercultural School of Indigenous Diplomacy, these memories highlight Arhuacan history as it is understood by Arhuacans.

authorities because they are enemies of our race,” said Villafaña in the same newspaper interview. Thanks to research conducted by Professor Bastien Bosa of the Intercultural School of Indigenous Diplomacy (Escuela In- tercultural de Diplomacia Indígena - EIDI) of the School of Hu- man Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario, we know a lot more about this visit, its immediate causes and historical antecedents, as well as what trans- pired from that point on until 1930. THE EIDI HAS “The Arhuacos brought clear and detailed WORKED WITH petitions that were apparently heard with in- THE ARHUACO terest. That’s why they did not understand the arrival just five months later of a group of COMMUNITY OF THE Spanish Capuchin friars who worsened the SIERRA NEVADA situation and generated greater violence,” says DE SANTA MARTA Bastien Bosa, professor at the School of Human FOR OVER 10 Sciences and coordinator of the project. The EIDI has worked with the Arhuaco YEARS, SEVERAL community of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Mar- OF THEM ta for over 10 years, several of them devoted to DEVOTED TO THE the reconstruction of the community’s histor- e are victims of the civilized RECONSTRUCTION ical memory of what happened a century ago. people, those who have taken Bosa had to review dozens of documents, away our rights.” With these OF THE HISTORICAL letters, missives, photographs, writings, and words, Juan Bautista Villafaña MEMORY OF WHAT accounts of the events. “We sought out avail- (also known as Duane) made HAPPENED A able sources. The Capuchins heavily docu- it clear to the Bogotá daily El CENTURY AGO mented their missions. I even went to Valen- Nuevo Tiempo on November cia, Spain, where many of the written mission “W15, 1916, little more than 100 documents are now stored. And the Arhuacos, too, had pre- years ago, what he and his people thought of served many official documents from when San Sebastián de the settlers in their territory. Rabago, now called Nabusímake, was a settlement known as Villafaña was one of six Arhuaco indigenous a corregimiento (hamlet) within the Prefecture of Valledupar,” people who traveled for three months to get to explains Bosa. Bogotá, hoping to “reach an understanding” with the then-president of Colombia, José Vi- RECONSTRUCTING HISTORY cente Concha, to find a solution to the injus- According to Bosa, one of the most valuable aspects of the research tice and mistreatment that they suffered at the was reconstructing family histories. With the help of a group of hands of settlers. “We don’t like the civilized students, these were documented and family trees were con-

39 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

THERE WAS A HISTORY OF RESISTANCE IN THE 1920S. FAMILY STORIES TOLD OF SMALL CHILDREN WHO WALKED OVER 100 KM TO RETURN HOME BUT WERE PURSUED AND RECAPTURED UNDER THREAT OF PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT OR RETALIATION AGAINST THEIR FAMILIES OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HELPED THEM FLEE

Bastien Bosa Researcher

structed. “The historical depth in stories passed down by word of mouth enable a very interesting approach to the past. And these memories do not merely relate to the presence of settlers or missionaries; they allow for a focus on history from the Arhuacan point of view.” Through this research, the reasons for the delegates’ 1916 trip to Bogotá came to light along with what happened in the following years with the arrival of the religious missionaries and the opening of an orphanage, where Arhuacan children were taken by force “to be Christianized and civilized.” The research shows how this intervention forced a social recomposition of the community through oppression and violence. In their audience with Colombian President Concha, the Arhuacos stressed three important needs: 1) to recover their political autonomy, which they had lost with the naming of settlers as local administrative officials (corregi- dores); 2) to no longer be victims of different forms of exploitation by “‘civilized” people; and 3) that their cultural expressions and traditions be respected, because some of them were prohibited. The research shows that the Arhuacos’ peti- Hundreds of stories came to light recounting how children tions seemed to have been heard, with a decree were forced to leave their families (in many cases snatched from having been issued by the Magdalena depart- their homes), were taken to the orphanage, where their hair was mental government in response to the re- cut, their clothing confiscated, and where they were prohibited quests, at least on paper. In practice, however, from speaking their language and raised in the Catholic religion. loopholes and misinterpretations led to even “Families also remembered the history of resistance in the greater abuses against the indigenous group. 1920s. Small children walked over 100 kilometers to return

40 Photo by Rafael Serrano

home but they were pursued and recaptured One of the under threat of physical punishment or retal- EXCERPTS OF AN INTERVIEW most valuable iation against their families or anyone else who PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 5, aspects of the research was helped them flee,” says Bosa. 1916 IN THE BOGOTÁ DAILY EL reconstructing NUEVO TIEMPO. family THE HORRORS OF CIVILIZATION histories, which allowed The archives of those days contain many What is the goal of your visit here? for the missives stressing the powers granted to the We have come to reach an unders- reconstruction Capuchins to carry out their mission and tanding with the President so that the of family trees. describing the ways that Arhuacos them- Government will protect us. selves hired workers, or how Indian police were used to pursue children. “This is not What is happening to you? just a history of the missionaries, but of the We are victims of the civilized people, Colombian State that empowered the Ca- who have taken away our rights. puchins to Christianize and ‘civilize’ the Ar- huacos,” points out Bosa. What do you intend to say to the At the same time, and in addition to the president? aforementioned, indigenous people were also That if it is not possible to improve exploited financially through exorbitant col- our situation we will have to emigrate lateral charges that allowed settlers and haci- somewhere else where we don’t have to enda owners to “hire themselves” to the Ar- suffer so much, because some hacienda haucos for the acquired debts, sums they were owners require us to work without pay generally unable to repay. and it’s not unusual that we even have The Capuchin mission orphanage did not to sell ourselves to keep from dying of close its doors until 1982, after the Arhuacos hunger. peacefully submitted petitions for the return of their lands. “They had control of the commu- Are you satis ied with the authorities? nity and its education for 65 years,” concludes No, sir. We don’t want to be subject Bosa, “and the Arhuaco community continues to those civilized authorities because to be very strongly marked by this history.” they are enemies of our race. We will also talk about that with the president and we will ask him to name Adolfo Antonio Garavito or Carmen Izquierdo BACK TO THE CASA DE NARIÑO as corregidor (administrator) of our people. They are indigenous and they One hundred years later, in October 2016, a delegation of 100 understand our way of life. Arhuaco indigenous people followed in the footsteps of their ancestors and came to the presidential palace in Bogotá, the Casa What do your people do for amuse- de Nariño, to deliver a letter to President Juan Manuel Santos. As ment? opposed to what took place in 1916, the contents of this missive Nothing! We can no longer practice our asked the head of state to clarify the history of that earlier event. celebration as we used to according It also described how the indigenous group has worked to follow a to our traditional law, because the path of peace for the last 100 years. civilized authorities have prohibited it. It is called The Dance of Casa María, It took the delegation only an hour to get to the capital in an Army which lasts a month. During that time, aircraft, and this time they were not required to have their photos the tribe rests and celebrates festivals. taken with visiting Colombians in return for room and board. Once We cannot dance anymore because they arrived in Bogotá, they marched as a group from the Center they punish us, and the tribe is very for Memory, Peace, and Reconciliation to the Plaza de Bolívar, and disgruntled about that. spent two days commemorating the events of the 20th century in meetings organized by the Universidad del Rosario, in which all Are you Colombian? participants contributed their reflections on aspects of the past. Yes, sir. The whole tribe wants to be part Some of them focused on the violence and pain, while others of this country, but if they persecute us exalted the dignity of the Arhuaco people. in la Guajira we will leave.

41 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Schizophrenia on the Couch Medication is the most common treatment for patients with schizophrenia. The director of the Psychology Program at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences is joined by a colleague in proposing greater use of therapies based on psychoanalysis. They argue that such therapies embrace the particularity of each individual and that they have effective results.

The schizophrenic person suffers breaks in his or her relationship to reality, does not have access to certain kinds of symbolic functions, and may present with symptoms such as visual and auditory hallucinations.

42 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by Alberto Sierra

ccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 21 million people around the world have schizophrenia. It is not as common as other mental disorders, but like others, those who are affected by it suffer from rejection and social- ex clusion. “It is a diagnosis that has been available for sev- A eral decades to designate a certain kind of psychosis. The person suffers breaks in his or her relationship to reality, and does not have access to certain kinds of symbolic functions generally shared by society. He or she may present with symptoms such as visual or kines- thetic hallucinations or, most commonly, auditory hallucinations in the form of voices. “HEALTH In some cases, people may PROFESSIONALS have delusions amounting to CLING TO SOME the construction of a parallel reality,” explains Miguel Guti- VERY OLD IDEAS érrez Peláez, professor and di- ABOUT THE rector of the Psychology Pro- MENTALLY ILL gram at the Universidad del THAT SHOULD BE Rosario’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. RE-EXAMINED IN Together with psychol- THE LIGHT OF NEW ogist Laura Juanita Villamil RESEARCH” Díaz, also from El Rosario, Professor Gutiérrez Peláez reviewed the existing literature on psychodynamic pscycho- therapy to evaluate the contributions of this kind of therapy in cases of patients with schizophrenia. After two years of research, the professors were able to endorse more frequent use of this kind of psychotherapy due to its positive effects on individuals and families. “The research reviewed indicated that this kind of therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment and management of schizophrenia, and can lead to greater rates of recovery than those achieved through an exclusively pharmacological approach. In an article on the suggested approach, the two professors indicated that research they reviewed showed that even when drugs were prescribed as the first line of treatment, the use of psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy for schizophrenia helped patients achieve significant improvement. The psychodynamic orientation brings together different kinds of approaches derived from psychoanalysis, particularly in relation to a genuine concern for the inner life of people with schizophrenia. Professionals seek to understand how these people experience their inner lives, the logic behind their think-

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MORE MEN THAN WOMEN According to the WHO, schizophrenia is more frequent among men (twelve million) than among women (nine million). In addition, men generally develop the disease at an earlier age.

It is calculated that people with schizophrenia constitute 1% of the Colombian population. According to 2013 data from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, more than 471,000 people in the country have the disease.

The WHO reports that schizophrenia produces significant disabilities and may negatively affect educational achievement and performance at work.

ANTICIPATING CRISES With psychodynamically-oriented therapies, person suffering from the disease have the chance to know themselves, not just the therapist, and this knowledge enables them to grasp certain aspects of their behavior, which may help them to anticipate different situations and episodes. “Understanding one’s own psychotic functioning may help a person to anticipate crises, take helpful measures, and work on these issues with his or her family. Sometimes families need particular treatments; for example, a patient may present para- noid symptoms with his or her mother, in which case she should not be the person who dispenses medicine. This may seem like a small matter but it can change things dramatically. It’s like sketching out a representation of the psychosis, as though one could draw a map of the mental functioning of the person to lo- cate areas of potential danger,” explains the professor. That kind of knowledge is very helpful to families, and the creation of a therapeutic space provides opportunities for asking questions, expressing concerns, and finding emotional sup- ing, and the causes of their life histories and how they reached port. their current experiences. This dynamic enables families to feel competent self-esteem “It’s different when medication is seen as the first and only in understanding the disease and the psychosis, and feel that alternative, because it is not necessary to understand a person’s they are in control of the situation, thus improving their self-es- inner life in order to prescribe medication. In that context, it teem and helping them overcome feelings of guilt, hostility, and doesn’t matter if the person is hallucinating about angels, for hopelessness. example, or something else, if he or she hears one voice or many, or even if they are male or female. Some psychotherapeutic TRAINED PROFESSIONALS practices tend to focus symptoms, or they try to stop the voices To understand what patients are experiencing and to accompa- or put an end to certain behaviors. But in the case of psycho- ny families during the process of having their loved one treated analytically-oriented therapies, schizophrenia patients are not for schizophrenia, the health professional requires both special approached as if they were standard persons. Psychodynami- training and internal strength to better swim against the tide. cally-oriented psychotherapy focuses on the specificity of each “The therapist confronts a very difficult task and experiences a person,” explains Gutiérrez Peláez. number of emotions that can often be unpleasant. It also means

44 Photo by Leonardo Parra / Drawings by Mary Bishop

“I don’t think we should consider A NEW CONVERSATION just one kind of intervention for Psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy works schizophrenia. by opening spaces for conversation and dialogue to There are different reasons understand the subject with schizophrenia, guide why one kind of that subject to self-awareness, and give him or intervention may her an opportunity to assist in the treatment. This be more advantageous to approach can be applied to the “treatment” that all one person than Colombians can benefit from in the so-called post- to another. The conflict period. important thing to think about is maximizing the According to Miguel Gutiérrez Peláez, director of the benefit to the program in Psychology at the School of Medicine and patient,” says psychologist Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario, apart Miguel Gutiérrez. from the psychopathological and mental health consequences stemming from the armed conflict as outlined in several different studies, Colombians from 2017 onwards face another series of psychological demands. These include “coming face- the therapist must be above the myths that the symptoms ex- to-face with the complexity of human behavior and perienced by schizophrenia patients make no sense, that it is evidence that the armed conflict was not a conflict irrelevant to try to understand them, and that the disease is in- between good and evil”; “maintaining awareness curable,” write the psychologists in their article. in civil society regarding the nature of the armed conflict and the peace process while transitioning MODERNIZING OUR VIEW OF THE MENTALLY ILL from passivity to active participation and from Gutiérrez Peláez says that health professionals have some very accepting or rejecting proposals to proposing old ideas about the mentally ill that should be reexamined in solutions”; and “recognizing the place of “the other the light of new research. This includes thinking of medication person, of alterity, and accepting the existence and as necessarily the most advisable treatment for schizophrenia giving voice to dissension without resorting to the and thinking that patients with schizophrenia are all alike, that use of arms.” they are a homogeneous population. This is not just the case among mental health workers; family members and even pa- ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION tients themselves may share these assumptions. The psychological challenges that health “I don’t think that we should consider just one kind of inter- professionals and society in general will need to face vention for schizophrenia,” says Gutiérrez Peláez. “There are include keeping a conversation open and inclusive different reasons why one kind of intervention may be more among different social sectors, and recognizing that advantageous to one person than to another, including both this means engaging in dialogue. “This necessarily patients and professionals. But the important thing is to think means recognizing what others know. Recognizing about maximizing the benefit to the patient.” the knowledge of others requires people to That’s why Gutiérrez Peláez and Villamil Díaz propose more acknowledge what they do not themselves know. research to provide greater empirical evidence on the efficacy If I have all the truth on my side, there is no way of psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy. “The works we to accommodate the words of others unless they reviewed tell us that research on the efficacy of psychodynam- echo my own. To engage in conversation, I must set ically-oriented psychotherapy should go on. There is evidence aside my truth and assume that others can teach me that corroborates the effectiveness of this type of psychotherapy things,” explains Gutiérrez Peláez. in the comprehensive treatment of schizophrenia, suggesting Communities and people have a lot to tell about that pharmacological management is only one of many possi- what they have learned based on the idiosyncratic ble approaches to this disease. Thus, it is important to contin- characteristics that help them deal with their own ue this line of research and document the relevant findings to experiences and the phenomena in their lives. This further contribute to the kinds of therapeutic approaches to content must be part of the conversation. people with schizophrenia that personally benefit them. The The professor invites all professionals who carry contributions of psychoanalysis to psychology and different in- out psychosocial interventions, and indeed terventions in the comprehensive treatment of schizophrenia society in general, to participate in this important may be very valuable to today’s clinicians in both mental health conversation. institutions and their private clinical practices.”

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46 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by Leonardo Parra A GPS THAT GIVES ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS AUTONOMY The Universidad del Rosario has participated with other institutions in a project to evaluate a GPS technology that allows people with dementia, mainly Alzheimer’s disease, to move about independently without risk of getting lost.

llison Warman is a successful These are the facts that convinced the fashion designer in Canada. In Universidad del Rosario to participate with 2011, her illness forced her to the University of Alberta and Alberta Health give up designing for influential Services in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), in a personalities, and also reading project to evaluate GPS technology that en- and driving. One day when she ables people with dementia, mainly Alzhei- was driving home, she became mer’s disease, to move about independently A disoriented and could not re- without risk of getting lost. member how to get there. Her husband went “GPS technology gives patients and their out to find her, and later took her to seea carers peace of mind,” says Antonio Miguel doctor. After medical tests, she was told that Cruz, director of the Biomedical Engineering she had lost some of her cognitive faculties. Program at the School of Medicine and Health The World Health At the age of 53, this active professional and Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario. Organization (WHO) mother of three was told that she had no The program’s research lines include the calculates that some 47.5 million people in choice but to stay home if she didn’t want to evaluation and development of low-cost tech- the world suffer from get lost. nology for solving human problems such as dementia and that Disorientation and the inability to get back aging and the issues of older adults, and it is 7.7 million new cases are reported annually. to where they came from have forced people carried out in cooperation with researchers Alzheimer’s disease with Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most from the Master course in Occupational Thera- is the most common common kinds of dementia, to stay home py at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine of form of dementia, representing between under permanent care. They lose their inde- the University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada). 60 and 70% of all cases. pendence, and their families are faced with Based on his experience in this field, and on supervising them day and night. the agreement El Rosario has with the Facul-

47 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

DISORIENTATION AND THE INABILITY TO GET BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM HAVE FORCED PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE TO STAY HOME UNDER PERMANENT CARE. THEY LOSE THEIR INDEPENDENCE, AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE FACED WITH SUPERVISING THEM DAY AND NIGHT. ty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Canadian university, the program has participated in the Locator Device Project, the aim of which was to evaluate the acceptance by patients and caregivers of GPS technology that helps patients with cognitive disabilities avoid getting lost. “We located 56 pairs of people (caregiver plus dementia patient) in Canada interested in participating and, based on our criteria for inclusion in the study, we chose 45 pairs to participate. Sixteen of these pairs left the study, some because they died and others because the patients went into critical care in hospitals. By the end of the study, we had a total of 29 pairs,” explains Antonio Miguel Cruz. Allison and her husband were one of those pairs. The device that she used for 5 ½ months was a kind of telephone that she wore around her neck and that reported on Google Maps where she was in real time. Thanks to that experience, she now feels safer and can walk alone outside her home. “The best thing about it was being able to go out on her own. The device contributes to her emotional well-being simply through her knowing she is safe. It’s The study that “although dementia mainly affects older people, it is not a powerful. It’s a wonderful thing,” says Alli- showed that normal part of aging.” son’s husband Tim in Rehab Impact Report, the GPS device The WHO calculates that there are some 47.5 million people was useful for the annual publication of the University of both patients suffering from dementia worldwide and that 7.7 million new Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. and caregivers. cases are recorded annually. Alzheimer’s disease is the most The device used by Allison sends text mes- It gave the common form of dementia, representing some 60-70% of all patients sages or emails to the family when she leaves confidence, cases. The patients who suffer from this form and other forms an area predetermined to be safe, as do other security, and of dementia (vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, similar devices that take the form of watches, independence, and frontotemporal dementia, for example) are incapacitated and provided bracelets, or computer chips implanted in the caregivers with and suffer from dependency due to its physical, psychological, soles of patients’ shoes. peace of mind. and social impacts. It also impacts caregivers and families of patients in the same way. AN INCAPACITATING AILMENT The 12-month study carried out in Canada by the Univer- According to the WHO, “dementia is a syn- sity of Alberta and the Universidad del Rosario showed that drome that brings about a deterioration in the GPS device is useful for both patients and caregivers, since memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability it brings confidence, safety, and independence to the former, to perform everyday activities,” and stresses and peace of mind to the latter.

48 Photos by 123rf / Leonardo Parra

was going. The goals of these calls were to find Antonio Miguel out when patients used the devices most fre- Cruz, director of the Program quently, what the most common uses were, of Biomedical and to find out if there were any battery prob- Engineering of lems or other issues that could be resolved in the Universidad del Rosario, real time,” explains Dr. Cruz. says that the In addition, researchers included other program is now parties interested in the technology in a tri- participating in a professional angulation exercise. Such parties included network with the Alzheimer Association of Canada, police, Canadians trying home care administrators, occupational ther- to bring these technologies apists, and social workers, who participated in into widespread focus groups. Many of them praised the posi- use. They are in tive effects of GPS use for families and patients conversations with a company and the economic benefits for the healthcare called system, suggesting that their use be greatly SafeTracks expanded. GPS to see if it is possible to “Family members’ experience greater calm if the patient run the VERY LOW COSTS has a GPS device, even if there is an accident or an incident,” experiment in The use of the device may cost between US since it brings points out Lili Liu, principal investigator, professor, and chair confidence, $20-30 per month, and can be paid for jointly of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Faculty of safety, and through contributions from both the patient Rehabilitation Medicine of the University of Alberta, in the an- independence to and the government. the in Colombia. nual publication mentioned above. “We are now participating in a profession- This conclusion is based on the answers to standardised al network with Canadians, where one of our questions given to patients and caregivers before and after they areas of work is to try to bring these tech- used the technology. Researchers read comments such as “the nologies into widespread use. We have been device gives me peace of mind because I know that if he is wan- in conversation with Safe Tracks Tecnología dering outside I’ll be able to find him,” and “it’s been a godsend GPS, a company that is promoting the use of for my wife”. The patients themselves said they felt “safer” be- the devices, to see if it is possible to run the cause if they get lost they can be found, and “more indepen- experiment in Colombia. This will require re- dent” because they were once again able to enjoy daily activities sources,” says Cruz, director of the Program of like visiting their friends, going shopping, or visiting the library. Biomedical Engineering at the School of Med- “For the 5½ months that they had the device, research as- icine and Health Sciences of the Universidad sistants called them weekly to ask how their use of the device del Rosario.

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CIGARETTE TAXES: GOOD HEALTH!

Joint research with international f we’re going to die, let’s start getting partners will produce new ideas sick,” say some smokers facetiously while for a more effective tax policy happily lighting up the cigarette between on tobacco, provide ammunition their lips. And this is certainly what will happen, since this bad habit that comes against the arguments of the seductively wrapped in smooth, high tobacco industry that taxes on quality paper is the cause of most types their products are regressive, “I of lung cancer and lung diseases such and provide information on the as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and impact of current packaging chronic bronchitis. policies, the importance of The key problem caused by so many peo- warnings, attempts to quit ple deciding to get sick early in their lives is smoking, and demand for the huge burden they impose on the economy and on public health, which impacts cigarettes. society as a whole, especially the poor. The

50 By Marlyn Ahumada / Photo by 123rf

CIGARETTE TAXES: GOOD HEALTH!

costs of tobacco use, in fact, fall ever more on among its citizens. It is the responsibility of every government low-and-medium income countries, where to avoid premature deaths due to preventable diseases. about 80% of all smokers live. These same It has been convincingly shown that it is easier for people to countries suffer the greatest proportion of stop consuming addictive substances they know will kill them premature (and preventable) deaths associ- prematurely with much physical suffering, if the price is high. ated with tobacco use, which is expected to And we know that young people inclined to “try anything” will reach more than 8 million per year by 2030. be less inclined to do so if their first experience means going Many non-smoking children and adults without buying something they already consider pleasurable. also fall ill when they are exposed to second- In other words, experience shows that the most effective hand smoke, and the expensive treatments and economically-viable way to reduce tobacco consump- for the diseases resulting from this are to a tion is to increase its cost by imposing taxes, and that the ideal great extent paid for by the public. move is to put up taxes to 70% of the final cost of the product. This is why we must view the problem In effect, the message to smokers is “since you are impacting from the point of view of the State, which negatively on the healthcare system, you must start paying for must employ policies to effectively lower the your future treatment each time you buy the cigarettes that are percentage of smoking-attributable deaths taking away your own health.”

51 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Doing this in Uruguay, for example, pro- There is a duced a 10% drop in the number of smokers, need which in practical terms means that a signif- for rigorous icant number of people have been added to research to examine the those who have a very low probability of get- impact of ting sick or dying due to smoking. And this is pricing on a huge step forward for society. the initiation and cessation But tobacco companies do not like these of smoking. kinds of taxes. They argue, among other Professor things, that making cigarettes more expensive Juan Miguel Gallego of means imposing an unfair burden on the poor the Faculty and other marginal groups for whom smok- of Economics ing is one of the few pleasures they can afford. at the Universidad What they are really seeking with this del Rosario is argument is to attract the support of labor participating unions and minorities that may eventually in just such research. perceive a threat to the enjoyment of a pleasurable activity. STIMULATING CONTRABAND Another argument frequently raised is that increased costs for legitimate products stimulate the use of contraband. Those who use this argument say that as taxes go up, an increasing number of consumers will stop buying legal cigarettes and opt to purchase those smug- gled into the country , especially in areas with easy access to contraband. There is no doubt that this would be to the detriment of legal businesses that generate employment, pay taxes, and stimulate the economy, all of which are touted as import-

52 Photos by Leonardo Parra / Mara Brugés Polo

WHEN COLOMBIA LAST CHANGED ITS TAX POLICIES, THE COUNTRY TOOK THE IMPORTANT STEP OF INCREASING TAXES ON TOBACCO. NEVERTHELESS, IT STILL FALS SHORT OF THE IDEAL TARGET OF 70% OF THE FINAL PRICE OF THE PRODUCT ant contributions to national development. Precisely for this reason, increasing taxes on consumers is something that must be carefully considered by thoughtful legislators before making any decisions that would be seen as negative by businesses and consumers. The question has to be asked, however, about when the tobacco industry raises its own prices with only its profits in mind. Does that not also stimulate contraband? For all these reasons, it is necessary to dig deeper into this issue and carry out more research. When the tobacco industry has done its own research, it has found that illegal cigarettes represented 9-12 % of the total in 2011-2016. An independent NGO, on the other hand (Aáas Foundation), found that the Experience shows that the most economically effective rate of illegal cigarette use was no greater than way to reduce the consumption of tobacco is to increase three percent. its cost by imposing taxes.

THE IMPACT OF HIGHER PRICES The results of this research, along with oth- There is a need for rigorous research to exer information, will allow us to generate new amine the impact of pricing (with high taxes) ideas to increase the effectiveness of tax pol- on the initiation and cessation of smoking. ACCORDING TO THE icy regarding tobacco, provide ammunition Professor Juan Miguel Gallego of the Faculty WORLD HEALTH to counter the arguments of the tobacco in- of Economics at the Universidad del Rosa- ORGANIZATION, dustry that taxes on their products are regres- rio is participating in such a research project WORLD TAXES ON sive, and bring information on the impact of being conducted by the Canadian Institutes existing packaging policies, the importance of of Health Research with the participation of TOBACCO IN 2013- warnings, attempts to quit smoking, and the MacMaster and York Universities in Canada, 2014 GENERATED demand for cigarettes in five middle income the Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile, the ABOUT 269 BILLION countries (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, South Catholic Pontifical University of Ecuador, and U.S. DOLLARS IN Africa, and Vietnam). the University of Cape Town in South Africa. With its last tax revision, Colombia took The general objective of this research is to PUBLIC REVENUE the important step of increasing taxes on to- better understand the impact of prices and bacco. Nevertheless, it is still short of the target packaging on cigarette consumption and on determined to be ideal: 70% of the final price of the product. health equity in middle-income countries. And we must continue to do all we can to prevent Colombians The idea is to generate information about how from suffering diseases associated with tobacco use. We must higher taxes on tobacco translate into changed remember that every death resulting from this cause, or from behavior on the part of vulnerable populations, the consumption of sugary drinks, is a tragedy that can be pre- taking into account the regulatory context. vented through healthy tax policies.

53 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AN INCLUSIVE CHAIR BRINGS EL ROSARIO ITS FIRST SHARED PATENT

Boys and girls with brain and neurological disorders can enjoy improved quality of life by using the Incluchair, an inclusive design developed jointly by the Occupational Therapy Program of the Universidad del Rosario and the Design Program of the Universidad de los Andes.

54 By Ninfa Sandoval / Photos by Leonardo Parra

Focus groups were formed to get ideas for the best design. They included parents and occupational and physical therapists of children with mild to moderate cerebral palsy.

here are no up-to-date statistics in their heads and hands, and to walk correctly,” Colombia of current numbers of explains Adriana Ríos, Ph.D., leader of the proj- disabled people, and certainly no THE INCLUCHAIR ect and professor of Occupational Therapy at recent figures reflecting child dis- the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at ability. According to the Registry GAVE CHILDREN the Universidad del Rosario. This work design- for the Localization and Charac- A STRAIGHTER ing furniture for children with motor difficul- terization of Persons with Disabil- POSTURE. THEY ties was begun in 2008, with the goal of help- T ities (compiled by the Colombian ing children improve their social participation EXPERIENCED national data agency DANE), in 2010 there and their quality of life at home, in school, and were 857,132 people with some kind of dis- FEWER MUSCULAR in rehabilitation facilities. ability; 761,889 of them had disabilities as- COMPENSATIONS This gave rise to the Incluchair, which is de- sociated with the nervous system or with DURING THEIR signed for use by children with minor or less moving their body, arms, and legs. Among ACTIVITIES, AND severe brain injuries who can move their bod- children from 0-14 years of age, 13,167 had ies with assistance or support, but who are not difficulties in changing or maintaining the NEEDED LESS TIME able to maintain a posture that allows them to position of their bodies; 14,194 had trouble TO CARRY OUT carry out manual activities, and who are un- using, carrying, or moving objects with their TASKS THAT able to maintain close attention to activities hands, and 38,381 had difficulties walking, REQUIRED THE USE because in normal chairs they slip down and running, and jumping. fail to keep upright for activities such as draw- A joint project by the Occupational Ther- OF BOTH HANDS ing and writing or grasping objects and placing apy program of the School of Medicine and them in containers. Health Sciences at the Universidad del Ro- sario and the Industrial Design program of SEARCHING FOR THE SOLUTION the Universidad de los Andes undertook the A process of perfecting and testing prototypes development of the Incluchair, which en- of the chair was carried out in collaboration with the Faculty ables children with cerebral palsy to sit up of Industrial Design of the Universidad de los Andes and the straight so they can carry out different activ- participation of researcher and industrial designer Mónica ities and integrate into social spaces. González. “It is hard for children with cerebral palsy Several models were tried, first with girls and boys with and other neurological problems to main- no postural difficulties, until researchers settled on a com- tain their posture, to control the position of fortable and functional model for both sexes.

55 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The research results demonstrated that in sitting positions without good postural support, the children’s muscles needed to work harder, and they took longer to carry out twohanded activities.

of 4-11 years of age with cerebral palsy needed to carry IN 2011, THIS APPLIED out several activities. RESEARCH PROJECT IN Seated in a school chair, in a chair with a wooden INCLUSIVE DESIGN, wedge that positioned their SUPPORTED BY hips, and in the Incluchair, METHODOLOGIES the children carried out ac- ASSOCIATED WITH tivities such as visually following an object, grasping BIOMECHANICS AND a toy, opening a bottle with Focus groups made up of parents and NEURODEVELOPMENT, two hands, moving a toy car occupational and physical therapists of WAS GRANTED A from side to side, putting children with minor to moderate cerebral PATENT FOR THE objects into a bottle, and palsy were used to get ideas for the best de- raising an object over their sign. This allowed researchers to determine INCLUCHAIR BY heads. the best angle of forward tilt for the back THE COLOMBIAN of the chair, which turned out to be 20 de- SUPERINTENDENCY THE RESULT: MORE UP- RIGHT POSTURE grees. This provides necessary support to OF INDUSTRY AND the pelvis and its muscles so that children’s Using surface electromy- backs and heads are kept in the most advan- COMMERCE ography (which provides a tageous position for longer periods. At the graphic record of the elec- same time, the curved design at the front trical activity produced by muscles), the activ- of the seat helps keep children from sliding ity of muscles in the children’s backs, necks, down on it. abdomens, and arms was measured to evaluate Once the model was ready, researchers the effort required to stay seated upright during recorded the amount of time that 15 children these activities.

56 The chair helps children who have minor to moderate cerebral injuries and can get around with help or support but cannot maintain a position that allows them to engage in manual activities.

The results demonstrated that when the children were seated without good postural support and they were unable Adriana Ríos says to stay upright, their muscles had to work harder and they that the invention took longer to carry out two-handed activities. needs sponsorship The experiments were conclusive. Children seated in the to develop more prototypes, Incluchair had straighter posture, experienced less muscu- continue to improve lar compensation during activities, and they took less time its aesthetic to carry out two-handed tasks. aspects, and put it to use in learning environments. USES OF THE INCLUCHAIR This will allow This solution, dedicated to giving more functional time researchers to study its impact on when seated to children with mild neurological diseases, children in the field. offers improved quality of life and tools for inclusion and interaction in learning contexts. The chair can also be of benefit to other children, such as those with Down syndrome, those born prematurely, and those without disabilities but who present problems in their posture or in carrying out activities. school activities and daily life. In addition, it In 2011, this applied research project in inclusive design, can be used at home, in school, and in ther- supported by methodologies associated with biomechan- apeutic spaces.” ics and neurodevelopment, was granted a patent for the Sponsorship of this work is needed so de- Incluchair by the Colombian Superintendency of Industry signers can generate more prototypes, con- and Commerce. tinue to perfect the chair aesthetically, and Its development, as Ríos explains, “allows boys and girls put it to use in learning environments.This with neurological disorders to take part in society with- will allow researchers to gauge impact by out being stigmatized or discriminated against, to exercise carrying out a field study using teachers and greater autonomy, and to improve their performance in children.

57 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE COLOMBIA SHOULD RETHINK ITS MIGRATION POLICIES About 80 years ago, indigenous Otavalo Kichwa people from Ecuador crossed the border and came to the Colombian capital to expand their business networks. Now, Bogotá has become a base for migration to other countries. It became a case for research into transnational migration and Colombia’s migration policies, called into question by Haitian and Cuban migrants in 2016.

58 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photos by Leonardo Parra

The migration of Otavalo Kichwas to Colombia began with their sale of woven goods and artisanry. This was the motivation behind the first wave of migrants to the country, who established the first settlements in Bogotá, and with them the first generation of these indigenous peoples in our nation.

he women carry their children on their backs, wrapped tightly to their bodies using large shawls. Their image is completed by gold earrings and necklaces, and embroidered blouses. They are now a regular sight on the streets of Bogotá, where they sell elaborately-woven textiles to passers-by. The men are also easy to recognize by their long, jet- T black, braided hair and the reed flutes, pan pipes, and guitars they use in playing traditional Andean music. They were born in Imbabura, a province in the north of neighbouring Ecuador, and Bogotá plays two roles for them. First, they have expanded the scope of their trading activity to the city, but it has also become an enclave where they plot migration strategies to move to other countries in North Ameri- can, Europe, and Asia The Otavalo Kichwas first came to Colombia in the 1940s considering it a land of greater business opportunities. “It had larger markets and different structures of discrimination, which they found to their liking. Older adults from Cotaca- chi (one of the towns of the province) still remember that as children they had to step off the sidewalk if a mestizo was ap- proaching,” explains Juan Thomas Ordóñez, professor of anthropology at the Universidad del Rosario and member of the Rosario’s Identity Studies Research Group. Since 2012, Ordóñez, who earned his Ph.D. in medical anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, has conducted research on Otavalo Kichwa relations with Bogotá and the Colombian State. These relations with Colombia and its capital have lasted nearly 80 years, and are of increasing interest to researchers who want to understand other migratory phenomena occurring within the country and to anticipate those that may develop in the future.

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Researcher Juan Thomas Ordóñez says that their long relationship with Colombia has allowed the earliest Otavalo Kichwa settlers in Bogotá, as well as their descendants, to achieve a special political status in the country. In 2005, they were recognized as an urban indigenous council (cabildo).

“It is important to note that Colombia is in Bogotá, and with them the a transit point on migratory routes. We have first generation of Otavalo Haitians and Cubans trying to get to the Unit- IF THE COUNTRY Kichwas in our nation. ed States in the near future, and it isn’t out of CONTINUES TO “Eventually, they realized the question to think that Colombia could GROW AT ITS that it was more profitable to become a receiving country for migrants if PRESENT RATE produce fabrics here than to the country keeps growing at the same rate bring them from Ecuador, so and conflict genuinely eases. We are seeing AND THE they set up their own looms. this with Venezuelans. It may be time for the CONFLICT EASES, Soon they began to bring country to start thinking about itself this way COLOMBIA people to work in produc- and prepare for that eventuality, because it COULD BECOME A tion, generally family mem- isn’t doing so yet,” adds Ordóñez. bers and godchildren, since RECEIVING the godparent-godchild rela- FROM TEXTILES TO MUSIC COUNTRY FOR tion is important in Andean Migration by Otavalo Kichwas to Colombia MIGRANTS IN THE populations. A person with began with their sale of woven goods and arti- NOT-TOO-DISTANT economic resources there al- sanry as a way to expand their trading. ways ends up being godpar- According to research backed up by eth- FUTURE ent to the children of those nographic studies of three generations of this who work in his business. population group, this was the motivation and The same thing that was happening in Bogotá, occupation of the first wave of immigration to began to occur in in Popayán, Ipiales, and Me- Colombia, which brought the first settlements dellín,” explains Ordóñez.

60 Photos by Leonardo Parra / 123rf

It is estimated that between 4,000 and 7,000 Kichwas live in Bogotá and another 4,000 come and go every year.

The second wave of Otavalo Kichwa migration to Colombia of Lucho Garzón, they were recognized as was in the 1960s, and also made up of young people interested an urban indigenous cabildo, an official- in selling fabrics and artisanry, but in this case, they came and ly self-governing indigenous community. returned, maintaining tighter bonds with their country of or- This, however, created tensions within the igin. The third wave, which began in the 1970s and 80s, reflect- group between those who belonged to the ed a more itinerant pattern of migration. “The literature refers cabildo and those who did not, since this to a worldwide Otavalo Kichwa diaspora,” says Ordóñez, “with distinction led to unequal relations with the Bogotá settlement being the first and oldest, the node of the Colombian State. numerous migration networks. The literature refers to peo- As Ordóñez explains, “The cabildo can ple passing through Bogotá, but not to Bogotá as central to the only recognize Kichwas with Colombi- networks that then took them to Europe, the United States, an citizenship or who have direct kinship and even Japan and Korea,” points out the researcher. with a Colombian citizen. This excluded Since then, Bogotá has been central to this indigenous the many Kichwas who come and go from group’s transnational relations. Although the Otavalo Kichwa the country.” still sell woven goods and artisanry, they have also found oth- The cabildo consists of 2,000 registered er means of income, for example by playing Andean music in people, but there are an estimated 4,000 Russia, Italy, Spain, and other countries. to 7,000 Kichwas living in Bogotá and another 4,000 who come and go every year. SPECIAL POLITICAL STATUS They require legal recognition and status Their long stays in Colombia allowed Bogota’s earliest Otavalo as migrants, and their situation illustrates Kichwa families and their descendants to be granted special the pressing need for Colombia to rethink political status in the country. In 2005, during the mayoralty its migration policies.

61 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE From the Incubator to Kangaroo Mother Care The Faculty of Economics Research Group at the Universidad del Rosario is participating in a research project that has lasted over 20 years, bringing to light developmental differences between premature newborns treated with “kangaroo mother care” and those who were placed in incubators.

he World Health Organization (WHO) calculates that more than 15 million babies around the world are born prematurely every year, and one out of every 10 newborns has difficulty developing and growing normally. Sadly, more than one million of these babies die during the first two months of their lives due to those complications. And most of those who survive face difficult lives that include learning, vision, and hearing problems. Being born before completing the T prenatal stage of development may mean physical and mental dis- advantages lasting a lifetime. Premature birth is the principal cause of death for children under five in all countries, regardless of their parents’ social and economic conditions. Accord- ing to the WHO, low birth weight, defined as under 2,500 grams, was associated with 44% of the 2,763,000 neonatal deaths recorded worldwide in 2013. Economic inequality among countries has had a direct impact on the survival

62 By Alejandro González / Photo by 123rf

According to the World Health Organization, over 15 million children are born prematurely in the world every year. It is estimated that over one million of them die in the first two months of life.

63 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

of these premature babies. The WHO states pital, although they are required to come in for very rigorous that in less developed countries, newborns Premature daily evaluations, while this must not interrupt feeding with and premature babies born before the 32nd birth is the maternal breast milk. week of pregnancy die due to lack of effective main cause From that point on, the kangaroo care approach has be- of death in care including sufficient heat, good nutrition, the first five come well established thanks to the benefits it has shown in and basic support to tackle infections and re- years of life contrast to incubator use. spiratory difficulties. Babies in high income all around the world, countries survive these kinds of problems. irrespective LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE Until 1978, premature newborns were of parents’ By 1993, the kangaroo mothers program had developed a routinely placed in incubators for several social or much improved protocol. Steps were gradually implemented economic months to provide heat, stabilize their body conditions. in keeping with infants’ development, parents were provided temperature, and allow their organs to finish with detailed guidelines, and safety controls safeguarded ba- maturing. There was a time that year when bies’ lives. “Even though those who were implementing the there were many such babies at the Institu- technique then knew of its benefits, there was still no scientific to Materno Infantil [Mother and Child Insti- proof of its seeming advantages compared to incubator use,” tute] in Bogotá, but an insufficient number of comments Darwin Cortés, professor at the Faculty of Eco- incubators were available to treat them all. In nomics of the Universidad del Rosario. response to that crisis, that hospital’s Dr. Ed- At the Clínica San Pedro Claver, Colombia’s largest public gar Rey came up with an alternative method hospital at that time, a group of researchers from several uni- for their care. versities carried out a study with 716 premature babies born This technique was called “kangaroo between September 1993 and September 1994. The babies mother care,” and it provided premature were assigned the use of incubators or randomly placed on the babies with the heat they needed through kangaroo program to determine infant mortality and analyze skin-to-skin contact with their parents. It is the mental and physical development of the children during unnecessary for them to remain in the hos- their first year of life.

64 Photos by 123rf / Leonardo Parra

IT WAS FOUND THAT KANGAROO BABIES GROW UP TO HAVE, ON AVERAGE, HIGHER INCOMES BUT LOWER MEAN SCORES IN MATHEMATICS AND LANGUAGE SKILLS THAN INCUBATOR BABIES.

Darwin Cortés Researcher

Initial results showed that while there 69% of the 716 children in the original research. Of this group, were no great differences in mortality rates three had died after their first birthday, eleven were no longer compared to the use of incubators, key char- in Bogotá, and 39 did not want to participate in the continuing acteristics of the kangaroo program stood out. research. The remaining 222 of these young adults could not For example, the kangaroo babies established be found but, based on civil registry data, are presumed to be closer bonds with their parents because they living. were not confined to the hospital. This en- The follow-up study analyzed the results of 438 partici- couraged a better family climate. pants (226 kangaroo babies and 212 incubator babies) from Twenty years later, an interdisciplinary the original study. “Kangaroo and incubator groups within the group comprising doctors from different spe- final sample were compared with regard to their educational cialties, psychologists, engineers, neuroscien- and occupational records and different medical, psychological, tists, and economists, carried out a follow-up and neurological variables,” says Darwin Cortés, a member of study of the development of babies involved the multidisciplinary research group running this study. in the 1993 study. The researchers’ analyses of educational and occupational This was conducted by experts from the variables led to an apparently paradoxical double outcome. Universidad del Rosario, the Canguros Foun- On the one hand, it was found that the kangaroo babies grew dation, the Pontifical Xavierian University, up to have, on average, higher incomes than the incubator ba- the Universidad de los Andes, San Ignacio bies. On the other hand, the kangaroo babies had lower mean University Hospital, and the San José Chil- scores in mathematics and language skills than the incubator dren’s Hospital, with the added participation babies. of specialists from Laval University and the St. Current research now focuses on trying to understand this Justine Hospital in Montreal, both in Canada. apparent paradox and relate economic variables to brain de- Between January 18, 2013 and December 26, velopment. Even after over 20 years of research, studies still 2014, the group located 494 people who had continue to analyze and compare data obtained from these survived their first year of life, representing young people.

65 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

OLDER adults: an asset or liability on the social balance sheet?

For decades, ccording to the United Nations, in 1986 people the population of 60-years-old and over represented 8% of all of older adults men and women in the world; this rose to 8.9% in 2000, and 11.5% in 2016. If this trend continues, has been older adults will be almost 30% of all people by the increasing end of the millennium. These numbers have con- rapidly in the vinced some of the need to pay closer attention to Athis population sector and to recognize that this vast majority demographic change has become an urgent social problem of countries. around the world. These global demographic trends are repeated in Colom- bia. As in other developing countries, the dynamics of Colom- bia’s population growth are undergoing significant changes. In 2016, people of 60-years-old and over made up 9.1% of the

66 By Marlyn Ahumada / PhotoPor by xxxx Leonardo / Fotos Parra xxxx

total population, while 30 years ago they were a psychological perspective. One such study, however, was just 5.1%. In addition, according to the coun- In 2016 people carried out last year by professors Luisa Fernanda Ramírez try’s national data agency (DANE), the num- of 60-years- and Ximena Palacios Espinosa at the Universidad del Rosario. ber of newborns has diminished nearly 30% old or over Among other social elements, they studied positive and neg- were 9.1% in recent decades, and life expectancy at the of the total ative aging stereotypes. The former refer to wisdom, experi- end of this decade is predicted to be about 79 population. ence, memory, familiarity, and the composure that people years for women and 74 years for men. Thirty years associate with the elderly, while the latter cover perceptions earlier they This means that by the end of the decade, were just that elderly people are grumpy, irritable, ailing, stubborn, the percentage of people from 15-to-20 years- 5.1%. and reclusive. old will have fallen by 18% in the overall pop- The researchers found that people who hold to negative ulation spread, while those over 60 will have stereotypes about aging expect to suffer from compromised increased by 42.1%. mental health and have less social support in their own old Despite this, few studies have analyzed age. According to the study, “good health care and sufficient aging or related concerns in Colombia from good-quality social support can help older people to live and

67 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

RELIGIOSITY CAN HAVE AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON COLOMBIANS’ PERCEPCIONES AND EXPECTATIONS REGARDING AGING

work longer, to feel appreciated and respected, and to feel that they give their families security.” On the other hand, “lack of social support, among other things, accentuates the problems of older people in carrying out their daily activities.” Since family unity and warmth are particularly important to Latin Americans as mechanisms of social support, people’s confidence that they will have someone by their side accompanying them through the process relieves the anxiety associated with aging. “In addition to the close dependency between older adults and their families, there is also an urgent need to prepare younger generations to care for their elders and support them in an environment of appreciation and respect, thus avoiding discrimination, exploitation, and other undesirable situations,” af- firm Ramírez and Palacios Espinosa. The researchers also warn that “despite efforts to include older adults and improve their living conditions, Colombia is not ready Professor Luisa Fernanda Ramírez to confront the changes inherent in an aging says that the lack society. The weakening of the social network of social support, (family, friends, and community) negatively among other things, increases affects the quality of life.” Viewed in this way, the difficulties of it is the responsibility of the State to strength- older people in en strategies for looking after those affected. carrying out their daily activities. RELIGIOSTY AND AGING The study by the two Universidad del Rosario professors was one of the first to examine the associations between psychosocial concerns, In addition to the perceptions, and expectations of aging in Co- strong dependency between older adults lombia. However, due to the size of the sam- and their families, ple and its limited age range, it left some ques- there is an urgent need tions about the interrelationships between to prepare younger generations to care for these factors unanswered. For this reason, the and support their elders researchers decided to conduct an additional in an environment research project called Support for Aging in of appreciation and respect, says researcher Colombia, which has a larger sample allowing Ximena Palacios for more detailed analysis. Espinosa.

68 Photos by Leonardo Parra / Carlos Roberto Reyes

Life expectancy forecasts for the end of the present decade are 79 for women and 74 for men.

The relevance of religiosity is a variable aging, particularly in countries like Colombia, that has not been deeply studied, but it is crit- where they run a greater risk of suffering from ical in literature on aging, especially in Latin BY THE END OF negative social phenomena such as poverty, dis- America. The two professors indicate that by THIS DECADE, THE ability, and abandonment, compared to other promoting positive stereotypes, religiosity PERCENTAGE OF at-risk populations. may act to mitigate anxiety about aging. So religious organizations, like some others, It should be remembered that Colombia is a PEOPLE 15-20 can contribute to providing social and emotion- very religious country. About 90% of its inhab- YEARS OLD WILL al support to people who are experiencing this itants identify as Christians, while only 4.7% HAVE FALLEN BY later stage of life, and at the same time contrib- identify as atheists or agnostics. Thus, it seems 18%, WHILE THE ute to reducing uncertainty, thereby improving probable that religiosity can have an important the expectations of older adults with regard to role in influencing Colombians’ perceptions OVER 60S the future. and expectations regarding aging. POPULATION Awareness about these topics in Colombia is Ramírez and Palacios Espinosa stress the WILL HAVE very new, as Ramírez and Palacios Espinosa point emphasis Christianity places on respect for INCREASED BY out: “More research is required to explore the re- the elderly, as well as the positive depiction lationship between stereotypes, anxiety about of older people and of aging in the Old Testa- 42.1% aging and social support, and their combined ment. effect on the well-being of older people in the country. One In addition, older adults are often respect- does not need to delve too deeply to conclude, however, that ed and valued in religious environments, older adults are a very important asset to society and merit suggesting that their religiosity would moti- our great respect and support, for they are the authors and vate them to support positive stereotypes of protagonists of our past.

69 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE El Rosario in open access journals The Universidad del Rosario is making great strides forward in balancing quantity and quality in its scientific publications. This tendency is also evident in open access journals (OAJ), scientific publications that provide universal and open access to their contents without any economic, technical, or administrative restrictions, and which for some researchers are now the first choice for communicating the results of their studies. El Rosario signed the Declaration of Berlin in 2017.

UR SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION IN SUBSCRIPTION AND OPEN CITATION ACCESS JOURNALS INDEXED IN SCOPUS (2006-2015) PERFORMANCE OF UR DOCUMENTS PUBLISHED IN Num. of documents in subscription journals Ye a r Num. of documents in OAJ SUBSCRIPTION JOURNALS VS. DOCUMENTS PUBLISHED IN 38 2006 8 17% OAJ (2011-2015) * 2011 39 2007 29 43% 0.96 0.25 81 2008 30 27% 2012 90 2009 36 29% 1.18 0.40 87 2010 40 31%

2013 85 2011 54 39% 1.01 0.66

128 2012 55 30% Journals OA % Documents in OAJ in % Documents

Subscription journals Subscription 2014 113 2013 59 34% 0.75 0.60 157 2014 78 33% 2015 165 2015 109 40% 0.84 0.59 Source: SciVal, 2017

SCOPUS-INDEXED OPEN ACCESS JOURNALS PUBLISHING UR PRODUCTION (2006-2015)

Total number of journals 33 34 53 61 73 74 102 104 120 139

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

6 10 12 13 18 25 19 33 40 57 Number of OAJs

15% 23% 18% 18% 20% 25% 16% 24% 25% 29% % of documents in OAJ The diversification of sources over time is notable: Represent an-ever increasing proportion of all scientific journals where production is published. This reflects the importance that the University places on open science. Source: SciVal, 2017 * Normalized Impact (NI) compares the impact of UR publications with the average impact of all similar publications in the same area of knowledge. The standard reference value is 1.

70 QUARTILES OF SUBSCRIPTION JOURNALS VS. QUARTILES OF JOURNALS WHERE UR PRODUCTION IS PUBLISHED (2011-2015)Z

100% 8.4% 7% 14.3% 15% 90% 20% 16.1% 33.3% 32% 32% 33% 80% 22.1% 14.3% 13% 15.3% 30% 15% 70% 60% 25% 27.1% 22.1% 23% 18% 23.4% 25% 20% 50% 29.2% 47% 40% 15% 8.3% 19% 30% 47% 47.4% 44.3% 40% 45.2% 43% 20% 5% 33% 29.2% 26% 10% 16% 0% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

If the beginning of this period is compared with the end it is evident that the participation of OAJs in Q1, the highest quartile, has increased and almost equals the proportion of subscription journals. This indicates increased quality of the contents of OA journals, which is reflected in the rankings. Source: SCImago Journals Ranking (SJR). 2017 Note: Includes only those journals for which information is available.

ORIGEN OF SUBSCRIPTION JOURNALS VERSUS ORIGIN OF OA JOURNALS THAT HAVE PUBLISHED UR PRODUCTION (2011-2015)

100% 7% 9.7% 13% 15.5% 10% 90% 26% 12.5% 15% 35% 14% 80% 12% 48% 47.4% 45.5% 15.5% 70% 20% 60% 20% 50% 18.2% 40% 77.8% 24% 26.3% 78% 76% 75% 69% 30% 54% 45% 20% 36.4% 28% 26.3% 10% 0% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals Subscriptionjournals OA journals

International National Regional

The two kinds of journals follow contrasting tendencies. Despite OA journals being more geographically diverse, international OA journals are growing more rapidly. International subscription journals, however, are slowly falling in overall participation. Both tendencies show greater diversity in the origin of the journals, suggesting that scientific knowledge from the Universidad del Rosario, and particularly that published in OA journals, is being published in subscription journals worldwide. Source: SciVal, 2017

71 3Towards an ecologically sustainable environment Towards an ecologically sustainable Towards anenvironment ecologically sustainable environment ADVANCES IN SCIENCE FROM THE BRITISH MOTH TO THE AMAZONIAN BUTTERFLY

Researchers from the amous peppered moth’s dark secret revealed,” was Universidad del the headline on the BBC World Service. “Two of the most famous examples of evolu- Rosario were part of tion have the same simple explanation,” read the an international team Washington Post headline in the United States. that announced Both these media, along with several others, in the prestigious used similar terms to get out this news in June “F 2016, after the journal Nature published - anim journal Nature that portant finding by scientists from several of the world’s uni- it had found a gene versities, among them the Universidad del Rosario, that a shared by two gene called cortex was responsible for the striking colors of species on the Heliconius, a tropical butterfly found in the Andes and Amazonia, and also the black of British moths. different continents. The importance of the finding was that the characteristics of the butterflies (their brilliant colors) and the moths (the

74 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photos by Leonardo Parra

BEFORE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, THESE MOTHS WERE WHITE WITH BLACK MARKINGS. THEN THE BIRCH TREES WHERE THEY LIVED DARKENED DUE TO A COATING OF SOOT. THE MOTHS BECAME EASY PREY FOR PREDATORS BECAUSE THEY COULD NO LONGER CAMOUFLAGE THEMSELVES, SO THEY TURNED COMPLETELY BLACK

color black), two of the best-known examples The Universidad del Rosario participated in one of the of natural selection proposed by Charles Dar- two teams that worked in parallel but independently from win in the 19th century and taught to biology each other to study the moths and the butterflies until they The cortex students, were caused by the same gene act- gene allowed found what they had in common. ing in different ways in the two insect species, tropical and that these physically distant but related butterflies to FROM WHITE TO BLACK take on bright species shared a behavioral pattern. colors that On the one hand, there was a team of researchers from the “We were surprised to discover that cortex attract mates University of Liverpool in England, who studied the British is the gene responsible for producing those and alert moths for four years trying to identify the genes that al- predators to colors, since its original function is to con- their toxicity. lowed these insects to adapt to new conditions in order to trol cellular division. We don’t know how it survive. is controlling the generation of color, and we Before the Industrial Revolution, peppered moths were want to find out,” explained Camilo Salazar, white, speckled with black, but they subsequently turned professor at the Universidad del Rosario and completely black. The tree bark that was their habitat had expert in evolutionary genetics. turned dark due to soot adhering to it, making it impossible

75 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

“Continuing Carolina Pardo, this research professor at the will allow us Universidad to clarify the del Rosario, molecular and is part of the functional team that details of how is studying the the cortex application gene works of natural in order to selection in the understand the specific case of evolutionary South American origin of these butterflies. biological adaptations, not only in insects but also in human beings,” says researcher Mauricio Linares, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

for the light-colored moths to camouflage predators of their toxicity,” themselves, and making them easy prey for explains Mauricio Linares, predators. ANOTHER Dean of the Faculty of Natu- “Thus, the so-called carbonaria (black) FINDING ral Sciences and Mathematics moths, which could better camouflage SURPRISED THE at the Universiad del Rosario themselves, became more abundant. This is and director of the research an example of natural selection, where the RESEARCHERS group on Evolutionary Ge- organism that survives is that which is bet- IN BOTH netics, Phylogeography, and ter equipped to face changing environmen- TEAMS. WHILE Ecology of Neotropical Biodi- tal conditions,” explains Carolina Pardo, THE CORTEX versity, in which Pardo and principal professor at El Rosario and expert Salazar both participate. in evolutionary genetics. ENABLED THE He adds that the two proj- Pardo participated in the consortium, ADAPTATION ects provided evidence that on the team that studied the application of OF THE despite having been separat- natural selection in the specific case of the BUTTERFLIES ed from a common ancestor South American butterflies. The consortium 100 million years ago, the included scientists from Cambridge, Shef- MILLIONS OF moths and butterflies use field, and York Universities in the United YEARS AGO, IN the same genetic region to Kingdom; Harvard University in the United THE CASE OF adapt in different fashions to States; the National Museum of Natural His- THE BRITISH their environments in order tory in France; the Smithsonian Institute for to survive. Tropical Research in Panama; the Universi- MOTHS IT DID ty of Adelaide, in Australia, and the Depart- SO ONLY 200 EVOLUTION OVER ment of Biology of the Faculty of Natural YEARS BACK HUNDREDS, NOT Sciences and Mathematics of the Universi- MILLIONS OF YEARS dad del Rosario in Colombia. Another finding surprised the researchers in both teams. “This team discovered that the cortex While the cortex gene enabled the adaptation of the but- gene, as opposed to how it worked in the terflies millions of years ago, in the case of the British moths moths, had enabled the butterflies to take it did so only 200 years back. According to scientists at the on bright colors to attract mates and warn University of Liverpool, the change took place in 1819. Fur-

76 “We were EXPERIMENTAL STATION surprised to AT THE SERVICE OF RESEARCH discover that the cortex is the gene The Universidad del Rosario established its Faculty responsible of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 2008, and in for the bright 2013 it decided to establish the José Celestino Mutis colors of the Experimental Field Research Station, expected to butterflies,” said Camilo begin operations in 2017, to continue the study of Salazar, expert butterflies and continue to produce new knowledge in in evolutionary the sciences and mathematics, work that was begun at genetics. the University in the 18th century by the field station’s namesake, scientist José Celestino Mutis.

“The primary goals of this open-air laboratory are to support research on nature and promote the sustainable coexistence of human beings with their environment, to complement undergraduate and postgraduate instruction, and to train new generations of professionals in the programs of the Faculty, i.e. Applied Biology, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science, with Earth Sciences soon to be added.

Field stations are important for monitoring the interaction of human beings with the natural environment, and they will be the first to inform us about changes to the natural environment on thermore, as British media pointed out, white moths with the planet Earth. They are responsible for the key black markings are increasing in frequency today, since pol- scientific studies on the interaction of humans with lution, and the soot it left on trees, has decreased. the environment in areas such as climate change, “This shows us that evolutionary changes can occur over loss of biodiversity, invasive species, and decreasing very short periods of time. We don’t necessarily have to numbers of pollinators. wait thousands or millions of years to see them. It is also In Colombia, the José Celestino Mutis Experimental evidence that many environmental changes generated by Field Station will be the academic home of innovative humans can affect nature,” adds Salazar. research of national importance and transformative The Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathe- global significance in areas such as climate change, matics underlines that having found that the same gene is environmental resilience, biodiversity, animal used in different ways by different organisms to adapt to behavior, ecological succession, forest restoration, such dissimilar ecological environments may teach us an biogeochemical cycles and gas exchange, and the evolutionary principle. biology of conservation. “It may take a long time, often millions of years, for evolution to generate biological molecules that perform certain At the same time, it will provide field courses for complex functions. But once evolution ‘nails’ a useful and students and researchers from Colombian and successful molecular structure, it is easier to slightly modify international schools, universities, and other institutions, and work to raise the general public’s the gene that produces it so that it will perform new func- awareness of agricultural and economic development tions and allow new adaptations to begin, rather than wait and responsible and sustainable agriculture and millions of years for the appearance of another molecule livestock farming. that will perform a similar function,” explains Linares. For this reason, he affirms that is very important to con- The Field Station will be on 12.5 hectares (about tinue this research. “It gives us the opportunity to clarify 31 acres) of land located 14 km from La Vega, the molecular and functional details of how the cortex gene Cundinamarca, and 12 km from Sasaima on the works, and helps us understand the evolutionary origin of western slope of the Eastern Ranges (Cordillera these biological adaptations, not only in insects but also in Oriental) of the Andes at an altitude of 1,300 meters human beings, since very similar functional and regulatory (4,265 feet). About 80% of this area is covered with mechanisms may be behind many of the biological marvels forest endemic to the climate in Colombia’s coffee- growing zone. that characterize us, including many of our adaptive systems and organs,” he says.

77 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

PLANTS HOLD THE SECRET TO MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

Everyone knows that f worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are plants need light. Few not reduced by the year 2100, Colombia and many other people, however, know places in the world will face terrible difficulties. Rising sea levels would threaten coastal towns and cities; snowcaps that carefully studying would melt, and the moorlands on our high plateaus, the how plants use light predominant source of potable water for our towns and and how efficiently cities, would be significantly reduced in size. I These are the warnings found in New Scenarios of Cli- they use it can make mate Change for Colombia 2011-2100, a study conducted by an important contribution the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental to mitigating the effects Studies -IDEAM), with United Nations assistance, which de- of climate change. scribes the changes that will be produced by the emission of GHG in Colombia throughout the present century.

78 By Inés Elvira Ospina / Photo by Nicolás Jacob

More detailed knowledge will allow us to manage forests in ways that mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases.

TIME FOR RESEARCH ried out by the Group on Functional and Ecosystemic Ecology These kinds of warnings make plant research a of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the Uni- priority, since plants absorb carbon dioxide from versidad del Rosario. the air through the process of photosynthesis, fix The idea for the research was developed by Juan M. Posada, it, and turn it into biomass, counteracting global chair of the Biology Department and expert in plant ecophys- warming. iology and ecosystem ecology, during his postdoctoral work “More detailed knowledge will allow us to bet- at McGill University in Canada, and later as a professor at El ter manage our forests to mitigate the effects of Rosario. To carry it out, researchers had to expose trees native GHG. Much immediate knowledge can come out to the Bogotá Savanna to the same total quantity of daylight, of research that seems very basic and lacking in but distributed differently during the day: “One group of trees practical applications, but this can lead to inno- would have constant light, unchanging throughout the day; vation and new ideas,” says Camilo Rey Sánchez, another would have light that increased in intensity as time forest engineer and researcher on the project car- went by, peaking at noon; and a third would be exposed to

79 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

very low light all day long but with a very high Research on intensity peak at noon,” explains Posada. plants is a priority because LED LAMPS they use These conditions and the need for exact re- photosynthesis sults required very precise control of the light to absorb carbon dioxide to which trees would be exposed. The re- from the air, searchers examined the LED bulbs available then fix it in Colombia and internationally, but prob- and turn it into biomass, lems with the color spectrum, especially with counteracting far-red light, convinced them to make their global warming. own lamps. After several studies and tests, they found the combination of white and far-red bulbs that was closest to a natural light spectrum. “They are very strong lamps. When located 20 centimeters from the objective, they are able to emit light at about half the intensity of sunlight at noon.” says Posada. COMBINING AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE The lamps have 121 LED bulbs: 97 white ones and 24 far-red ones, organized into 11 col- umns and 11 rows. Once we had our design, we found technicians who could build the cir- cuits and program them. “First we built a prototype and tested it ex- tensively using a photo meter to get it just right. The far-red LED bulbs were hardest to THE GROUP ON graduate because we had to FUNCTIONAL AND focus the light on the plant,” recounts Luis Alejandro ECOSYSTEMIC Quiroz, electronic engineer ECOLOGY AT THE and associate researcher at the UNIVERSIDAD International Physics Center. DEL ROSARIO The next step was to develop the electronics. Each CONDUCTED A bulb needed to be controlled RESEARCH PROJECT individually, so Quiroz de- FOR WHICH IT HAD signed a control card and had TO MAKE ITS it manufactured in Taiwan for reasons of cost and speed. OWN HIGH Once the required lamps and TECHNOLOGY LED the 17 cards were ready, the LAMPS, WHICH engineer chose three lamps WERE CRUCIAL TO at random for optimization. Then Rey Sánchez fine-tuned THE RESULTS the rest. “We made a user interface from which the lamps were controlled. It had a button to turn them on and off and another button to manage what I called ‘change of treatment,’ which was an Excel table where we entered the data on the quantity of light and times of exposure,” says Quiroz.

80 Photos by Leonardo Parra

Juan M. Posada, chair of the Biology Department and expert on plant ecophysiology and the ecology of ecosystems, directed research that simulated the solar spectrum and allowed us to closely observe photosynthesis and the factors that influence it as key elements in an improved response to climate change.

“That’s how we were able to manage the three groups great extent on the efficiency with which they with different treatments, all from the same computer,” he can utilize light. The researchers recounts, attributing much of the experiment’s success to “The plants were significantly affected by measured the plants’ Posada’s leadership. “Also to the positive collaboration of the the way that light was distributed. Those ex- photosynthesis participants. In one respect, we had a good research question posed to constant light did best, and those and found that and were up to solving it, and in another, the consistency in that had peak light at noon performed worst, the way light was distributed the day-to-day work,” adds Quiroz. because leaves are not very efficient at using significantly very intense light. They grew to one half the affected them. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH size of the others, and their stems were very With the components of the experiment ready, all that was left long and thin. They performed less photosyn- was to assemble them. The 15 lamps were the first to arrive at thesis, and their efficiency was low,” affirms the University’s Entrepreneurship Center in a container that Posada. kept out all sunlight. Rey Sánchez still remembers how com- The positive results of this cutting-edge re- plicated it was to combine the watering system, the lamps, and search, which was submitted to a top-level their height in relation to the plants in order to correctly focus international journal, were largely obtained light on them. through simulation of the solar spectrum, and The experiment involved a total of 15 seedlings, each with they confirmed the relevance of conducting a lamp above it. They were randomly divided up to receive similar studies with different native species. the three different treatments that would expose them to the Rey Sánchez is convinced that observing same quantity of light, but at different intensities, for 12 hours. photosynthesis in detail, along with light, They were monitored for three months and measured daily water, CO2 concentration, and tempera- by Rey Sánchez, who also checked that everything was work- ture –the factors that influence it– will tell us ing correctly. Only two lamps failed. He also checked the data which plants respond best to climate change and measurements made during the preceding hours. Once and, therefore, contribute most effectively the experiment was completed, the results confirmed the hy- to counteracting the effects of greenhouse pothesis put forward; the growth of seedlings depends to a gases.

81 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE The world wants

82 Cacao By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by Juan Ramírez The world

In an attempt to highlight orrential rains, long dry seasons, strong winds, the importance of earth tremors, hurricanes... Climatic and geological tropical forests, a group events relentlessly challenge the species that inhab- of researchers from it the earth, requiring them to adapt or disappear, different institutions and and providing powerful evidence for natural selection. universities, including El “Knowledge of evolutionary history helps us wants Rosario, analyzed the T understand how plants have adapted to climate evolutionary history of change in the past and predict how they might adapt to the several plant families. anthropogenic shifts that we are seeing today and will see in the future,” says James Richardson, biology professor at the Cacao, a product used by Universidad del Rosario. mankind for thousands of Richardson worked with an international group of research- years, was one of them. ers in establishing that the species Theobroma cacao has existed Its booming consumption for 10 million years. In its natural distribution, cacao is restrict- ed to low tropical forested wetlands; never in all that time has today makes it a symbol it adapted to dry areas, and if the climate becomes even drier, of industrial potential. native populations of the species could be threatened.

Cacao 83 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

In a 2016 letter sent to the journal Science and other prestigious academic publications, several scientists from the Universidad del Rosario, including Richardson, sought to alert the government, businesses, researchers, and the world in general to Colombia’s potential risks and opportunities in the post-conflict period. The letter pointed out that “Colom- bia is a center of diversity for the Theobroma genus to which cacao belongs. The country probably boasts a significant genetic diversity for cacao that can help improve the chocolate industry, bring forth varieties that resist disease, boost productivity, maintain resilience in the face of climate change, and introduce new flavor profiles. The continued use of this natural resource can be supported by working to preserve the forests where they are found.” They asked readers to reimagine the color of Colombia’s wealth as “green” rather than gold. Biological resources can be protected if their economic, social, and ecological value can be demonstrated. Meanwhile, the extent of the wealth of the chocolate industry, whose raw material is cacao, has been quantified and is currently valued as a market worth 100 billion dollars per year. Colombia’s cacao is CACAO CONSUMPTION IS INCREASING genetically quite diverse, According to the study conducted by the re- which can search group, including scientists from the probably Universidad de los Andes, the University of contribute to improving Miami, the National Clonal Germplasm Re- the industry pository, and the Royal Botanic Garden Ed- by supplying inburgh, demand for cacao has increased disease- resistant at a rate of 2.5% annually, allowing a deficit varieties. forecast of 150,000 tons of cacao in 2020, the greatest in 50 years. This is because countries like China and India are consuming more chocolate, so much that authorities such as Professor the International Cocoa Organization report James an increase of 30,000 tons of chocolate con- Richardson of the Faculty sumption between 2010 and 2014 in China. of Natural Another reason for the anticipated deficit Sciences and is the appearance of fungi such as “witches Mathematics participated broom” and moniliasis, which have decimat- in the ed plantations in Africa and South America. international The situation has improved in Colombia, research group that found however. According to the National Federa- the species tion of Cacao Producers (Fedecacao), produc- Theobroma tion continues to increase despite the phe- cacao to be 10 million years nomena of La Niña and El Niño. old.

84 Photos by Mara Brugés / Leonardo Parra

A MILLENNARIAN PLANT

In the forest, the cacao tree can reach a height of 9 meters. But trees that size are impractical for the process used to produce cocoa powder. For this reason, the plants used in the chocolate industry are under 3 meters high.

Each cacao fruit contains between 20 and 40 seeds that are fermented, dried, and toasted. Then they are separated from their shells and milled to be turned into cocoa butter, liquor, or solids.

that it be done in a sustainable fashion, not at the expense of tropical forests, which hold the biological diversity that could improve crops and production.” He further explains that after 10 million years of evolution, the cacao tree has very strong ecological ties to other plants and an- “Cacao production in Colombia increased by 3.6% in 2016 imals in its environment, which maintains from 54,798 to 56,785 tons, setting a new record for produc- the genetic diversity of the species. This is an tion in the country,” announced Eduard Baquero López, direc- important factor for cacao in its natural envi- tor of the Federation. ronment if we are to benefit from current and This increase was slower, however, than in 2014-2015, when future diversity. it increased from 47,732 to 54,798 tons. It was also a slower rate Richardson and his colleagues also studied of growth than in 2012-2013, when it increased from 41,670 to the evolutionary history of other plant fam- 46,739 tons. As a matter of fact, exports decreased from 13,744 ilies and species to provide the basic founda- tons in 2015 to 10,572 tons in 2016. “This decrease was basical- tion of knowledge for sciences to find clues to ly due to lower international prices for the bean, which meant ways to preserve the tropical forest with its that international sales were not very profitable. It should also native species, its unspoiled ecosystems, and be mentioned, however, that imports were also reduced from its wealth of natural life. 5,391 to 4,423 tons in those years thanks to increased domestic “Along with colleagues from the Royal production and industry interest in acquiring Botanic Garden of Edinburgh,” explains the Colombian beans,” said the Federation. Fede- professor, “we began to plan ways to call at- cacao exports in the two most recent years in- tention to the importance of preserving trop- cluded sales to countries such as Malaysia and COLOMBIA HAS ical forests, putting the cacao tree into this Estonia, as well as to traditional markets such picture through its economic importance. We as Spain, Belgium, and Mexico. THE SECOND worked simultaneously with several families LARGEST NUMBER of trees such as Sapotaceae, chicle, and ginger, THE FUTURE IS PROMISING OF THEOBROMA as well as some ornamental plants including IF PRODUCTION IS SUSTAINABLE SPECIES IN the begonia. We reconstructed their histo- Richardson says that both his findings from ry, their interspecies relations, their taxono- studying cacao and the current commercial THE WORLD, my, morphology, and physiology. Although outlook point to a clear opportunity for de- SURPASSED ONLY these families are not as relevant in economic veloping the industry, “but it is important BY BRAZIL terms, they are ecologically important.” 85 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

Although there is now an he planet is burning up with fever due to increased emphasis on developing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), particularly smarter and more efficient the extremely harmful carbon dioxide (CO2). Most of habits and lifestyles, there these gases come from factories and means of transport, the latter producing 40% of total world emis- remains much to do on sions. There are now more than a billion vehicles on several fronts, particularly in the world’s highways, a figure expected to rise to 1.8 relation to industry. Tbillion in 2025, in addition to boats and aircraft. The supply of energy and its use are fundamentally important to society because they are key to human progress and development. For this reason, it is imperative to contin- ually improve energy efficiency—to decrease the consumption of energy by machines and devices— since that is the most cost-effective option and one that, in unison with other measures, will prove the most convenient in controlling and

86 By Marlyn Ahumada / Photo by 123rf

stabilising GHG, thereby promoting environ- ing emphasised in order to promote smarter mental sustainability and improving energy and more efficient habits and lifestyles. THERE IS security. More needs to be done in many areas, According to Professor Clara Inés Pardo however, especially in relation to industry. INCREASED Martínez at the School of Management and Several studies conducted by Professor Par- WORLDWIDE Business of the Universidad del Rosario, en- do have led to this conclusion. She analyzed CONSCIOUSNESS ergy efficiency also offers benefits to indus- tendencies toward energy efficiency both in OF THE IMPACT try such as the reduction of operating costs, energy-intensive and energy-non-intensive productivity growth, enhanced quality, bet- sectors in Germany and Colombia. OF CONSUMER ter worker safety, improved utilization of Energy efficiency is measured using in- BEHAVIOR IN capacity, reduced waste, and prevention of dicators that evaluate the energy needed in CHOOSING pollution. physical or monetary units (megajoule/euro, RENEWABLE Expected improvements in energy effi- for example) to carry out an activity. In her ciency are significant in all countries. In fact, research, Pardo used the analytic method ENERGY SYSTEMS the United Nations Industrial Development known as data envelopment analysis (DEA) to AND ACQUIRING Organization (UNIDO) estimates potential evaluate energy efficiency indicators within a ENERGY-EFFICIENT energy savings of 23-26% in the manufactur- theoretical production framework in which PRODUCTS ing sector worldwide. energy and non-energy (labor or capital) in- And fortunately, policies to advance the puts are used to produce goods, recognizing use of renewable energy and technologies for the role of input substitution in achieving en- energy efficiency, so far used only sporadical- ergy efficiency. ly, are just starting to gain traction in government circles. The same method has been used to calculate Germany, for example, is in the process of transforming its the effects of heating technologies on the ener- energy sector through a program known as Energiewende gy efficiency of industries that produce GHG; to (energy transition). The idea is to make substantial long-term establish goals for reducing energy consump- investments to implement innovative practices in both renew- tion in the Asia-Pacific area; to analyze energy able energy and energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy. efficiency in Swedish service industries; and to In addition, there is increased worldwide consciousness measure progress toward reaching energy effi- of the impact of consumer behavior in choosing renewable ciency goals in the economy as a whole. energy systems and acquiring energy-efficient products. The The results of the study on non-energy-in- public now recognizes that consumer behavior is critical to the tensive sectors in the two countries show success of policy planning and implementation, and this is be- considerable variation in energy efficiency

Factories and transport means produce 40% of the world total of greenhouse gas emissions.

87 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Photos by Alberto Sierra

The supply of energy and its use are fundamentally important to society because they are key to human progress and development.

during the sampling period (1998-2005); this variation was primarily a response to labor “Energy supply is an important productivity and capital allocation. variable within Energy efficiency declined in several of the structure of the sectors, indicating that energy savings in production and a key element non-energy intensive sectors are not a pri- in technological ority in terms of improving production pro- development,” cesses, because energy is a less significant cost says Clara Inés Pardo, professor factor compared to other production inputs. at the School of The research also showed that in several of Management. the sectors, both in Germany and Colombia, energy efficiency is positively associated with labor productivity, business size, and the use of electricity. Meanwhile, the study of energy efficiency performance comparing intensive sectors in Germany and Colombia over the same period, tainable development, increase the application of better showed that the great majority of them im- practices, technologies, and innovations, and incentivize proved their energy efficiency rates. Profes- investments related to energy conservation in manufac- sor Pardo comments that “this demonstrates turing industries. that energy input is an important variable in “It is also imperative to carry out further research to the structure of production and a key element identify and understand incentives and obstacles to im- of technological development.” proving energy efficiency in A subsequent analysis showed that sev- manufacturing industries,” eral factors, including labor productivity, ENERGY says Professor Pardo. the extent of electricity use, and the size of EFFICIENCY Einstein used to say that businesses can also be factors marking the IS POSITIVELY there is a driving force more differences in energy efficiency between powerful than steam, elec- Colombian and German energy-intensive ASSOCIATED tricity or atomic energy: will sectors. WITH LABOR power. Never a truer word These results illustrate the need to apply PRODUCTIVITY, spoken. To stop itself ailing, different energy policies and incentives for THE SIZE OF the planet requires the will of consumers—particularly small and medi- governments to lend a hand um-sized businesses in the case of developing BUSINESSES, and motivate their produc- countries like Colombia—to use energy effi- AND THE USE OF tive apparatuses to use more cient machinery and equipment to boost sus- ELECTRICITY efficient energy. 88 Research Networks Through its participation in research networks around the world, the Universidad del Rosario is part of the world knowledge community. It publishes information with knowledge-producing institutions in 59 countries and collaborates with 32 of the most prestigious universities in Colombia. This joint work by its academic units with other institutions has enabled it to produce 363 scientific products collaborating internationally, and 195 collaborating in Colombia.

NUMBER OF WORLDWIDE NETWORKS WITH WHICH THE UR PARTICIPATES

United Low Spain Kingdom France Countries Denmark Sweden 29 28 38 10 6 7

10 Canada

102 United States 9 9 South Korea Israel 14 Mexico

32 Colombia

17 Brazil

12 Australia 7 Chile 8 Argentina

7 8 7 29 21 Por tugal Belgium Switzerland Germany Italy

5 China 2 Norway 1 Egypt 1 New Zealand MORE 5 Japan 2 Poland 1 United Arab Emirates 1 Nigeria COUNTRIES 4 South Africa 2 Puerto Rico 1 Philippines 1 Czech Republic 4 Finland 2 Taiwan 1 Ghana 1 Russia 4 Peru 2 Thailand 1 Hong Kong 1 Serbia 3 Greece 1 Austria 1 Hungary 1 Singapore 68 3 India 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Iceland 1 Slovakia 3 Tur k e y 1 Croatia 1 Indonesia 1 Tun i s i a 3 Venezuela 1 Cyprus 1 Malaysia 1 Uruguay Years: 2011-2015 2 Ireland 1 Ecuador 1 Mongolia Source: SciVal, 2017

89 4Beyond Peace Accords Beyond Peace Beyond Accords Peace Accords ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

A study at the Universidad del Rosario researches the adoption of boys and girls reintegrated into society after serving in illegal armed groups.

Boys and Girls of Steel The Colombian Office of the Ombudsman reports that some 900 minors were reintegrated into society as part of the peace process with the forces. Meanwhile,the Colombian Family Welfare Institute says that it provided services to 5,708 children and adolescents between 1999 and 2015.

92 By Ninfa Sandoval / Photos by Alberto Sierra

In regular adoption processes, the older the children are, the more difficult they are to reintegrate; in these cases, however, the situation may be more complicated.

n 2016, the Observatory on Gender and This research is of great importance to Colombia because it Diversity at the Universidad del Rosario’s will show the country who these boys, girls, and adolescents School of Human Sciences initiated a re- were, those who experienced the war and all its suffering from search project to analyze and monitor the the inside, and how lucky they were to come out of it. situation of children and adolescents re- “We were initially interested in researching girls involved integrated into society after involvement in the conflict because we are a gender observatory,” explains in the Colombian armed conflict. The Danghelly Giovanna Zúñiga Reyes, professor in the Journal- I study seeks to describe these children, ism and Public Opinion Program and director of the Obser- understand the causes and processes of their vatory on Gender and Diversity. “Given the imprecision of involvement in the armed conflict, and un- the data on the number and characteristics derstand the process of restoring their rights of the children, however, we decided to try under the aegis of the State, particularly in re- to reconstruct the ICBF statistics and monitor lation to the process of adoption. 71% OF THE follow-up on communications from the gov- The first results of the research indicate MINORS ernment and the armed groups,” she says. that 71% of minors affiliated with armed INVOLVED WITH groups are boys and 29% are girls, and that the THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK girls stay in the groups longer. ARMED GROUPS Both voluntary and forced recruitment have According to the 20016 study carried out ARE BOYS AND continued, even though articles 13, 44, 45, by the Ombudsman, UNICEF, and the Co- 29 % ARE GIRLS. 50, and 67 of the 1991 Constitution guarantee lombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), the THE GIRLS STAY the rights of boys and girls in Colombia. In ad- primary motivations expressed by boys, girls, dition, Colombian Law 12 of 1991 ratified the and adolescents for joining armed groups IN THE GROUPS Convention on the Rights of the Child, two were their attraction to firearms and uni- LONGER years after it was adopted by the United Na- forms, promises of money, sexual abuse, and tions General Assembly. family violence. Nonetheless, much more In 1999, the Colombian Congress decreed the prohibition of information is needed to fully describe the military service for under-18s, along with recruitment models characteristics of this population. involving them in armed service. In doing so, Colombia ad-

93 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The children recruited by subversice groups may now be around 15-years-old or close to reaching adulthood.

opted the optional protocol of the Conven- stress and increase their readiness for reconciliation,” explains tion on the Rights of the Child, which seeks to Professor Zúñiga. increase the minimum age for membership in “This situation makes it incumbent upon the armed forces. the Colombian State to guarantee them the The Law on Childhood and Adolescents full restitution of their rights and to give them protects boys and girls between 0 and 12 THIS RESEARCH the education they need to establish them- years of age and adolescents between 12 and IS OF GREAT selves within society, considering that their 18 years of age. Those between 14 and 18 years situation is different from the norm. They of age who commit illegal acts are covered by IMPORTANCE have taken on different characteristics and the System for Youth Criminal Responsibility. TO COLOMBIA developed different abilities,” she adds. BECAUSE IT With the aim of providing comprehen- WHAT ABOUT ADOPTION WILL SHOW THE sive protection of childhood, the National “We want to know what is happening with Council on Economic and Social Policy pro- the process of adoption. In regular adoptions, COUNTRY WHO duced a document in 2010 called Policy for the older the children are, the more difficult THESE BOYS, GIRLS, the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of they are to reintegrate. In these cases, how- AND ADOLESCENTS Boys, Girls, and Adolescents by Illegal Armed ever, the situation may be more complicated: WERE, THOSE WHO Groups and Organized Criminal Groups. Its the children may have been recruited at the focus encompasses the following principles age of eight, and now they may be between 12 EXPERIENCED THE and imperatives: the best interests of boys and and 15, or very close to reaching legal adult- WAR AND ALL ITS girls, the prioritization and interdependence hood. In general, these boys, girls, and ado- SUFFERING FROM of their rights, coresponsibility, participation, lescents have been outside the formal edu- THE INSIDE, AND diversity, gender and life-cycle perspective. cational system, have suffered from different forms of mistreatment and revictimization, HOW LUCKY THEY THEY ALL NEED HELP and they need more robust support for so- WERE TO COME Professor Zúñiga says that the participation of cial reintegration to overcome post-traumatic OUT OF IT women in the construction and consolidation 94 5,708 BOYS, GIRLS, AND ADOLESCENTS DISENGAGED FROM THE INTERNAL CONFLICT AND RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM THE ICBF (1999 - 2015)

Among the complementary actions that the State is implementing to avoid the recruitment and use of boys, girls, and Researcher adolescents, the director of the Observatory mentions the Danghelly Zúñiga says that establishment of programs and messages on public and com- the boys, girls, munity broadcast platforms, the formulation and execution of and adolescents plans to prevent recruitment, and the development of a sys- involved in the 1.655 4.053 conflict have tem for gathering information on recruitment. been outside the 29% 71% This work by the Observatory at the Universidad del Ro- system of formal sario has just begun, and will continue until 2019. It will at- education and GIRLS BOYS have suffered tempt to include information on different peace processes in different kinds of Source: Colombian Institute of Family Welfare mistreatment and (ICBF). Calculations by the ICBF Directorate of the country in a single report, including processes with para- revictimization. Planning and Monitoring, as of December 2015 military forces, the FARC, and the recently-initiated process (preliminary data) with the ELN. It also seeks to compare what is happening in Colombia with other similar processes, particularly in Africa, of peace was promoted—although not with- where the reintegration of minors has been carried out under out difficulty—in the agreements signed with the aegis of the State in a process similar to that envisaged for the FARC, and that it is necessary to help the Colombia. now-disassociated girls and boys by identify- In 2017, the Observatory will report on its initial findings ing the kinds of support they will require to through a website where all available data and initial analysis gain access to processes of justice, reconcilia- of this will be published. The immediate task for the research tion, reparation, and community reintegra- will be to gain access to the children in order to fully describe tion. them.

95 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

THE CONTRIBUTION OF PEACE TO THE ECONOMY 96 By Marlyn Ahumada / Photo by 123rf

A study by the Faculty of Economics of the Universidad del Rosario estimated the impact on the country’s armed conflict of price variations in some Colombian export goods.

he prevalence of illegal armed groups and organized crime in several Colombian regions exacerbated institutional and economic problems in difficult periods such as the final years of the 20th century and the first few years of the 21st, moments which saw a sharp fall in the international prices of agricultural goods, in particular coffee. Over the same period, the price of Toil rose significantly on the world market. Both cases resulted in what are called “price shocks” (negative in the first case and positive in the second), bringing consequences for the conflict and for the criminal activities associated with it. That is the principal conclusion of research conducted with the participation of Juan Fernando Var- gas, professor at the Faculty of Economics of the Universidad del Rosario. This research THE STUDY resulted in the publication in an important economics journal of an article ranked among SHOWED THAT THE The Most Cited Articles from the Top-5 Jour- 137% INCREASE nals for 1991-2015 for significant impact -(ac IN OIL PRICES cording to the number of citations it acquired BETWEEN 1998 from 2011 to 2015). The research estimated the impact on the AND 2005 LED armed conflict in Colombia of income shocks TO AN AVERAGE resulting from extraordinary changes in the 14% INCREASE IN prices of certain export goods in the period MILITARY ATTACKS between 1998 and 2005. The database that was used for this research includes informa- IN OIL-PRODUCING tion on 21,000 war events that occurred in MUNICIPALITIES some 950 Colombian municipalities.

97 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Juan Fernando Vargas, AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES professor at the Faculty of The authors identified effects that fell into two Economics at categories: “opportunity cost” and “rapac- the Universidad del Rosario, ity.” The former effect is noted when signifi- conducted cant price increases of labor-intensive goods research that such as agricultural commodities generate estimated the impact an improvement of labor market conditions on the earmed in terms of higher salaries. This, in turn, re- conflict in duces incentives for individuals to appropri- Colombia between 1998 ate resources through violent means, either and 2005 of through criminal activities such as armed income shocks robbery, extortion, etc., or by joining armed resulting from extraordinary movements to enjoy the refuge these can of- price changes fer by managing to make them party to the 1997 and 2003, a recorded 68% fall in the international price on some export spoils from kidnappings, bank robberies, ex- of coffee was reflected in 18% more guerrilla attacks, 31% more goods. tortions, etc. paramilitary attacks, 22% more military confrontations, and In other words, the price of agricultural 14% more deaths compared to events in non-coffee-producing commodities is negatively related to the con- areas during the same period. flict. When prices rise, conflict is reduced, as is The decrease in the price of coffee reduced salaries and most notable in the municipalities that most employment, principally in coffee-producing municipalities, produce these goods. According to Vargas, and this is evident from the increased violence due to the sig- this process takes place primarily because the nificant reduction in the opportunity cost of affiliating with production of such products is labor inten- armed activities. sive, meaning that price changes primarily impact workers’ income. NATURAL RESOURCES In the case of coffee, the significant price The rapacity effect, on the other hand, results when in- dip at the end of the 1990s disproportionately creased income due to rising prices of a natural resource increased violence in coffee-producing mu- stimulates violent practices, seen as the most effective way nicipalities. The study estimates that between to appropriate those additional resources. This means that

98 Photos by Leonardo Parra / Alberto Sierra

PRICE STABILIZATION It is estimated Simply put, the study showed that increased that the 68% drop in the prices of capital-intensive products primar- international ily push up income in the form of return on price of coffee capital, and this fires up the armed actors between 1997 and 2003 led to try to appropriate this increased income to an 18% through violence. Remember that in oil-pro- increase in ducing regions, increases in the internation- guerrilla attacks, 31% more al price of oil increased the royalties received paramilitary by producing municipalities, making their attacks, 22% public treasuries more attractive targets for more military confrontations, armed groups and the corrupt, who exer- and 40% cised other forms of appropriation to divert more deaths public funds into private hands. Such funds compared to non-coffee- would normally be used for health, educa- producing tion, and other programmes, thus saving areas during lives. the same period. In these different situations, the researchers recommend action by both government bodies and the financial community to protect, in the case of agricultural products, the income THE STUDY SHOWED of producers. According THAT INCREASED to Professor Vargas, effec- PRICES OF tive means for this purpose are options such as CAPITAL-INTENSIVE the National Coffee Fund, PRODUCTS which, in its day, helped INCREASE THE coffee producers in both RETURN ON CAPITAL, times of plenty and short- age to separate the domes- STIMULATING tic from the international ARMED ACTORS TO price and institutionalize TRY TO VIOLENTLY an income cushion that APPROPRIATE THIS guaranteed them a floor below which they could the price of natural resources (principally oil, coal, and gold INCREASED INCOME not fall, thus reducing in the Colombian case) is positively related to the conflict: FROM INVESTMENT their incentive to engage when prices rise, the conflict intensifies and, as in -the cir in illegal activities. cumstances described above, the effect is primarily felt in In addition to schemes municipalities that are rich in the relevant resources. The to stabilize the prices of natural resources, difference lies in the fact that unlike the case of agricultur- Vargas recommends government policies to al comodities, the production of these resources is not very develop systems for effective monitoring and labor intensive. The research showed that the recorded 137% control so that funds linked to royalties from increase in oil prices between 1998 and 2005 led to a 14% av- natural resources are not diverted through erage increase in paramilitary attacks in oil-producing mu- poor budgetary practices to either illegal nicipalities. The oil shock also increased municipal income armed groups or the corrupt. generated by the taxation of natural resources, as well as the In such circumstances, there is no question kidnapping of politicians and other leaders. These results that achieving peace may be both a cause and are consistent with the increased violence due to the oil effect of the situations faced by the country as driving the rapacity for the greater local treasury funds in a result of global economic forces and its relat- oilproducing municipalities. ed institutionalism.

99 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The Tentacles of Evil Research from the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Peace and Conflict at the Universidad del Rosario highlights the “residues of evil” that linger in the aftermath of totalitarian regimes and political violence, threatening the construction of solid and inclusive democracies around the world.

100 By Mauricio Veloza / Photos by Juan Ramírez

“Evil is never radical; it is only extreme, and it possesses neither depth nor any demonic dimen- sion. It can overgrow and lay waste to the whole world precisely because it spreads like a fungus on the surface.” Hannah Arendt

e want to point out the dangers that remain like seeds of malignity in post-totalitarian societies, and we want to see how we can use philosophy, law, and ethics to respond to the evils that still plague us, and to avoid their recurrence.” This is how Camila de Gamboa, of the In- The study“W terdisciplinary Group for the Study of Peace, stresses the importance of Conflict, and the Post-conflict Period (JANUS) of the Universidad interpersonal del Rosario summarizes the overall mission of a research project forgiveness aimed at defining the responsibilities of contemporary societies and political apologies in relation to these “residues of evil”, that show up in the form of as the the extreme violence held in their roots over decades. starting points for true acts of reconciliation. THE RESIDUES OF EVIL For the last three years, the Spanish Ministry of Economy, In- dustry, and Competitiveness has financed a research project called “The Residues of Evil in Post-Totalitar- ian Societies: Responses from a Democratic Political Perspective ”. Directed by Professor IT CAN BE VERY Cristina Sánchez (principal researcher from IMPORTANT FOR the Autonomous University of Madrid), the study has brought together a group of re- VICTIMS THAT searchers from Germany, Argentina, Spain, THE VICTIMIZERS Chile, Croatia, and Colombia, all with exten- —IF STILL ALIVE— sive experience in the analysis of contempo- RECOGNIZE rary violence. The central inspiration for their research is THAT THEY the work of Hannah Arendt, one of the 20th SHOULD NOT century’s most important political philoso- HAVE DONE WHAT phers, who in several publications analyzed THEY DID AND the phenomenon of totalitarianism in Ger- many and the Soviet Union, (in particular the EXPRESS struggle against the National Socialist regime REMORSE FOR of the 1930s imposed by the Nazis, and the THEIR ACTIONS Stalinist regime), and who demonstrated the 101 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The study tackled the subject of “evil” TOTALITARIANISM and extreme violence, as IS ESSENTIALLY well as its EVIL BECAUSE IT persistence in societies IS A VISION BY that have WHICH THE gone through STATE AIMS TO traumatic experiences. INVADE PEOPLE’S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIVES, ONE IN WHICH A SINGLE IDEOLOGY IS IMPOSED THROUGH FORCE AND FEAR ON THE REST OF SOCIETY

Camila de Gamboa Janus researcher

dangers to societies of the unpredictable con- well as its persistence in societies that have gone through sequences of turning into totalitarian states. One of the traumatic experiences. “We try to take a deeper look at Arendt put forward a new thesis laying out focuses of areas such as ‘the experience of the victims’, the narrative how totalitarian movements take control of research for of evil, the responses of civil society and of social institu- Camila de ideologies and worldviews, converting them Gamboa was tions to bring about the restoration of democratic politics, through terror into new forms of the State, a the Colombian of public space, and of political life,” says Gamboa. process that up to 1966 had been consummat- armed conflict In Colombia, three researchers from the Universidad and transitional ed only by Nazism and Stalinism. justice from del Rosario participated in the study: Wilson Herrera, “Totalitarianism is essentially evil because 2005 up to María Victoria Uribe, and Camila de Gamboa, as did it is a vision by which the State aims to in- the recent Marieta Quintero of the Universidad Distrital and Fer- agreement vade people’s public and private lives, one in signed in nando Cardona of the Pontifical Xavierian University: which a single ideology is imposed through Havana They covered topics related to armed conflict, memory, force and fear on the rest of society,” affirms between the political responsibility, guilt, and victim testimony. Lat- government Gamboa. and the FARC, er, they collated their conclusions in a book soon to be This research, which adheres to Arendt’s to determine published in Colombia, and which currently forms part thinking on the construction of public spaces if the tools of the project, The Mapping of Evil in Contemporary So- designed in this and democratic political institutions, as well process really cieties (Cartografías del mal en las sociedades contem- as the banality of evil and totalitarianism, lead to a more poráneas.). focuses on countries that have experienced democratic, One of the focuses of Camila de Gamboa’s research was equal, and repressive regimes, such as Germany and Na- peaceful the Colombian armed conflict and the transitional justice zism, Spain and Francoism, military regimes society. period from 2005 to the recent agreement signed in Hava- in Argentina and Chile, and political violence na between the government and the FARC. It set out to de- such as the armed conflict in Colombia. termine if the tools designed in this process really do lead to a more democratic, equal, and peaceful society. COLOMBIA AND EXTREME VIOLENCE Camila de Gamboa sees as essential the points of the In the Colombian case, the study tackled the agreement that do not refer to transitional justice (polit- concept of “evil” and extreme violence, as ical participation, replacing illegal crops with legal ones,

102 Photos by Leonardo Parra / Juan Ramírez

THE MAPPING OF EVIL

The book that will be published by Siglo de Hombre Editores in Colombia currently has only a working title, but it is based on the project The Mapping of Evil (Cartogrofías del mal), edited by Camila de Gamboa and Cristina Sánchez.

The book analyzes evil— contemporary extreme violence—in different geographical contexts (Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Germany), and at different historical moments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its principal sections are:

• The language of evil. An analysis of the contemporary conceptualization and agrarian reform, among others) since ture. If we really want a more peaceful, more of the phenomenon these really do appertain to a far more inclu- equal, more inclusive society, we will have in all its variations, sive Colombia with much greater distributive to produce a number of changes that are not collating the most justice. necessarily contingent on transitional justice. recent reflections on In this context, the research recovers the Transitional justice is a golden opportunity to the topic. importance of interpersonal forgiveness and bring about such transformations,” says Gam- political apologies as starting points for true boa. • Memory and its battles. acts of reconciliation, since they are pertinent The study emphasiss that these changes This section analyzes acts of acknowledgement on individual and should stem from the needs of people on the the possibility of collective levels. Nevertheless, she points out ground, which may be identified through a constructing memory the risks involved if expressions of remorse variety of dialogue. It must also be under- out of trauma, the and forgiveness are made without deep re- stood that the “residues of evil” are still pres- difficulties involved, spect for victims. “It can be very important ent in different spaces. “We are a society that and the role of victims for victims that the victimizers—if still alive— is culturally very authoritarian,” she explains. in constructing recognize that they should not have done The research indicates that this new “cloak collective memory. what they did and express remorse for their of evil” is present in all societies with author- actions. This is an acknowledgement that itarian visions of how power should be ex- • In the face of damage was done and it aims to underline the ercised. “It’s not that democracy fails when violence. An account human dignity which was intentionally de- voters make wrong decisions; it’s that our of the different responses to evil based,” explains the researcher. democracies were not really inclusive or deep through democratic enough; they always excluded many social TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, citizenship and groups (minorities),” she says. politics, taking stock A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY In such contexts, populist visions stand of the importance and As the study warns, greater transformations out as those preferred by these forgotten, in- limits of forgiveness. are needed to achieve a democratic society. “If different majorities. “That’s where you see the we really want to proceed to peace, then there residue of evil and the seeds of totalitarian so- must be no more victims of violence in the fu- cieties.”

103 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE YOUTH INCLUSION: A CHALLENGE FOR COLOMBIA IN THE POST-CONFLICT PERIOD

The social, economic, and cultural t a time when the promise of a diversity of youth is reflected in sustainable peace could end half a century of armed conflict, -Co the current proliferation of city lombia must take on multiple chal- gangs. Many vulnerable youngsters lenges. The socalled “post-conflict” join gangs as an expression of period is not exempt from risks and their longing for social recognition uncertainties, including the possi- A bility of violence. Among the major and inclusion. This phenomenon concerns facing the country is the inclusion of could escalate if society only youth in life as part of an increasingly-urbanized responds with repressive methods, society. A quarter of the population today is be- concludes an exploratory study tween 14 and 28 years of age, people defined by Law 1622 of 2013 as youths. led by Professor Éric Lair of the “Colombia is a young society and one of the Interdisciplinary Study Group on tests it faces is to manage youth inclusion while Peace, Conflict, and Post-conflict embracing the cultural diversity of the young. (JANUS). Gangs, so often stigmatised through an association with delinquency and crime, testify to this

104 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by 123rf

diversity. Many social sectors are unaware of or mediate-sized cities. This can be explained in denial of the complexity behind the growth for a number of reasons, among them the of this phenomenon which is exponential in MOST MEMBERS presence of an armed conflict that has- mo some large cities,” says the professor. nopolized the public’s attention for several For the last two years, French-born Pro- OF GANGS DO decades,” he says. fessor Lair, who has 15 years of expertise in NOT COMMIT The perception of youth gangs has been questions concerning violence in Colombia, CRIMES. THEY changing for the last 20 years. Although has been carrying out an exploratory study SPEND A LOT gangs have been slow in attracting attention, with vulnerable youths, primarily in Barran- a series of policies have been implemented quilla and Cartagena. One of his objectives OF THEIR TIME to address the challenge. Nevertheless, in- is to understand the circumstances under WITHOUT creased visibility has not always meant a bet- which these youth groups called gangs grow ENGAGING IN ter understanding of the phenomenon. and develop, but without limiting his re- ANY SPECIFIC “Using the term ‘gang’ is not always help- search to violent activities, since these are ful, particularly due to its pejorative connota- not systematic. ACTIVITY tion. In the collective imagination, this word “Unlike in some other countries, the symbolises danger and insecurity. It deserves growth of these gangs has attracted limited to be analyzed in local contexts in the light of interest in Colombia, particularly in inter- many different factors,” he explains.

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Researcher There is no Éric Lair categorical says that reason to responding to believe that the spread of young people gangs should join gangs be a priority for as an act of policymakers delinquency in the post- or for criminal conflict reasons. period, without giving in to a logic of fear and repression.

Lair has found that these aggregations of young people are structures for socialization, protection, and identity for their members, who feel excluded from society. In banding together, far from living outside society, they find a way to be visible, heard, and respected. Along these lines, claims the professor, there is no categorical reason to believe that they join gangs as an act of delinquency or for criminal reasons. “They do it because they have no other alter- do not take place constantly.” Based on tes- native in the district. Belonging to a gang may THERE IS NEED timony by gang members, Lair says that “in be a survival tool. Some get there by chance, FOR A POLICY TO Barranquilla and Cartagena for example, unable to provide a coherent explanation for it has been customary to fight during the joining. Others cite family ties or friendship. PREVENT AND rainy season when the police are reluctant In many cases there is a wish to (re)create a RESPOND TO to come out into the street.” personality—a generally masculine ethos— YOUTH GANGS in a precarious environment in social and AND TO YOUTH THE NEED FOR PUBLIC POLICY economic terms” he explains. According to the professor, the escalation of Professor Lair has found that most mem- VIOLENCE MORE violence is one of the matters of most con- bers of these groups do not commit crimes. GENERALLY cern. Confrontations between gangs can They spend a lot of their time without engag- escalate from words to stones, to knives, ing in any specific activity. They may spend and now to guns. “There is the risk of vio- their days sitting around or wandering the neighborhood lent confrontations that link up with drug streets “to kill time.” The gang seems to be a structure that trafficking structures and demobilized allows their lives to have some meaning, be it through artistic combatants,” he says. expression, the consumption of psychoactive substances, the That’s why the spread of gangs should commission of crimes, or other activities. be a priority for policymakers, without giv- “Gangs perform essential functions in daily life. No one ing into a logic of fear and repression in the can deny that there are sometimes clashes over territory. In post-conflict period. The experiences of El some cities, gang members attempt to establish (in)visible Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras with boundaries and control delineated spaces. But these conflicts organizations known as “maras” should

106 Photos by Leonardo Parra / Alberto Sierra

WOMEN AND FAMILY

Gangs are a masculine phenomenon. But while 90% of their members are male, women are also present at all times, as mothers, friends, and romantic partners. Women are the motive behind fights and males’ anxiety to get ahead, and they make fathers of them. “Mothers exercise a moral and sometimes idealized authority over them,” claims Professor Lair, “There is much room for feminization of gangs.” The image of the woman and the role of the family are serve as a warning for Colombia. In respect of They should be completely broken up only important to their future youth violence, Professor Lair identi- when violence is so important to them that members. Many fies an element of agitation that the country becomes their raison d’être. people assume should neither exaggerate nor underestimate, Gangs can channel the energies of young that they come or it may suffer the consequences. people, but they need educational services from “broken “That’s why we need a policy to prevent (most gang members have little to no school- families,” but and respond to gangs, and to youth violence ing), and strategies should be implemented that is not always more generally,” says the researcher, adding for social, economic, and political inclusion, the case. “Recent that “the measures we take should be coher- leading to a more inclusive citizenry. This studies provide ent, and not just short-term but long-term means offering them activities that go- be a more nuanced as well, taking all different aspects of the yond cultural and sports events. understanding,” problem into account. The issue should be “The gang provides not only a group iden- concludes Lair, considered at the highest level of the State so tity but also dialogue with society. Its mem- and “family ties that unresolved social and economic prob- bers aspire to social inclusion, which is why influence the lems can be confronted in coordination with they make special demands upon the State. formation and local authorities and with the communities There is a general lack of understanding and survival of gangs.” themselves. trust, and a heightening of tension between According to the professor, we do not nec- young people and the rest of society. Think- essarily need to consider breaking up gangs ing about the post-conflict period, it is urgent which play a role in socialization at the local to reconstruct the social fabric and the civic level. It is possible to exploit their potential consensus. The future of Colombia as a cohe- to engage youth in different kinds of actions. sive nation is at stake,” notes Lair.

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The Human Mind: CRUCIAL IN the Post- conflict PERIOD

108 By Mauricio Veloza / Photo by Juan Ramírez

dapting the mind to the post-conflict period, just In addition to the as their minds adapted to situations of armed neurological conflict, is one of the steps that must be taken by component, victims, ex-combatants, and the communities researchers have identified where they settle if they are to find the road to other peace. conditions “We need to understand reconciliation not that should A only from a cultural, economic, legal, and polit- be considered in order ical standpoint, but also from a neurobiological perspective. to achieve What we have seen is that in order to understand whether positive human interactions are successful, we need to grasp how we results in meetings process cognitive and emotional information, something all among former human beings can do. People operate at an unconscious level antagonists in these interactions, and their perceptions are subject to im- and contribute to the much- plicit bias,” says Juan Esteban Ugarriza, leader of a study car- desired ried out by the Human Rights Research Group of the Faculty reconciliation. of Jurisprudence at the Universidad del Rosario. One of the things that researchers in this interdisciplinary group have learned is that the human mind is malleable. It can be adapted to good or evil purposes, a factor that must be considered in the new stage of reconciliation that is beginning to take shape in Colombia. CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION Researchers have used the principles of neuroscience in analyzing how different people have been affected by the conflict, and they believe that the country now needs to identify the factors behind how people adapted cognitively to it. This information will be key, they say, in designing effective plans for reconciliation. In other words, says Ugarriza, both victims and combatants have undergone psychological adaptations with biological components, forming barriers to reconciliation. Their research seeks to determine how neuronal networks are linked in different individuals, and how they can be recon- figured so that those participating in the reconciliation process not only change their attitudes towards others but also change their ways of understanding them. Research in political Researchers have arrived at this point after a decade of work neuroscience trying to respond to the question of how we can get along with carried out by an each other in a post-conflict scenario, which is to ask how we can get former antagonists to sit down together and engage in interdisciplinary productive dialogue. team led by the “For 10 years we have been organizing group discussions Universidad del comprising victims of the armed conflict, former combatants, Rosario shows that it and members of affected communities, deliberating on how we can interact in a civilized and democratic fashion, and as is indeed possible to harmoniously as possible,” Ugarriza explains. create the necessary conditions for AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT lasting change Participating in this interdisciplinary project are political scientists, economists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, lin- and sincere guists, and engineers from the University of Edinburgh, the reconciliation Universidad de Antioquia, as well as Chile’s Diego Portales

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University. The Universidad del Rosario has contributed from the perspective of the social sciences. The project has progressed in three different phases with the collaboration of the Colombian Agency for Reconciliation, the government body responsible for the reintegration of demobilized combatants. The first meetings between demobilized guerrillas and paramilitary groups were organized in 2008 in Bogotá,with researchers learning from and noting the interactions at these meetings. The second phase of the project took place from 2013 to 2014, and included victims of the conflict and representatives of urban communities in Cali, Palmira, Tier- ra Alta, Villavicencio, Florencia, Bogotá, and Medellín, all places where former combatants had been resettled. The third and current phase began in 2016- 2017, and sat down former combatants (both guerrillas and paramilitary fighters), with victims and community representatives from the rural areas of Jamundí, Chaparral, San Vi- cente del Caguán, Florencia, Cali, Puerto Asís, Santa Rosa del Sur, and El Bagre. “In this third phase, we incorporated neurobiological measurements using a computational tool that helps us determine—based on the unconscious attitudes individuals assume toward others—how they adapt to the experience of conflict,” explains Ugarriza. In order to make these measurements and find the ‘biological effect’ on people, the “We analyzed these different kinds of victimization and used research team used a mini-laboratory and There is a a scale commonly applied in psychological research, adapting it greater chance a portable electroencephalography device of successful to the issue of conflict. We measured 18 forms of victimization, which allowed them to evaluate indicators dialogue either direct—through kidnapping, the burning of a workplace, of implicit bias measured as electrical brain between an armed robbery or an injury—or indirect, such as the death or antagonistic signals. They also developed software that en- groups kidnapping of a family member” explains Ugarriza. abled computerized tasks to be designed for when their According to the computerized scales, the outcomes re- the discussion groups, and data to be extract- discussions vealed that the greater the experience of the individual’s vic- and ed and analyzed. interactions timization, the greater were his or her unconscious negative Thus, the research group ran a pilot project are based attitudes toward ex-combatants. “Not taking these results into in the municipalities of Santo Domingo and on personal account could lessen the possibility of success in reconcilia- experiences Marinilla, within the administrative depart- and tion efforts,” he said. ment of Antioquia, to determine if the im- perspectives plicit bias displayed in interactions between rather than IN THE SHOES OF THE OTHER focusing those affected by the conflict differed- be the actual In addition to the neurological component, the researchers tween the victims of paramilitaries and those dispute. have identified other conditions that should be considered in of guerrillas. order to bring about successful meetings among former antag- Santo Domingo had experienced a much onists and contribute to the yearned-for reconciliation. The greater extent of violence by armed groups three conditions that they identified stem from 40 years of sci- (both guerrillas and paramilitary groups), entific research and 10 years of experience with social sectors. resulting in a kind of collective trauma that The first condition is that there must be a balance among persists. Marinilla, however, remained on the the participants represented in the process. People who rep- periphery of the conflict. resent minority positions in their groups are not as inclined

110 Photos by Alberto Sierra

THE HUMAN MIND IS MALLEABLE, ADAPTABLE TO BOTH GOOD AND EVIL, SO THIS IS A FACTOR THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE NEW STAGE OF RECONCILIATION COMMENCING IN COLOMBIA.

to open up to others or even to participate. “It is a question of This produces a greater number of empathet- psychological security. In some way, balance within the group ic expressions among them. It is the ability to Juan Esteban contributes to at least a minimal perception that all those pres- put myself in your shoes. When I humanize Ugarriza says ent are on an equal footing,” points out the research leader. the others I can imagine myself in their situa- that those who The second condition is that bringing the parties togeth- tion and change my attitudes,” concludes the have been victimized er should be a joint task. “When different groups have some- professor. or who have thing in common, interaction tends to be much better,” Ugar- participated riza avers. RECONCILIATION IS NOT SPONTANEOUS in the conflict as combatants And the third is that a third party should participate, and this “Finally, the researchers recommend that or- have gone should be a legitimate authority in the view of those involved, ganized interactions among former antago- through as in the case of the university organizing the encounters. nists look to the future and not the past. The psychological adaptations The research group adds one other condition to these three. goal is not to revisit tragic histories or reopen that are In 10 years of fieldwork it has become clear that when discus- wounds, but to imagine, based on our expe- reflected in sions and interactions between antagonistic groups are based riences, what a future together can look like. their biology, constituting on personal experiences and perspectives rather than focusing Reconciliation is indeed possible, but it barriers to the actual dispute, there is a greater possibility for successful does not occur spontaneously and it cannot reconciliation. dialogue. be achieved through just any method. I need “Instead of asking them their opinions and what they pro- to establish a process where people come to- pose based on their positions, we ask them to base their dis- gether repeatedly in different kinds of inter- cussion on their personal experiences during the conflict. This actions. If relations are to be restored, we need substantially changes the dynamics of the discussion. Now better attitudes and emotions amongst all I’m not focusing on your arguments but rather on your histo- taking part, and then we can say that we are ry and what you have to say about what you’ve been through. on the right road.”

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LAND IN THE HANDS OF A FEW

112 By Marlyn Ahumada / Photo by Leonardo Parra

The situation in Colombia couldn’t be more paradoxical: the country’s constitution protects the fundamental, social, economic, and cultural rights of its citizens and requires the State to actualize them. Yet at the same time a legal and regulatory model covering agrarian property incentivizes and facilitates not only unequal distribution of land, but its concentration in very few hands.

he Colombian Republic’s constitution certainly seems to offer protection in rural spheres to individuals and domestic food production, giving judges unusual latitude to carry out legal actions to ensure the fulfillment of its articles. Analysts such as Rocío Peña Huertas, professor at the Faculty of Jurisprudence of the Universidad del T Rosario, have conducted in-depth studies into the clear contradiction between the constitutional protections and current law. Professor Peña maintains that “while the 1991 Constitution transformed countless social and political structures, it preserved the classic 19th-century liberal structure for agrarian property rights as regulated by the Civil Code.” Indeed, the Constitution mentions peasants only to equate The them with agricultural workers (article 64), “when they are Constitution mentions not the same”, and then refers to them in article 57 as part of peasants a group that should help put forward proposals to the gov- only to equate ernment on the issue of social security. “Unlike other social them with agricultural agents, peasants were not considered to be subjects addressed workers, “who by specific state policies, and many aspects of peasants’ reality are not the were overlooked,” states Peña. In other words, the identity of same.” The peasant is the peasant as a subject with particular ties to the land beyond not described production and participation in the market was not taken into as a subject account. with particular ties to the In addition, the institutional model for the organization of land beyond rural assets includes a bias favouring people with access to the production and necessary information, including rural elites, politicians, and participation in the market. illegal armed interests.

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Thus, the regulation of agrarian property Rocío Peña rights in Colombia, which theoretically al- Huertas , lows access to land while impeding land con- professor at centration and dispossession, is far from re- the Faculty of Jurisprudence solved. Even though the Constitutional Court of the has issued rulings and other State bodies have Universidad produced laws, decrees, and various regula- del Rosario, maintains tions over many years, the legal framework is that “despite still inadequate to fully resolve the problem. having This is so much the case that in 2009 the transformed many social Gini coefficient for rural property was 0.86, and political meaning that Colombia had one of the high- structures, est levels of rural inequality and exclusion in the 1991 constitution the world. This coefficient measures the lev- preserved the el of inequality within a given territory on a classic 19th- scale of 0 to 1, with 1 being the most unequal century liberal and 0 the least unequal. As if that were the structure of only problem, the displaced population was property. dispossessed of 6.6 million hectares of land in the period from 1980 to 2010. How is it possible that, despite multiple legal instruments in place to avoid it, this wholesale dispossession and concentration of the letter of the law when carrying out their responsibilities,” land has intensified ? she explains. But so too do other actors who take advantage of This is one of the questions that Profes- legal loopholes to advance their own interests. sor Peña is trying to answer, given that these It is argued by some that the problem is not directly related phenomena cannot be explained strictly on to the regulations themselves, but to their application. These the basis of existing legal regulations. “But voices include that of the United Nations Development Pro- although their effectiveness is tested by local gram, as expressed in its Human Development Report of 2011, practices and independent local bodies taking where it states that dispossession and displacement result on State functions, the entities charged with from a historical process involving the convergence of market implementing and enforcing established forces, drug-trafficking operations, and manipulation by out- norms, especially these control filters, stick to lawed armed groups.

114 Photos by Alberto Sierra / Salajean - 123rf

tem, and the government of Juan Manuel Santos first in- troduced the Law on Victims COLOMBIA SHOULD and Land Restitution (Law CONFORM TO NEW 1448 of 2011 to Congress in REQUIREMENTS 2010, intending to restruc- AND NECESSITIES ture public policy covering RECOGNIZED BY land restitution. STATES AROUND Professor Peña maintains THE WORLD that the legal institutions provided for in the Civil Code IN ORDER TO issue clear rules allowing for ACHIEVE DECENT just and equitable property LEVELS OF EQUITY transactions, and guaran- AND EQUALITY tee respect for the rights of AMONG THEIR all citizens. “All these good POPULATIONS intentions are disfigured by the logic that dominates the armed conflict and the struggle for rural assets. It is not Rocío Peña Huertas Researcher possible to speak of equality before the law when it is a notorious fact that a high percentage of the land ille- gally taken and concentrated in the hands of a few powerful actors was legalized according to forms and procedures stipulated in the Civ- il Code,” she notes. Among the broad conclusions of the research are that the constitution virtually pre- cluded land expropriation, but did not reform crucial aspects of property rights regulation that greatly empowered the wealthy and local elites. The results indicate that, since the 1990s, The displaced through implementing policies on access to population rural land, the state has perpetuated poli- was cies that do not address the structural faults dispossessed of 6.6 million underlying rural inequality and the need for hectares of redistribution of rural property. So, there land in the continues to be a marginalized peasant pop- years 1980- 2010. ulation that is not subject to state policy and lacks effective participation in the making of In her capacity as coordinator of the Observatory on the policy for the rural sector . Restitution and Regulation of Agrarian Property Rights, Pro- “Colonial and republican power structures fessor Peña collaborated on the research report, Agrarian Reg- that have allowed absurd rates of rural prop- ulation in Colombia, or the Eternal Déjà vu of Concentration erty concentration to last to the present day and Dispossession: An Analysis of Colombian Legislation on have not been overturned as part of a neces- the Agricultural Sector (1991-2010). This report demonstrated sary state reorganzation,” asserts Professor that laws and regulations issued during the period studied ei- Peña, who is convinced that Colombia must ther promote or permit the concentration and dispossession conform to new requirements and necessi- of rural property. ties recognized by States around the world in The 1991-2010 period was chosen because the 1991 consti- order to achieve decent levels of equity and tution was intended to restructure the Colombian legal sys- equality among their populations.

115 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE COLOMBIA IS LIVING A TURBULENT PEACE

Colombia is now in a his, at least, is the opinion of Fredy Cante, professor and period of turbulent peace, researcher at the Universidad del Rosario. Editor and an ambiguous transition coauthor of the Hand-book of Research on Transitional Justice and Peace Building in Turbulent Regions, Cante from direct violence says that several fronts of the FARC guerrillas, who re- –which ended with a fragile cently signed a peace agreement, will presumably lay and incomplete peace down their arms but continue to participate in the lu- Tcrative businesses of drug trafficking, coltan, and gold, agreement between the the resources representing their biggest income source. two sides in the conflict– “What was signed was a negative peace,” he maintains, “be- and a subtle and indirect cause the silencing of the guns puts an end only to the explicit violence euphemistically and bloody violence. Positive peace, on the other hand, gen- called “progress”. erates social justice and fair treatment, defeating iniquity and structural violence.”

116 By Víctor Solano / Photo by Prensa Presidencia COLOMBIA IS LIVING A TURBULENT PEACE

Several examples in the world demonstrate live in opulence. There is no question that their practices are that with negative peace, violence persists worse than those that motivated their armed struggle, which in its most atrocious forms. This is the case in was the exploitation of workers as described by Marx.” Guatemala, where a generation of young people was trained to fire weapons in guerrilla mi- FROM GUERRILLA GROUP TO PARA-STATE litias. When the peace agreement was reached The FARC’s decision not to allow any public images of them- in the middle of the 1990s, they found no way selves surrendering their arms reveals their wish to continue to integrate into society, and migrated to urban to be even greater than an army, a kind of para-state. “Anything gangs known as maras, which now engage in done clandestinely is antidemocratic,” says the professor. extreme levels of violence. In addition, this is a clear sign that the Havana Peace Ac- “The FARC will go down in history as abom- cords were incomplete and the negotiations suffered from inable exploiters of human life,” says Professor serious defects such as leaving certain extremely important Cante, “practising kidnapping, drug trafficking problems for Colombian society unresolved, especially drug and extortion, solely to enrich themselves and trafficking and the extraction of natural resources.

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The environment is clearly affected by extractive business activities, which are the most lucrative for the State, guerrillas, and paramilitary groups.

And it is the extractive activities of the In his book Turbulent Peace, Power, and State, the guerrillas, and the paramilitaries Ethics, Cante explains attempts to understand that are most lucrative for them, while they FARC’S DECISION progress based on an ecological economy and simultaneously damage the natural environ- NOT TO ALLOW anti-consumerist thinking. “The thinkers and ment. “The FARC have defiled the forests of leaders of the degrowth philosophy advocate Guaviare, where they perform the role of a ANY PUBLIC reducing production and consumption be- State in extracting coltan and gold, and forci- IMAGES OF cause excessive consumption is at the root of bly displace the indigenous population of the THEMSELVES long-term environmental problems and social region, known as the Nukak Makú.” SURRENDERING inequality,” he states. Professor Cante argues that steering the At the present time, high rates of econom- country toward a true, non-turbulent peace THEIR ARMS ic growth evoke prosperity, increased con- will require an effort on multiple fronts, partic- REVEALS THEIR sumption and investment. Unfortunately, this ularly in political, economic, and social spheres. WISH TO CONTINUE also means the suffering of distant people and These efforts should be undertaken collectively, TO BE EVEN future generations due to the deterioration of simultaneously, and from the perspective of a the natural world brought on by those living common vision. Non-predatory progress will GREATER THAN today. “The exhaustion and contamination of demand frugality, a leisure-based outlook, and AN ARMY, A KIND natural resources is the inherent cost of mate- the preservation of the natural environment. OF PARA-STATE rial progress,” he affirms. 118 Photos by Rafael Serrano / Leonardo Parra

The FARC will go down in history as abominable exploiters of human life, practising kidnapping, drug trafficking, and extortion, solely to enrich themselves and live in opulence.

Professor Cante stresses that we must rethink what he identifies as Colombia’s vas- sal-state relationship with the United States. “As long as that country continues its inordi- nately-consumerist behavior and continues to manufacture and sell arms, there will be no let-up to the acute turmoil in different parts of the world. On the contrary, it will become even more pronounced.” In this respect, there is a fault in the worldwide peace ranking, since neither the US nor the European Union feature among the most “violent” nations, despite their wide involvement in those that are listed. Professor Cante teaches a course at the We need policies that go beyond talk. It is Universidad del Rosario called Nonviolent not enough to say that we must develop al- Political Action, which refers to non-destruc- ternatives for coca-cultivating peasants. We WHAT WAS SIGNED tive but confrontational activities, to be dis- must make the decision to legalize drugs and IS A NEGATIVE tinguished from passive resistance. It works not spray crops with chemicals that engender PEACE, BECAUSE by impacting people on an emotional level, grave environmental consequences. It would assaulting them, but not physically, through be worth our while to promote markets where THE SILENCING OF using crude, unembellished messages that coca can be distributed legally as tea or in me- THE GUNS PUTS stir and spur them to change their attitudes dicinal creams, for example. AN END ONLY TO towards social injustices. THE EXPLICIT, Peace is not an impossible dream. “It’s NO MORE MINERAL EXTRACTION possible to achieve virtuous collective action In economic terms, Colombia must promote BLOODY VIOLENCE. through voluntary social cooperation in fra- activities that do not require the extraction of POSITIVE PEACE, ON ternity and solidarity, as long as all or, at least, natural resources. The oil example is dramatic: THE OTHER HAND, most people engage in cooperative behavior countries such as the United States are major GENERATES SOCIAL (altruism and reciprocity) to advance com- consumers of both fossil fuels and illegal drugs mon goals such as the rejection of war and the such as heroin and cocaine, all of which con- JUSTICE AND FAIR preservation of nature,” concludes Professor tribute to turbulence around the world. TREATMENT Fredy Cante.

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JANUS: INITIATIVE FOR A NEW RESEARCH MODEL 120 By Jaime Dueñas /Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by Juan Ramírez

Professors from several Schools and Faculties at the Universidad del Rosario are collaborating on a pilot project that has demonstrated the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach to conducting research. The focus of this initiative is peace, conflict, and the Colombian postconflict period.

he University established Janus: the Group for In- terdisciplinary Studies on Peace, Conflict and the Postconflict Period in response to several strategic institutional challenges it has been facing. In its first 18 months of existence, Janus has demonstrated new forms of organization for carrying out high-quality research. Its central element is the Tbringing together of different disciplines to tackle real global situations, one of the puzzles that fired the -cre ation of the group. “In terms of research, the University had been a highly-drilled environment with much dynamism within each discipline, yet it had developed very few interdisciplinary strengths. To change this, it set up an academic unit that carries out teaching, research, and outreach, one that has produced the evidence to show that a group of academics from varied fields of knowledge can work together in establishing a dialogue between those different areas, and one that brings much added value,” explains Stéphanie Lavaux, the Universi- ty’s Vice President and Provost. A total of 30 professors from all the University’s Schools and Faculties make up the group known as Janus, inspired by the model of “research group incubators” used by other The group’s research institutions around the world. Facets of this model include projects nurture the integration of aims, thinking up totally interdisciplinary and sustain products, using flexible organization, and providing spaces for debates in Colombia interdisciplinary collaboration. related to peace, “We have been able to build trust among professors, which conflict, and the was positive for the development of the joint research projects postconflict period, and this and products that are now emerging. We’re starting to see new can raise citizen chairs in our academic programs, as well as new postgraduate awareness and degrees, interdisciplinary doctorates, and informal courses,” knowledge in these areas. points out Lavaux.

121 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Photo by Leonardo Parra

Janus members used to conduct research with foreign universities and professors individually, but today they do so jointly through domestic and international networks.

KNOWLEDGE AT THE SERVICE OF THE COUNTRY Through their grasp of Janus is also rising to the challenge posed by the situation THE UNIVERSIDAD international issues, Janus Colombia is currently facing, but it is not focusing on the researchers have the oppor- Havana Peace Accords. This is because Janus does not moni- DEL ROSARIO tunity to establish dialogue tor what was agreed on there, nor is it essentially spotlight- ESTABLISHED AN between Colombian and ing the postconflict period. “The group conducts interdisci- ACADEMIC UNIT other global contexts. Most plinary work on lines made up from conflicts –in the plural, THAT PROVIDES of them have previously con- because they are multiple– as well as peace and postconflict ducted research with inter- developments in Colombia and other parts of the world. EVIDENCE THAT national universities and pro- That is its added value. It is not just monitoring how our A GROUP OF fessors, but now they do so peace process is going, but rather contributing experienc- PROFESSORS WITH jointly through national and es, working with involved public and private entities, and WIDELY DIFFERING international networks. sharing this knowledge for the benefit of the country,” ex- “The networks that re- plains Lavaux. SPECIALIZATIONS searchers previously worked For these reasons, the challenge for Janus was to harness CAN WORK in have been maintained and institutional strengths in support of the national agenda. In COLLABORATIVELY, broadened to encompass the other words, it aimed for research carried out by the group to FORGING DIALOGUE interdisciplinarity that we nourish national debates related to peace, conflict, and post- represent today, but we are conflict issues, while also raising citizen awareness andun- AMONG THEIR also very involved with do- derstanding of these issues. “Janus extended the reach of its DIFFERENT AREAS mestic and international uni- research with actions in 27 of Colombia’s 32 departments,” OF KNOWLEDGE versity consortia and in col- notes Lavaux. laborative bodies such as the Finally, the group sought to boost international awareness International Alliance of Universities for Peace of Colombia’s national agenda, under the premise that this and the German-Colombian Peace Institute, would produce “a ‘glocal’ analysis of problems that are really explains the Vice President and Provost. global, but which must be contextualized according to local The group’s success, thanks to the commit- conditions. This local frame of analysis is what makes it pos- ment of professors, the support of University sible for us to learn from the good and bad practices seen in leadership, and the time invested in defining other countries,” she adds. the parameters of research, has made it pos- Taking this approach, Janus insists that it does not study sible to demonstrate the suitability of this the conflict, but rather conflicts, since the experiences of other research model to today’s world. Now the countries show that on emerging from armed conflicts lasting Universidad del Rosario is preparing to repli- several years, societies must grapple with conflicts that had re- cate it for research in three new areas: aging, mained hidden. climate change, and gender.

122 EL Rosario’s Contributions to Peace in Colombia The issue of Peace in Colombia has been widely analyzed since 2012, when conversations began between the national government and the FARC. The Universidad del Rosario has contributed different visions and perspectives on the process through the University Office on Contributions to Great National Debates. The Office has established an agenda that creates, promotes, strengthens, and organizes high-quality academic events to consider, educate, debate on, and deeply explore high-impact issues for the country. Its goal is to contribute to the construction of a better Colombia.

tweets have been published on 13 35 the peace NATIONAL COUNTRIES 10.700 forums. FORUMS ABOUT HAVE INTERACTED THE HAVANA THROUGH SOCIAL twitter accounts reached. PEACE PROCESS NETWORKS. 62 MILLION

NEWS For information on upcoming 898 events: www.urosario.edu.co/ MENTIONS IN 5.000 Contribucion-a-los-Grandes-Debates- COMMUNICATIONS in-person participants Nacionales/Inicio/ MEDIA 13 MARCH TIME LINE 16 FEBRUARY Forum. The Havana peace talks: 2017 Inaugural Academic Conference of 2017. The reflecting on a comprehensive future of Colombia: economy and social justice agrarian development policy leading to peace 18 AUGUST 2013 Forum. Plebiscite: Yes or no? 13 NOVEMBER 27 MAY Forum. A legal framework for peace: 2016 Forum. The benefits of peace what does it mean for the obligations of the Colombian state? 18 FEBRUARY Inaugural Academic Conference of 13 NOVEMBER 2016. The future of a country at peace Forum. The Havana peace process What will be agreed by Colombians, 28 OCTOBER and how? 2014 How should the Havana peace accords be ratified? 26 NOVEMBER Press conference. Redefining 25 SEPTEMBER political crimes: right or wrong? The Army of the future: from transformation to a doctrine for building peace 24 FEBRUARY Inaugural Academic Conference for 2015: 3 AUGUST Ideas for reaching peace in Colombia Forum. Contributions to achieving peace in 2015 Colombia: bilateral cease-fire? 13 MAY Forum. Transitional justice in Colombia and the role of the International Criminal Court in the country OTHER INITIATIVES

• In 2016, 84 instructors from the National Learning Service (SENA), together • 40 research projects • 11 postgraduate with the Universidad del Rosario, founded the Group for Interdisciplinary Studies in areas strategic for programs with an on Conflict and Peace (JANUS) to promote a culture of peace among SENA’s peace, conflict, and the emphasis on peace apprentices, instructors, and leadership. SENA has a national presence, stretching post-conflict period, and and the post- to parts of Colombia affected by the conflict, and conducts vocational training more than 500 scientific conflict period. among vulnerable population sectors and demobilized combatants. The new publications. alliance came into being through the diploma course Pedagogies for Peace. 123 5Adding disciplines to improve quality of life Adding disciplines to improve quality of life Adding disciplines to improve quality of life ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

HIGHLY PERSONALIZED MEDICINE

In February 2017, the School of great challenge. That’s what Medicine and Health Sciences brought Óscar Mauricio Ar- cos Burgos back to Colombia of the Universidad del Rosario after 25 years of basic and established the Institute of clinical research, teaching, Translational Medicine of the publications, and supervising Universidad del Rosario projects in human genetics, A and evolution. He had pre- (IMTUR). This pioneer initiative viously worked and studied in countries in the country seeks to combine including Chile, the United States, and the efforts of the institution’s Australia. advanced medical research Arcos has a Master’s degree in biology from the University of Antioquia, his med- centers to improve prevalence ical degree from the University of Cauca, a and incidence registers for doctorate in genetics from the University diseases affecting Colombians. of Chile, and a doctorate in clinical genetics from the residency program of the National

126 By Ninfa Sandoval / Photos by Alberto Sierra

Tr a ns l a t i on a l medicine is highly personalized since it uses the genetic, medical, and environmental information of patients.

What is translational medicine? Mauricio Arcos (MA): It responds to the need to build bridges between basic and clinical research. It seeks to make discoveries resulting from scientific and experimental activity available for use in direct medical practice with patients, and to see immediate results reflected in their health. It is highly personalized, since it uses the genetic, medical, and environmental information of patients— even their lifestyles and cultural backgrounds—to produce systematic analyses of individuals that can generate specific diagnoses and treatments. For example, the same treatment cannot be applied to everyone suffering from a particular respiratory disease. We now know that there are individuals who follow different patterns in keeping with their age, gender, origin, and history. We are talking here about precision medicine, which can only be reached in the degree to which we are famil- iar with patients’ individual genomes. The fact that we use technology to produce our own databases will allow us to work with data models that we believe will correspond to our population.

Human Genome Research Institute in the metropolitan area What are the origins of the Institute and of Washington, D.C. Until the end of 2016 he was an associ- how was it established? ate professor and led the Genomics and Predictive Medicine MA: The Center for the Study of Autoim- Group at the Department of Genome Sciences of the School mune Diseases (CREA) had already been of Medical Research at the Australian National University in working with its translational medicine Canberra; now he is the director of the Institute of Transla- group, focused on researching and applying tional Medicine of the School of Medicine and Health Scienc- family-based and personalized treatments es at the Universidad del Rosario (IMTUR). of autoimmune diseases. The Institute was established as an interdisciplinary amalgam BUILDING KNOWLEDGE TOGETHER uniting several research groups and centers “The great challenge is to produce knowledge jointly through to produce scientific knowledge for the early transversal and coherent research projects at the high-level prediction and treatment of noncommuni- research centers of the University’s School of Medicine and cable chronic diseases, and to improve their Health Sciences,” he explains. prevalence and incidence registers with an To Arcos, improving people’s health is something that can- emphasis on the country’s needs, which is not be accomplished alone, which is why knowledge should not to say that any solutions that we find here be shared and amalgamated. cannot be used to serve other communities.

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This work will contribute to the construction of a better university and better professionals through the production of knowledge.

“We want to have an effect on the treatments provided to patients. We should have products to offer to the community no more than two years from now,” say researchers Claudio Mastronardi and Óscar Mauricio Arcos Burgos.

What are the principal goals? cine and Health Sciences make up the Insti- MA: We have several specific goals that fall tute: CREA; the Research Center on Genet- within the mission of the University. We want ics and Genomics (CIGGUR); the Center for to use the techniques of basic research to an- the Study of Highly Prevalent Neurological swer research questions that arise in the con- Disorders, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and text of providing medical care to patients and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (NEUROS); and communities with noncommunicable chronic the Center for the Study of Communicable diseases, and to disseminate our results for the 4 and Metabolic Diseases (BIO-BIO). research benefit of patients and communities. centers The scientists who work at all these cen- We are going to contribute to the construc- ters and groups produce excellent work; we tion of a better University and the training of have international authorities in every spe- better professionals through the production cialty. of knowledge. We want to favor scientific Argentine neuroendocrine immunologist progress and development of researchers in Claudio Mastronardi came with me from these areas through training. 33 the Australian National University. Dr. Mas- At the same time, we will work toward high-level tronardi has a Ph.D. in the development and defining the populations at risk of suffering researchers function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ad- from noncommunicable chronic diseases renal axis and its implications for the appear- that should be targets of public health cam- ance of autoimmune and psychiatric diseases. paigns based on predictive and prognostic Our work consists of sharing and optimizing biomarkers. We will also characterize the the knowledge of these research centers and behavior of each noncommunicable chronic 309 the scientists who work there, as well as the disease and we will develop strategies for in- publications use of the resources available to us. It is of the terinstitutional collaboration with local, na- 2006-2017 utmost importance that we have processes tional, and international centers. for the storage, analysis, and processing of Source: Scopus, 2017 shared bioinformatic and biostatistical data. Who is part of the Institute? MA: In this initial phase, four centers of What are the greatest challenges? high-level research at the School of Medi- MA: We have an initial five-year plan. The

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Core Facilities is the instrument that enables the philosophy of coheren- ce, collaboration, and maximization of IMTUR’s cutting-edge scientific and technical resources. All the centers and groups that benefit from this collaborative mechanism for the highest quality of scientific production will reduce their costs and have access to state of the art instruments in micros- great challenge is to begin to collabora- IMTUR copics, genomics, tively produce shared knowledge through Dr. Mauricio Arcos Burgos transcriptomics, transversal and coherent research proj- metabolomics, and ects across the centers. In addition, we bioinformatics. want to impact on treatments provided to patients. We aim to have products to offer Center for the Study of Center for Research In addition, the to the community in no more than two Autoimmune Diseases on Genetics and state-of-the-art years from now. Dr. Juan Manuel Anaya Genomics strategy will seek These great challenges include in- Dr. Paul Laissue to produce induced creasing the number and impact of pub- pluripotent stem lications, improving the performance of cells (stem cells that some groups that have not reached level can generate most A1 in Colciencias, integrating more doc- tissues) and these toral and master’s students, generating NEUROS BIO-BIO will play a critical more exchanges of high-level scientists, Dr. Alberto Vélez Dra. Beatriz Gómez role in the study students, and interns, increasing the ap- of personalized plication of our work to large internation- CORE FACILITIES medicine, pharma- al projects, and generating more agree- Proteomics – Genomics – Transcriptomics coresistance, and ments for collaboration with entities that Microscopics – Metabolomics – Bioinformatics genome editing. provide clinical health care services. Biostatistics - Cell Culture Improving people’s health is not some- The high-level research centers that make thing that can be done alone, so we should up the Institute of Translational Medicine at make our work interinstitutional. All of us the Universidad del Rosario are: The Center should work toward this goal. We want to for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases (CREA), the research Center on Genetics convince the State to develop collater- and Genomics (CIGGUR), the Center for al policies from this perspective and we the Study of Highly Prevalent Neurological want to involve service providers and Disorders, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (NEUROS), and producers of medical and robotic prod- the Center for the Study of Communicable ucts and instruments. and Metabolic Diseases (BIO-BIO).

129 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Universidad del Rosario, a pioneer in researching autoimmune diseases The Center for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases was founded in 2007 to research chronic non-communicable diseases, principally autoimmune diseases affecting around 5% of the Colombian population and that have no known cure.

Juan Manuel Anaya reports with pride that thanks to CREA’s ongoing research, it has consolidated a scientific hypothesis and provided evidence to support it.

130 By Ninfa Sandoval / Photos by Alberto Sierra

PEOPLE INFECTED WITH ZIKA WHO LIVED NEAR OUTFLOWS OF RESIDENTIAL WASTEWATER OR MARKET SQUARES DEVELOPED GUILLAIN BARRE SYNDROME MORE FREQUENTLY THAN OTHER ZIKA PATIENTS

CONSORTIUM OF TOP-LEVEL CENTERS IN AUTOIMMUNITY

CREA is the only research center in South America that participates in the Autoimmunity Consortium and Network, a dynamic community of medical specialists in rheumatology and immunology who work with other researchers in these fields to share their knowledge of autoimmune diseases and collaborate on research at different centers.

“GBS develops after an infection when the immune system recognizes characteristics of the infectious agent that resemble proteins belonging to the organ itself, in this case the gangliosides. At the same time that it recognizes the infectious agent, however, the im- n 2016, Colombia experienced a health emergency due to mune system recognizes the organism’s own In the 10 years the presence of the Zika virus. As in several other parts of since its gangliosides through a mechanism called mo- the world, cases were multiplying, and authorities asked founding, CREA lecular mimicry or cross reactivity,” explains the population to take certain necessary measures, in par- has increased Juan Manuel Anaya Cabrera, the founder and knowledge ticular to avoid bites from mosquitoes of the Aedes spe- and generated director of CREA. cies, the insects that transmit not only this disease but also research The researchers at this center, one of sev- yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya. questions about eral at the School of Medicine and Health Sci- autoimmune I Cúcuta was the most closely-monitored city, due to diseases to ences of the Universidad del Rosario, point its high number of Zika cases and the possible association of facilitate their out that 1% of individuals infected with the the disease with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Research- prediction and Zika virus show signs that their immune sys- prevention. ers from the Center for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases tem is defending them from the foreign mi- (CREA) of the Universidad del Rosario arrived in that city to croorganism but at the same time is attacking analyze the cases and found that there may indeed be a rela- their own organism through the production tion between Zika and GBS. They wrote about this in the July of antigangliosides and other proteins that 2016 issue of the journal Medicina, published by the Colombi- cause changes to the peripheral nervous sys- an National Academy of Medicine. tem. Gangliosides are molecules in the cen-

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THE MAIN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES IN COLOMBIA ARE AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, TYPE 1 DIABETES, AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. THERE ARE NOT MANY SPECIALISTS IN THESE DISEASES, THEY ARE NOT EASY TO DIAGNOSE, AND THEY MOSTLY AFFECT WOMEN.

tral and peripheral nervous systems that lose eases to facilitate their prediction and pre- TRAINGING, THE their properties when attacked by these an- vention. PURPOSE OF CREA tibodies, leading to the neurological damage Anaya reports with pride that thanks to observed in cases of GBS. CREA’s ongoing research, it has consolidat- CREA is the most “This disease is characterized by feelings of ed a scientific hypothesis and provided evi- productive scientific weakness in the extremities, generally in the dence to support it. It has also identified two unit at the Universidad legs and then in the arms, with a loss of reflex- important phenomena, and named them: del Rosario, producing es. Symptoms may intensify until the patient polyautoimmunity, or the presence of an 160 documents cannot use his or her muscles and is left al- associated disease (when a second or third published in Scopus most completely paralyzed,” explains Anaya. autoimmune disease coexists with the first over the last one in a patient), and family autoimmunity 10 years. Knowledge ZIKA AND GUILLAIN-BARRE (when family members suffer from autoim- generated at the CREA’s study called Autoimmune Respons- mune diseases other than that suffered by Center is transmitted es in Individuals Infected by Zika (Respuesta the initial patient). to other professionals Autoinmune en Individuos Infectados por “Through observation we have seen that for use in treating Zika – RAIZ) analyzes the basis of this re- many patients develop a second and some- and researching lation between Zika and GBS. Researchers autoimmune diseases. at the Center have identified a high rate of The frequency of these coinfection and described the environmen- diseases has increased tal conditions that favor the development of due to the growth and GBS. They have also identified cases of other aging of the population, equally serious neurological manifestations so there is an increasing among Zika patients, including encephalitis CREA IS A TRANSLATIONAL number of patients and transverse myelitis. They are now seek- MEDICINE CENTER suffering from cancer, ing to identify the genetic factors that make From the laboratory to the patient autoimmune diseases, people infected with Zika more prone to de- and from the patient to the and neurological veloping GBS, or that protect them from it. laboratory and cardiovascular When we carried out georeferencing on conditions. patients, a control group, and seven families, we found that there are two fundamen- Publications and dissemination of The Center maintains tal environmental factors involved. People research an ongoing schedule infected with Zika who live near outflows of Management and administration of seminars in its areas residential wastewater or market squares de- Medical team (specialists) of research, and it veloped GBS more frequently than other Zika Patient care sponsors two graduate patients. This burden of infection was cor- Nursing diploma programs (in roborated through laboratory analyses, and Ethics committee autoimmunity and suggests that the disease may have a higher Clinical coordination translational medicine) environmental than genetic burden, explain Research assistants for undergraduates at CREA researchers Yeny Acosta, Diana Mon- the School of Medicine salve, and Carolina Ramírez. Laboratory for immunological and biological research and Health Sciences, and for general AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES Basic research on molecular biology practitioners, internists, In the 10 years since its founding, CREA Data coordination and rheumatologists. has increased knowledge and generated Analytical coordination research questions about autoimmune dis-

132 times a third autoimmune disease over the course of their PATIENT Clinical Practice lives, and that these diseases often seem unrelated. We Researchers have also found that their first-degree relatives, although explain they did not have the same disease, did suffer from one or that “the Heterogeneous more other autoimmune diseases,” says the professor, ex- purpose of the data immunological plaining how the two terms were coined. system is to CREA principally researches the five most significant distinguish autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic what belongs Biological to the lupus, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diabetes, and au- organism Clinical toimmune hypothyroidism. Three studies are current- from what is ly under way, these being RAIZ, the search for common foreign to it. Anthropological If it is unable mechanisms among autoimmune diseases, and biomark- to make this ers in autoimmunity (BIOMA). These are large-scale popu- distinction, lation genetics studies in immunology and epidemiology, it will attack Data the organism integration conducted with patients and their families. itself. This “The purpose of the immunological system is to distin- constitutes an guish what belongs to the organism from what is foreign to autoimmune disease, which Data mining Knowledge it. If it is unable to make this distinction, it will attack the affects the organism itself. This constitutes an autoimmune disease, body’s organs Results which affects the body’s organs and systems,” explains and systems.” Production and dissemination of Anaya, underlining the importance of studying these dis- knowledge eases. Scientific publications, books The main autoimmune diseases in Colombia are au- Symposia and conferences toimmune thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic Pre- and post-graduate education and lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, and multiple scle- training rosis. There are not many specialists for these diseases, Project execution they are not easy to diagnose, and they mostly affect Internationalization women.

133 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Molecules GIVE Universidad del Rosario RESEARCHERS CLUES ON TACKLING Disease The Research Center on Genetics and Genomics (CIGGUR) at the Universidad del Rosario carries out state-of-the-art research with practical applications for translational medicine. Its major goals are to continue training scientific researchers and become one of the world’s leading research centers in its field.

t the end of 2015, the Universidad del Rosario “The impact of this work,” explains Lais- won a major acknowledgement: the GENI- sue, “is that until recently people who suf- UROS Research Group, under the leadership of fered from these kinds of infertility received Dr. Paul Laissue at the School of Medicine and clinical diagnoses but were given no expla- Health Sciences picked up the annual First Prize nation for their condition, and no early infor Scientific Research, the most prestigious tervention was available. Some women with award issued nationally by the National Acad- premature ovarian failure (who are under 40 A emy of Medicine. years of age but do not have menstrual cy- The Academy’s award reflected the work done by Dr. Lais- cles), may have ultimately been able to have sue and his team in using advanced technology to study the children, and their daughters could be carri- human genome and identify the genetic molecular factors ers of these mutations. Now we have a way to that lead to two disorders common among women: recurrent help them.” miscarriage and premature ovarian failure. The researchers The GENIUROS research group is a pio- were successful, and women now have access to more infor- neer in Colombia for this kind of research in mation about the reasons for these disorders. molecular medicine, and for trying (at a later

134 By Mauricio Veloza / Photos by Leonardo Parra / Grupo GENIUROS

GENIUROS IS ONE OF THE FIRST RESEARCH GROUPS CREATED AT THE UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO, SOME 20 YEARS AGO. IT IS RANKED AS A1 (THE HIGHEST NATIONAL RANKING) BY COLCIENCIAS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

stage) to prevent these conditions by understanding the molecular mechanisms of the disorders. This will enable practitioners to improve their diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments in applying translational medicine. In other words, the knowledge acquired in laboratories can be brought to clinical contexts where the health of patients can be improved. In this way, GENIUROS contributes to fulfilling the goals of the Research Center in Genetics and Genomics (CIGGUR), to which it belongs. CIGGUR was established in 2015 by the School of Medicine and Health Sciences to produce innovative applied knowledge and contribute to improving diagnostic CIGGUR was established and prognostic methods for different diseases by offering this to produce new information to patients and clinical practitioners. innovative “We don’t have any major centers for genetic research in applied knowledge Colombia at this time, but our goal is to become a leading labo- and contribute ratory in South America for the genomic and functional study to improving of frequent diseases,” says Laissue, who is also the director of diagnostic and prognostic CIGGUR. methods GENIUROS is one of the first research groups to be estab- for different lished at the University del Rosario, about 20 years ago. It is diseases by offering ranked as A1 (the highest national ranking) by COLCIENCIAS, this new the country’s Administrative Department of Science, Technol- information ogy, and Innovation. In the last few years, researchers at GE- to patients and clinical NIUROS have published over 50 high-impact articles in emi- practitioners. nently prestigious and specialized scientific publications. In addition to the National Award for Medicine, GENIUROS also won the 2014 Research Prize at Colsubsidio’s Biennial Competition for Pediatrics Research in recognition of its consistent work. LINES OF RESEARCH GENIUROS and CIGGUR conduct their work on four major lines of research: clinical dysmorphology and recessive pathologies, the functional genomics of common diseases, pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics, and the molecular genetics of cancer. “This research is done to train scientists, and carry out research that can be applied through translational medicine, so what is done in the laboratory will be brought to the patient and vice versa, creating bidirectionality between what is needed in clinical practice and what the laboratory can provide in

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terms of molecular, diagnostic, prognostic The new laboratory is specifically designed to medicine and the treatment of disease,” says practice different techniques for the study of Laissue. THE IDEA IS molecular biology, cellular biology, and func- CIGGUR is part of Colombia’s first Institute tional genomics, and it has several areas with of Translational Medicine, which is directed TO CREATE A high technology equipment for some very by geneticist Mauricio Arcos Burgos. The In- DOCTORAL specific kinds of research. Sophisticated pro- stitute also includes the Center for the Study SCHOOL WITHIN cedures are used in these spaces, which allow of Autoimmune Diseases (CREA); the Center THE SCHOOL OF researchers to maximize their efficiency and for the Study of Highly Prevalent Neurologi- work in innovative ways that also contribute cal Disorders, Neurodegenerative Diseases, MEDICINE. WITHIN to the training of students. and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (NEUROS); THIS SCHOOL, Thanks to investments by the Universi- and the Center for the Study of Communica- EACH RESEARCH ty, which amounted to 1,300 million pesos ble and Biochemical Diseases (MICROS). CENTER WILL (US$445,000) in 2016 alone, the laboratory “The idea is to create a doctoral school now has the most robust fluorescence micro- within the School of Medicine, where each re- MANAGE ITS OWN scope in Colombia and the only digital PCR search center will manage its own doctorate. DOCTORATE. THIS system in Latin America for transcriptome This will allow us to multiply our productivi- WILL ALLOW US studies. Investments in new equipment ty,” says the professor. TO MULTIPLY OUR this year could reach 1,500 million pesos CIGGUR’s most recent accomplishment (US$513,000). was to launch a new 305 square-meter re- PRODUCTIVITY With these advances, CIGGUR has gained search laboratory to lead the way in research international visibility and attracted resourc- on genetics and genomics in Colombia. es from COLCIENCIAS and collaborative agencies to help fi- “When we started CIGGUR, we had to nance its research. It has also attracted more students to its develop better research spaces because a lot programs. These positive developments have allowed it to in- of what we do is experimental, says Laissue. creasingly self-finance its research activities.

136 Photos by Leonardo Parra

The GENIUROS research group is a pioneer in Colombia for this kind of research in molecular medicine, and for trying (at a later stage) to prevent these conditions by understanding the molecular mechanisms of the disorders to improve their diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments.

CIGGUR’s most recent accomplishment was to launch a new 305 squaremeter research laboratory that will help it lead the way in research on genetics and genomics in Colombia.

TRAINING SCIENTISTS CIGGUR is currently conducting research Another of CIGGUR’s important products on such common diseases as cancer –espe- GENIUROS AND CIGGUR is the training of scientists. Beginning with cially colon cancer– in cooperation with Bo- research incubators in the under-gradu- gotá’s Méderi Hospital, into cardiovascular CONDUCT THEIR WORK ate Medicine program, young researchers diseases in collaboration with the Cardioin- ON FOUR MAJOR LINES receive training in genetics and genomics. fantil Foundation, and on fertility disorders, OF RESEARCH: CLINICAL They may then go on to a master’s degree preeclampsia, recurrent miscarriage, prema- DYSMORPHOLOGY in Human Genetics, the oldest such pro- ture ovarian failure, and adverse reactions to gram offered by the University and- cur medicines, among other things. AND RECESSIVE rently in line for formal external accredita- CIGGUR also works with numerous in- PATHOLOGIES, THE tion. This degree program is also intended stitutes in Colombia, including the Valle FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS to train scientific researchers. Students in del Lili Foundation and international hos- OF COMMON DISEASES, the program work on different projects pitals and institutions such as the Cochin and produce their theses, some of them Institute and the Pasteur Institute of Par- PHARMACOGENETICS going on to the doctoral program in Bio- is, Cornell University, the Albert Einstein AND medical Sciences. College of Medicine in New York, and the PHARMACOGENOMICS, “The training of our students is very Universities of Melbourne and Brisbane in AND THE MOLECULAR robust. The fact that a master’s student Australia. graduates having already had an article CIGGUR hopes that different research GENETICS OF CANCER published in a high impact journal, or a groups, either clinical or molecular, from oth- doctoral student graduates with five pub- er faculties and other universities will collab- lished articles, means that we are far above orate with the Center in the future to benefit international standards. This speaks well from its experience and develop new research of our levels of excellence in training and that will attract the private sector to develop research,” explains Laissue. patents and sell services.

137 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Yes, physical activity is important The Center for the Study of Measurements of Physical Activity (CEMA) has measured the strength and other aspects of the physical condition of Colombian students based on indicators related to their height and weight. It has also evaluated similar programs impacting the health of adults.

olombia now has scientific evi- Jorge Enrique Correa Bautista is the director of the Center dence of the poor physical condi- for the Study of Measurements of Physical Activity (CEMA) at tion of adolescents in Bogotá and the Universidad del Rosario’s School of Medicine and Health other cities in the country. This Sciences. He organized this important project, through which conclusion is supported by a clear the University uses research to promote and demonstrate the data set with indicators of the various benefits for health of physical activity. height and weight of Colombians, Cand not of people from the United THE ONLY CENTER WITH THIS FOCUS States or Europe, as was the case until recently. “We are the only research center that takes this approach. There is also corroborated information on There are already centers for studying physiology, sports, the effects of physical activity on the muscu- and high-performance activities, but none specifically focus- lar architecture of those with conditions such ing the relationship between physical activity and health,” as high blood pressure (HBP) or who are re- says Correa. covering from an illness, as well as data on the CEMA was founded six years ago, but research in this field impact of official programs such as ciclovía (a dates from 1999, when Correa and other professors decid- cycling program run in Colombia’s major cited to form a research group to study the effects of physical ies) on the health of city dwellers. “One prob- exercise on health. “At that time, the question was physical lem in determining the relationship between exercise,” Correa explains, “which was a narrower category. physical activity and health is that we don’t When we took the leap and got more ambitious about what know how to quantify the effects of physical we wanted to study, we looked to the broader category of activity on different facets of health. For this physical activity.” reason, we decided to measure these factors With this evolution in thinking, the group came to focus on more rigorously and quantify them to create physical activity and explored its beneficial effects in other -ar scientific evidence for this interface. This is eas of human life such as physical condition, thought processes, what lis behind our setting up this Center.” self-esteem, and other aspects of mental and physical health.

138 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by CEMA

GENERAL STRENGTH IS NOT VALUED HIGHLY ENOUGH. EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT AEROBIC, JOGGING, AND RUNNING CAPACITY, BUT WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN OUR MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM AS WELL

FROM RESEARCH GROUP TO RESEARCH CENTER As a group, the researchers attracted funding for their projects from official institutions such as the health departments of the city of Bogota, the Cundinamarca local administration, and the Institute of Recreation and Sports. Despite these achievements, they wanted to greatly broaden their research, which required a more complex and interdisciplinary structure that could integrate the existing health programs at the University in the areas of Psychology, Medicine, Physical Therapy, and Biomedical Engineering. The interdisciplinary structure that integrated these disciplines allowed them to con- birth of CEMA in its present-day form. The first instrument duct in-depth research on physical activity designed by the Center was a battery of indicators to measure and its relationship to health, and to focus on prehensile strength among students. a topic of special interest: the measurement of its effects. STRENGTH TRAINING In 2011, Correa proposed the establish- “General strength is a physical quality that we have under- ment of the Research Center to administra- valued. Everybody talks about aerobics, jogging, and run- tors of the Medical School and the University, ning, but we need to strengthen our musculoskeletal system and they approved the initiative. That was the as well, and scientific literature demonstrates that strength

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Through its research, the University promotes physical activity that brings multiple benefits for health.

TWO OUT OF EVERY TEN NINTH GRADE STUDENTS ARE OVERWEIGHT

5.5 OUT OF EVERY 10 PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE A POOR DIET

SIX OUT OF TEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY training is highly beneficial to cardiometabolic health,” says FOR ONLY 2 HOURS PER WEEK, the professor. ALTHOUGH THE WORLD HEALTH To evaluate subjects’ strength, CEMA designed an indicator ORGANIZATION RECOMMENDS 60 that set cut-off thresholds for the normal range of strength for MINUTES PER DAY Colombian youth in proportion to their height and weight. Source: CEMA In other words, it mapped out scientifically-valid statistical curves that were not previously available in the country. The work itself was actually performed by the team from the years 2014 and 2015, CEMA tested the the Association of Prehensile Strength with Early Manifesta- physical condition of ninth grade students, tions of Cardiovascular Risk in Colombian Children and Ado- 13-to-17-year-olds, at public, charter, contract, lescents (FUPRECOL) which, since 2014, has been developing and some private schools. a series of staggered measurements taken in public and pri- In the first test, measures were taken of vate schools around the country. 42,305 students, and 55,856 students were One measurement was the physical well-being of students measured in a second round. Instruments in Bogotá, a task performed through an agreement with the were designed specifically for this testing of capital’s local education department. Using SER testing over Colombian students.

140 Photos by CEMA / Leonardo Parra

The group focuses on physical activity and explores its beneficial effects in other areas such as physical condition, thought processes, self-esteem, and other aspects of physical and mental health.

THINKING OF THE FUTURE

Along with other projects, CEMA plans to continue research focused on children —including preschoolers— to evaluate their physical activities and conditions. This task will be carried out CEMA developed collaboratively with strategic an indicator international allies. It also plans to that could set work on research projects involving cutoff points for the normal patients being treated for cancer. range of CEMA will uphold its alliances with strength for international institutions in Chile, Colombian children in UK, USA, and Spain. proportion to their height and weight.

The research determined that students year-old men, as measured by neurotrophins, were not in good physical condition and did cerebral markers that affect concentration and not engage in the minimum level of physical STUDENTS IN other cognitive functions. activity recommended by the World Health “We are currently recruiting people for Organization, which is 60 minutes per day. COLOMBIA ARE this study, which we call Brainfit. It will have a It was also found that greater opportunities NOT IN GOOD strong impact because it is the first research of provided by schools in physical education and PHYSICAL its kind in Colombia. Initial results with 60 men healthy life habits can compensate for the ef- CONDITION AND will be available in June of this year. Why do we fects of low income and bad nutrition in poor- focus on men? It seems that the markers we are er students. This was reported in The Journal DO NOT ENGAGE measuring are more stable in their brains than of Pediatrics, one of the world’s most respect- IN PHYSICAL in women’s brains, so we can more easily mea- ed scientific publications on child health. ACTIVITY FOR sure changes associated with physical activity,” With these important findings, FUPRECOL THE MINIMUM says Correa. –throughout its different stages– has proved to More news will be coming out of the Center be one of CEMA’s standout projects. AMOUNT OF TIME this year and in coming years, since it has five Today, the Center is engaged in another RECOMMENDED lines of research that include ongoing studies to key project, one that will shed light on the BY THE WHO measure all aspects of the relationship between health effects of physical activity by 18-to-30- physical activity and health.

141 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE The Research Ecosystem at UR • Management and With 5 academic centers, 42 groups and one institute dedicated to Administration • A1 research, the Universidad del Rosario has seen increased scientific production and financed 178 research projects in the last decade. This is the ecosystem that makes research possible at the UR: School of • Institute of Applied • Faculty of Management Economic Analysis at Economics • A1 Universidad del Rosario (IDEAR)

• Social Studies in Sciences, Technologies, and Professions Faculty of Research Group • B Economics

• Centre for the Study of Theology and Religions (CETRE) • C • Aesthetics and Politics Research Group • A1 • Identity Studies Research Group • B • Applied Ethics, Labor and Social School of Responsibility Research Group • Human • Research Group on Education and Development • C Sciences • Logic, Epistemology, and Philosophy (ECH) of Science Research Group • C

• Biochemistry and Biotechnology Research Group (BIO-BIO) • A • Center for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA) • A1 • Center for the Study of Physical Activity Measurement (CEMA) • B School of • Rehabilitation Sciences Research Group • B Medicine and • Medical Education and Health Sciences Education Research Group • B Health • Studies in Behavioral Sciences Research Group • A1 Sciences • Colombian Foundation Institute of Colombian Immunology (FIDIC) • A1 (EMCS) • GENIUROS • A1 • GiBiome Research Group • C • Health, Cognition, Work Research Group (GiSCYT) • A • Traditional Health Systems Research Group • C • Clinical Research Group • B • Public Health Research Group • B • Neurosciences Research Group (NEUROS) • A1 • People, Family, and Society Research Group • A • Institute for • Translational Medicine Research Group • C Translational • Méderi Research Group Medicine (IMTUR)

• Center for the Study of Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA) • Center for the Study of Physical Activity Measurement (CEMA) • Center for Research on Genetics and Genomics • Center for Clinical Simulation

142 • Political and International INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND Studies Research Group ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOR (CEPI) • A1 UR RESEARCHERS 2012-2015

• WHO’S WHO IN THE WORLD 30TH EDITION 2014 Faculty of MARQUIS WHO’S WHO Political CLARA INÉS PARDO Science, December 2012 Government, and International Relations • FOREST RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION, PH.D. MENTORING AWARDS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FRANCISCO JAVIER ESCOBEDO May 2012 • Human Rights Research Group • B • International Law Research Group • B • OUTSTANDING DELEGATE • Criminal Law Research Group• B HARVARD NATIONAL • Private Law Research Group • B MODEL UNITED NATIONS • Public Law Research Group • A1 ROBERT JOSEPH BLAISE MACLEAN February 2013 • HIGH IMPACT RESEARCH PUBLICATION RECOGNITION UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FRANCISCO JAVIER ESCOBEDO May 2015 Faculty of Jurisprudence • RESPONDENT MEMORIAL EUROPEAN LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION ROBERT JOSEPH BLAISE MACLEAN March 2013 Cultural and • TEN OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSONS - TOYP 2013 Historical JUNIOR CHAMBER Heritage INTERNATIONAL - JCI Unit CARLOS MAURICIO LÓPEZ November 2013

• History of the • SCOPUS PRIZE Faculty of Universidad COLOMBIA 2013 Natural del Rosario EDITORIAL ELSEVIER Sciences and JUAN MANUEL ANAYA Mathematics October 2013 (CNYM)

• PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC MERIT LONDON SCHOOL OF • Basic Medical Sciences • A1 ECONOMICS ALUMNI • Evolutionary Genetics, Phylogeography, and the Ecology of ASSOCIATION IN COLOMBIA Neotropical Biodiversity Research Group • A1 ÓSCAR JULIÁN PALMA • Microbiology Research Group (GIMUR) • A1 November 2013 • Functional and Ecosystem Ecology Research Group (EFE) • C • Natural History of Tropical Plants Research Group • • Applied Mathematics and Computation (MACC) • C • GLOBAL SOUTH CAUCUS • Nanotech Research Group • D DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR AWARD • Cannon Research Group INTERNATIONAL STUDIES • Natural Sciences and Mathematics Education Research Group ASSOCIATION ARLENE BETH TICKNER Research groups are presented according to the Colciencias 2016 classification. March 2014 According to Colciencias, there are four categories for these groups: A1, A, B, and C, with A1 being the highest. The groups are classified based on their Source: CvLAC of the researchers scientific products and their affiliated researchers. Source: (Colciencias Document 737 on the Recognition and Measurement of Groups for Research, Technological Development, and Innovation, 2015) and internal Diel data). 143 6 Considering issues on the national agenda Considering issues on the national agenda

Considering issues on the national agenda ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

HOW DO WE REGULATE THE UNIVERSE?

146 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photos by Leonardo Parra / 123rf

It may involve a bit of science fiction, and it certainly calls for forethought on current findings and the development of technology for exploring the cosmos, but this is the important question a team of researchers from the Faculty of Jurisprudence of the Universidad del Rosario has been considering: what kind of law should be applied to space?

t the end of February, NASA sur- visiting professor at universities in the Americas, Europe, and prised the world with news that Asia. He and his research group (comprising students María there are seven exoplanets in the José Vargas, Laura Quijano, and Alejandra Soler, attorney Dan- habitable zone around the star iela Almario, and Professors Jairo Becerra of the Universidad Trappist-1, 40 light years away del Rosario, and Macarena Domínguez of the University of from our solar system. These Barcelona) have spent eighteen months reviewing current newly discovered planets orbit law as it applies to outer space and celestial bodies. Their work Aa star distant from our sun in an combines with efforts by another working group looking at area where atmospheric conditions make the aerospace law. Analyzing current debates on the subject, the existence of liquid water possible, and three of researchers have identified gaps in the law and formulated al- the planets offer strong possibilities that they ternatives that should help to further develop the existing cor- could host what we understand as life forms. pus juris. They hope to complete this work in one year and put The discovery, described in the prestigious it out through a book. British journal Nature, brings to mind some “Current regulation of outer space is minimal because it has questions that humans have long asked: Are been based on agreements between super powers that have we alone in the universe? And, if Earth can no the technology and resources to carry out space exploration longer support us, will we have the option of but do all they can to avoid the imposition of any limits to their emigrating somewhere else? actions. The situation today has undergone a change, however. “This discovery should make us reflect on States are no longer alone in space exploration, since multina- the astounding dimensions of the cosmos, tional corporations and large private sector companies have and particularly on the significance of our hu- now taken the lead in this space race,” says Professor Martínez. manity in this vast universe in which we in- “At the present time,” he adds, “we don’t have adequate habit a planetary system on the periphery of a tools to respond to the unknown number of disputes that may galaxy, the Milky Way, that has approximate- arise. On the one side we have the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, ly 300 billion stars similar in some way to our which is too general and vague, and on the other a corpus juris States are sun. But our Milky Way is just one of what spatialis that is anachronistic in its fictive conception of a soci- making large the University of Nottingham calculates to ety imbued with the fear imposed by the Cold War era. We are investments in be 2 trillion galaxies,” points out Juan Ramón convinced of the need for a legal framework relevant not only the exploration of the cosmos; Martínez Vargas, professor in the Faculty of to the present, but able as well to anticipate potential events in multinational Jurisprudence at the Universidad del Rosario. the near future and their possible effects.” corporations “That profound understanding of the uni- and large private sector verse in which we find ourselves leads to the SPACE MISSIONS WILL MULTIPLY companies have necessity to understand it, travel to its fur- It is expected that from 2022 there will be a greater number taken the lead thest reaches, conquer it, and of course, estab- of space missions due to new developments in space shut- in this space race. lish laws for it,” he says. tles, telescopes that surpass Hubble and, in general, other Martínez Vargas is director of the Research technological developments that will allow us to study and Group on International Law at El Rosario, and understand the universe with more precision and discover

147 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

an urgent matter of survival to gain access to other planets and think about their appropriation and use for the benefit of humankind,” explains Martínez. In fact, one of the burning issues that the research group has considered is the possible appropriation of outer space and the celestial bodies on the basis that humankind has an obligation and responsibility to begin colonizing other planets to guarantee the survival of the species. “Our planet is coming close to a point of no return. It is within a couple of centuries of a systemic collapse that may be generated by demographic explosion, the indiscriminate exploitation of resources, accelerated climate change, looming pandemics, nuclear wars, intolerable levels of solar radiation, or any other phenomenon that puts the life of humans in jeop- ardy on this Earth. As things are today, if our planet perishes, the human species will disappear. Nothing could be more cat- astrophic,” says the professor. A UNIVERSE FOR ALL According to the research group, international law should confront this reality by advocating for compliance with environmental obligations and enforcing the rule of law on inter- That profound understanding of the universe in which we find ourselves leads to the necessity to national security matters. It should also work to protect hu- understand it, travel to its far reaches, conquer it, man rights as a corollary of sustainable development, among and of course, establish laws for it,” says Juan many other tasks. And efforts should continue to establish Ramón Martínez Vargas, director of the Research Group on International Law. norms for the most beneficial use of outer space. “But what happens if in exploring the cosmos we encounter intelligent forms of life—a likelihood according to the Drake equation—and these exercise sovereignty over territories of interest to humanity? Could humans impose their law? That’s more galaxies, stars, and planets than we ever where we face a legal and ethical challenge that has been par- imagined. tially solved,” explains Martínez. The Research Group on International An obligation for the non-appropriation of outer space and Law believes that we have not yet been able celestial bodies was discussed at the 1966 Space Conference, to comprehend what could take place and meaning that there would be no imposition of human law on should be prepared for any eventuality. “In other forms of life in space, and especially that there would be regard to the planets that we have discov- no appropriation of celestial bodies by States or individuals. ered, which may be exobiologically similar to Nonetheless, this principle was modified in 1979 in relation to ours, we ask if man could consider appropri- the moon. Humankind determined that the moon belonged to ating them? Is it legally possible to own such our species due to its symbiotic relationship with Earth. celestial bodies as property? This would not The proposal of the group is that this outlook be extended be possible under existing law, because they to our entire solar system. “We have determined that there is are res communis omnium, common to the water, but no sign of intelligent life on planets other than our community of mankind. This supposition own in the solar system, so to avoid any possible exploitation should be reexamined, however, because it is of other planets to benefit private parties and limit such activ-

148 Photo by Rafael Serrano

ity to humanity as a whole, man may compre- hensively protect the entire system —from the sun to the Oort cloud— by applying the MATTERS REGARDING common heritage principle,” says Martínez. THE COSMOS ARE NO The motivation for this would have to do LONGER THE EXCLUSIVE with the extensive resources that exist on the DOMAIN OF PLANETARY celestial bodies of the solar system, which could be exploited some day for the benefit of SCIENTISTS AND humankind. ASTROBIOLOGISTS. Also discussed in this work are proposals NOW EXPERTS IN regarding the responsibility of States and JURISPRUDENCE MUST individuals, environmental law, peace, and security in space, and labor law with respect TURN THEIR ATTENTION to astronauts. The latter is an issue because in TO THIS FIELD AS WELL the not very distant future, more humans of different nationalities will find themselves in space and there will be a need for clarity on their employment status. In relation to this matter, the team has reviewed the work of the International Labor Organization regarding the regulation of highly dangerous work, extrapolating it to work in space. “There’s a need to establish a legal framework for the protection of workers who engage in activities with such a high level of risk,” says Professor Martínez. These examples allow us to bring legal developments “down to earth” as technology develops and provides for increasingly greater exploration of the universe. In this sense, matters regarding the cosmos are no longer the exclusive domain of planetary scientists and astrobiologists. Now, experts The Group is reviewing in jurisprudence must also turn their attention to this field. current law It is worth taking very seriously indeed the words of NASA’s as it applies chief scientist Thomas Zurbuchen at the press conference to outer space and announcing the discovery of Trappist-1’s seven planets: “this the celestial discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not a bodies. matter of if but when.”

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FOREIGN INFLUENCE ON THE COLOMBIAN POLICE 150 By Ángela Constanza Jerez / Photo by Leonardo Parra

Diplomatic relations between Colombia and other countries have gone through different stages. In his research, Juan Carlos Ruiz, professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Government, and International Relations of the Universidad del Rosario, explains first European, then US influence on Colombian policing, highlighting Colombian aspirations to emulate the institutions of other countries.

he 1928 letter was revealing.- Ev ery word of the head of the French mission to the Colombian Minister of Foreign Relations laid bare his pejorative and negative view of our country. “The French representative reports that the people of Co- T lombia are unable to think proper- ly because they suffer from sleeping sickness, their muscles are numbed by mountain al- titudes, and they spend more time sleeping than working. The negative and colonialist views of that time help us understand how foreign diplomatic missions saw us.” Professor Juan Carlos Ruiz Vásquez was the person who found this letter. He discovered it in the archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the many ministries he visited in different countries looking for information to help him understand Colom- bia’s 19th and 20th century foreign policy. “The study provides a good description of Colombian foreign policy through the eyes of Europeans, and a good snapshot of what The study Colombians and their institutions were like provides a good at that time, especially the police, a superb description of Colombian mirror of national policy and interest in im- foreign policy proving its institutions. The country was not through able to make the desired improvements due the eyes of Europeans, and to the tumultuous situation and the conflict a good snapshot that it experienced in those years,” explains of what Ruiz Vásquez, who is a professor at the Fac- Colombians and their institutions ulty of Political Science, Government, and were like at that International Relations of the Universidad del time, Rosario, with a Ph.D. in Politics from the Uni- especially the police. versity of Oxford in England.

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Historically, Colombia’s police have received training in Spain, the United States, France, and Canada.

The task Ruiz set himself to learn about Co- lombia’s relations with other countries of the Ruiz says that time, mostly European ones, led him to con- Colombia had very close sult the Administrative Archives in Alcalá de relations Henares, where Spain maintains documents with the that were not lost in the Civil War; he went to outside world. Colombians the national archives at Kew in England, those especially of France and its archives at the Ministry of admired Europe Foreign Affairs, and also the National Archives in the 19th and the first half of in Chile. the 20th century, “People such as former president Alfonso and wanted López Michelson have said that Colombia was to imitate and even reproduce the Tibet of South America, a country lost to the institutions the outside world,” says Ruiz, “But after ex- and customs amining these archives, my impression is the that they considered to be polar opposite. Colombia had very close rela- characteristic tions with the world. Colombians especially of “the civilized admired Europe in the 19th and the first half world.” of the 20th century, and wanted to mimic the police, which was set up by Decree 1000 of 1891. He was the institutions and customs of what they consid- first head of the national police, serving until 1898, and held ered to be ‘the civilized world.’” the same post a second time during the presidency of Rafael “At the same time, some European coun- Reyes, dying in 1923. tries wanted to maintain a powerful influence on Colombia, to some extent to restrain MORE MISSIONS the ambitions of the United States,” says the Professor Ruiz researched additional foreign delegations, professor. which were called missions even if they had no more than One type of institution from “the old con- three people, or even just one as in the case of the French tinent” that Colombia wished to imitate was mission discussed above. Subsequent missions were sent by the national police of different countries, and Argentina, Spain, Chile, the United States, and England, each the first mission that arrived in Colombia of them making largely unsuccessful attempts to train and re- to reform its own force came from France. form the Colombian police. Jean-Marie Marcelin Gilbert (Juan María “The situation in Colombia was so tumultuous that the na- Marcelino Gilibert) arrived on that mission, tional police actually fell apart several times. The institution and he is now recognized in Colombian histo- was founded in 1891 but did not survive the War of a Thou- ry as the organizer and founder of the modern sand Days (1899-1902). Subsequently there was an attempt to

152 Photos by Alberto Sierra / Leonardo Parra

Another attempt was made to establish a national police force during the time of Laureano Gómez. This body became the fourth branch of the Armed Forces during the dictatorship of Rojas Pinilla. When Rojas Pinilla fell in 1958, the police force as we know it today came into being.

establish a gendarmerie, which was dissolved of what a police force should be in a civilized during the presidency of Reyes. The entire country,” says Ruiz. police force was dismissed after it rebelled THE HISTORY OF After the British, a Chilean mission arrived against the government of Mariano Ospina THE COLOMBIAN in the 1960s, and a group of FBI agents came Pérez in the context of the popular uprising from the United States to train the police in known as the Bogotazo (April 9, 1948). Anoth- POLICE counterinsurgency. This was a time of rural er attempt was made to establish a national REFLECTS THE lawlessness and banditry that led to the rise of police force during the time of Laureano Gó- TRANSFORMATIONS communist guerrillas, and the United States mez. This body became the fourth branch of OF FOREIGN POLICY became an influential and guiding factor in the Armed Forces during the dictatorship of Colombia’s foreign policy. Rojas Pinilla. When Rojas Pinilla fell in 1958, AND PARTICULARLY “Since that period, these groups have not the police force as we know it today came into THE INFLUENCE been called missions, but “advisors”. Colom- being,” explains Ruiz. OF DIFFERENT bian police also travel to different countries for Due to all this turmoil, the missions were COUNTRIES IN OUR training. We have had police trained in com- unable to fully accomplish their goals of munity policing in Spain, in counter-terrorism re-organizing the police, improving training, HISTORY in Miami, and they have made regular trips for increasing recruitment, and attending to oth- training in France and Canada,” he adds. er important technical matters. Nevertheless, In Ruiz’s view, the history of the Colom- Ruiz’s research indicates that a 1936 Chilean bian police reflects the transformations of mission imparted a Prussian aspect to the po- foreign policy and particularly the influence of different coun- lice that is notable even today in their parades tries in our history. Europe had a strong influence in the 19th and formal ceremonies. century, which gradually diminished in the 20th century. The A British mission arrived in 1948 after the United States, which had previously played a very insignifi- Bogotazo, and advised the Colombian institu- cant role in the minds of Colombian leaders, came to exert a tion for three years, restructuring it into sepa- great deal of influence in the 20th century. rate divisions for traffic, transit, and fire-fight- “It is interesting to see this because in Colombia there isn’t ing. “Twelve police came from Bombay but any authoritative accounting of the country’s foreign policy, did not speak Spanish and had difficulty com- and what little we have is based on the point of view of inter- municating. They arrived at the height of the national law. In addition, researchers should examine what is Colombian violence. President Ospina Pérez said about Colombia outside the country,” he adds. gave way to Laureano Gómez, who needed a Ruiz now plans to visit the national archives in Washington completely politicized and ultraconservative to research declassified documents and learn what the CIA, police force to fulfill his ambitions, which was the FBI, and other government bodies in the United States had very much in conflict with the British view to say about Colombian politics and institutions.

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154 By Víctor Solano / Photo by Reuters OUR TO-AND-FRO RELATIONSHIP WITH VENEZUELA The Universidad del Rosario’s Venezuela Observatory has become an indispensable source of information for understanding the complex dynamics of Venezuela and its bilateral relations with Colombia.

ust as there is talk today in the migration of the 1980s that saw thousands United States about building a huge of Colombian professionals take skilled posi- wall to separate the long border be- tions in the Venezuelan jobs market, or his- tween that country and Mexico, we torical clashes as the border was eventually in South America also have an im- defined as we know it today. Throughout his- mense border that separates two tory, this has been Colombia’s most dynamic countries, and it, too, has a history boundary, and Venezuela’s only truly active Jfull of push and pull. border, where hundreds of thousands of cit- Paraphrasing Eduardo Galeano in his book izens have crossed in both directions. “Open Veins of Latin America”, the Colom- Now, the Venezuela Observatory at the bia-Venezuela border is much more than a Universidad del Rosario has been organizing winding, 2,219km-long line of mountains, academic events and publications to spark in- river, and the sands of the Guajira Peninsu- terest in this binational relationship. This has la. Those desert sands are the home to the encouraged the training of young researchers, Wayuu people, a nation locked between na- who have stayed on to work on topics related tions whose borders been have crossed back to Venezuela for their masters and Ph.Ds., bol- and forth for centuries by the Wayuu, who do stering a community of experts on different not see ‘sides’, just a vast sacred territory for topics related to Venezuela and the bilateral The trading basic goods. relationship. Thanks to its publications and individual But the permeability of the border tran- participation in different public and academic and collective work of the group scends these natural crossings by the Wayuu, spaces, the Observatory has built a reputation at El Rosario and is a reminder of a rich history of cultur- as a reliable, opinion-forming source of infor- has produced al, political, and economic exchange between mation for the public. studies covering developments in Colombia and Venezuela. The history of the In the Latin American academic context, Venezuela that region cannot be written without noting the the Observatory based at the Universidad have great impact multiple connections between the two coun- del Rosario has become a clear focal point as on Colombians. tries, including participation in the Army of the only group dedicated specifically to the Liberation at the time of independence, the study of Venezuela. Since its founding, it has

155 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

In the Latin American academic context, the Observatory based at the Universidad del Rosario has become a clear point of reference as the only group dedicated specifically to the study of Venezuela. Since its founding, it has maintained a balanced and objective position on Venezuelan issues, without becoming a mouthpiece for any political tendency on the pros and cons of issues. maintained a balanced and objective position on Venezuelan issues, without becoming a mouthpiece of any political tendency on the pros and cons of issues. At a time when Colombians seemed interested only in looking towards cultural and economic lights such as Mexico or the United States, the work of the Observatory brought a better understanding of the complex political, economic, social, and international realities of Venezuela. Just a few years back,the neigh- THE WORK OF THE OBSERVATORY HAS bouring country was a relative unknown to PROVIDED COLOMBIANS WITH A BETTER us, bar the odd anecdote. It must be remem- UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEX bered that when Venezuela saw Chavismo as- cend to power at the end of the 20th century, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND Colombia knew very little of what lay the oth- INTERNATIONAL REALITIES OF VENEZUELA er side of the border town of Cúcuta. The individual and collective work of the long dedicated her research to the political and international members of the Observatory has benefited dynamics that affect Venezuela, and its neighbourhood rela- from the cooperation of participants in Co- tions with Colombia. lombian and Venezuelan academic networks, Ramos says that the importance of the Observatory is that with researchers from both sides of the fron- the team there “has consistently produced books and articles tier. They produce studies on political trends to disseminate knowledge and the results of their research in in Venezuela that are suited to both general the context of a macro-project called Evolving Political Para- readers and specialists, covering political de- digms in Venezuela. This study has looked at political changes velopments in Venezuela of great relevance and their implications in the country from 1998 to the present. for Colombians. The Observatory was founded in 2004 KEY FINDINGS under the direction of Francesca Ramos, pro- But the work of Ramos and her team is not limited to ivo- fessor in the Faculty of Political Science, Gov- ry-tower commentaries. It is a genuine and grounded research ernment, and International Relations at the paradigm whose findings have found their way into public de- Universidad del Rosario. Professor Ramos has bate in both countries.

156 Photos by Alberto Sierra

SOME KEY CONTRIBUTIONS TO CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH IN COLOMBIA:

• The book Hugo Chavez: A Decade in Power (Hugo Chávez: una década en el poder) brings together the contributions of a select group of Venezuelan and Colombian researchers to produce the most comprehensive evaluation of the first 10 years of Chavismo, edited by Ramos, Romero and Ramírez, 2010.

• As a continuation of its ongoing analysis and following the same research paradigm, the Observatory has just published the book From Chávez to Maduro: Balance and Perspectives (De Chávez a Maduro: Balance y perspectivas, edited by Ramos, De Liso and Rodríguez, 2016).

• Neighborhood without Limits (Vecindad sin límites, edited by Ramos and Otálvaro, 2008), is one of the few Colombian books that has discussed the possibility of establishing a Border Integration Zone in the Colombian department of Norte de Santander and the Venezuelan state of Táchira, a political project that was aborted under the Chavista government, but will be reinstated in the future when the necessary cooperation exists between the two countries.

• Carlos Lleras Restrepo and Rómulo Betancourt: Transformative Democratizers (Carlos Lleras Restrepo y Rómulo Betancourt: Dos transformadores democráticos) is a book that evaluates the leadership of two significant figures in the democratic life of Colombia and Venezuela in the Latin America of the 1960s and 70s, when the region was plagued by dictatorships. It recognizes the historical importance of the two statesmen, each of whom emerged from difficult political circumstances: partisan violence in Colombia and military domination in Venezuela. Throughout history, this has been Colombia’s most dynamic boundary, and Venezuela’s only truly active • “This Is not a Border, it’s a River” (Esto no es una frontera, esto es un río) border, where hundreds of thousands of citizens have crossed in both directions. is the Observatory’s radio program, used to disseminate knowledge among the general public. It goes beyond formal academic research and strengthens the role of the Universidad del Rosario in reaching other social sectors and exercising social responsibility. Some of their research has analyzed the frontier area and examined the characteristics that were making it a poential headache for the governments of both countries. In 2011, researcher Ronal Rodríguez discovered the controversial De- for example, they described and analyzed the cree 1787 buried deep in the Venezuelan government’s official phenomena that set the countries against state bulletin. The decree set maritime boundary coordinates each other based on economic imbalances for a zone where legislation had already been in place since existing in the area. These generated econom- the two countries separated in 1831. The discovery was widely ic distortions that illegal groups were able to publicized in the media. exploit for their own purposes. Observatory But what is undoubtedly most interesting is that there may studies shed light on other matters that the be more discoveries to come. The Venezuela Observatory is two governments seemed to be unaware of, the first team of Colombian researchers to have access to the for example that the illicit trade in gasoline Colombia archive at the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry. The Ob- was more profitable than coca smuggling (Ra- servatory is currently going through this copious material for mos and Rodríguez, 2012). the writing of a binational history that will transcend official Similarly, thanks to its sharp observance of histories that carefully steered clear of the real tensions of this Venezuela’s political activities, Observatory historical relationship.

157 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION - A NEW LEVER OF POWER

158 By Víctor Solano / Photo by Gloria Amparo Rodríguez

Never has citizen participation been so decisive in defining the future of our communities and their relationship with the environment.

articipation is the foundation of the State and of democracy; a right and a responsibility that stem from the principle of solidarity, and from the unity of communities that share goals and seek the integration of all our people in the construction of a better country.” The right to participation is defined by Professor Gloria Amparo Rodríguez asa “P first-generation right in line with other basic civil and political rights. She includes this characterization in her introduction to Participation in Environmental Management: A Challenge for the New Millennium (La participación en la gestión ambiental: un reto para el nuevo milenio), which she co- Although wrote in 2009 with Lina Marcela Muñoz. Colombia is a model for the With her conviction that participation is not only a right quality of its but often a duty, Professor Rodríguez has dedicated much of regulations her life to encouraging vulnerable communities to build a and its jurisprudence, universe of rights with which to protect their natural envi- we must ronment, a duty required for their own existence and that of understand future generations. that the State, the private sector, and civil COLOMBIA IS RICH IN LAWS AND REGULATIONS, BUT… society should Encased within public law is environmental law, a specialist be guarantors of citizen line of research at the Universidad del Rosario, where Profes- participation. sor Rodríguez works to consolidate the defense of the public sphere in the face of troubling environmental challenges for a country rich in environmental regulations but with the second highest number of environmental disputes of all nations. In 2016 alone, there were more than 5,300 processes of prior consultation, a mechanism established just three months before the proclamation of Colombia’s new constitution in 1991. To face these challenges, Professor Rodríguez, who has focused particular attention on environmental conflicts and their prevalence in indigenous territories, backs an approach based on participatory action. This means going further than simple, scholarly observation in order to involve researchers with communities as the subjects, rather than the ‘objects’ of studies. Putting this philosophy into action, she and her team have moved in close on the struggles of dozens of communities, such as in Chocó, Pasto, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and most recently in defense of the Santurbán Páramo.

159 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Professor Rodríguez has dedicated This approach has allowed for transdis- much of her life ciplinary treatment of questions regarding to supporting vulnerable ethnicity and legal anthropology. “It’s not just communities in trying to see communities, but also educating their struggle to them,” says the professor, who also provides An additional problem is build a universe of rights with her own photographs for many of her papers, that the state is disjointed. which to protect allowing her to capture and document the es- THERE IS A Dialogue between its various their natural sence of the changes that different communi- institutions lacks discipline, environment, NEED FOR TOTAL a duty required ties have made. TRANSPARENCY IN so it needs to be better orga- for their own The interventions of Professor Rodrí- nized. existence guez’s research group have greatly benefited MANAGING PUBLIC The State should listen and that of future from their assertive and didactic approach in RESOURCES, AND more to communities. “For generations. producing manuals to facilitate the mecha- A FLOWING indigenous people, the right nisms they use to support communities. Ro- RELATIONSHIP to prior consultation has dríguez also writes her own blog (See http:// always existed, but it only gloriamparodriguez.blogspot.com.co/) and BETWEEN became enshrined in law in informs the public of the group’s activities ACADEMICS, 1991, three months before the through her social network sites, including @ CITIZENS, THE National Constituent Assem- esp_ambiental on Twitter. STATE, AND THE bly.” Although Colombia is a model for the quality of its WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT? PRIVATE SECTOR regulations and its jurispru- Although it is clear to her that the country TO ENSURE dence, we must understand must develop, Professor Rodríguez asks how COMPLIANCE WITH that the State, the private sec- Colombians conceive of “development.” The REGULATIONS tor, and civil society should use of resources generates conflicts over dif- be guarantors of citizen par- ferent models of development. Mining re- ticipation. “Participation is sources are needed, but the thesis she backs is fundamental to provide protection and indis- one that holds with the need for mining but pensable for inclusion in decisions,” says the not with how it is currently carried out. professor.

160 Photos by Gloria Amparo Rodríguez / Leonardo Parra

NEW REPRESENTATION FROM THE COMMUNITIES courts with specialized personnel to consider Communities today debate the construction of highways these kinds of conflicts with more technical The Research versus the defense of wetlands, but at least they can genuine- Group on expertise. Professor Rodríguez supports the ly participate in such discussions rather than wait for deci- Public Law establishment of these special courts, which sions to be made in Bogotá that will determine the future of has moved in would be able to resolve such conflicts more close on the the Colombian periphery. This being the case, Professor Ro- struggles of efficaciously as, for example, in the frequent dríguez argues that we need education so that communities dozens of contradictions between environmental laws can bring arguments to the debate and achieve representa- communities, and mining regulations. or example tion that, although not replacing conventional representative in Chocó. Rodríguez recognizes Colombia’s need for democracy, might work around how it is currently applied in development, but she believes that the coun- bodies such as the Senate or municipal councils. “Represen- try should learn to weigh its decisions more tation should be more inclusive. The councils, the Senate, and carefully, making the most of new concepts the House are not enough.” such as “the ecological function of property” She strongly points out that communities must not be and the spreading opinion that the central silent witnesses but must take an active part from the very government should not make decisions with- conception of projects: “Communities should participate in out considering the expectations of people on the project planning process at all stages. The people of the the periphery. “What do we want as a country, community are those who know the territory best and they and what is going to be the outcome of each must be included from the very beginning so their true needs exercise?” she asks. Added to this question, are clear. No one is asking them what they need.” she points out the clear need for total transparency in managing public resources, and A SPECIAL ENVIRONMENTAL COURT a flowing relationship between academics, While Rodríguez recognizes that the Constitutional Court citizens, the state, and the private sector to has often found in favour of environmental causes since 1991, ensure enforcement and respect for laws and there is now a hotly-debated push for special environmental regulations.

161 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

162 By Mauricio Veloza / Photo by Alberto Sierra The sustainability of an organization depends on the development of the community Going beyond techniques like focus groups, this new approach proposed by the School of Management and Business at the Universidad del Rosario highlights the leading role communities play today for business organizations. The sustainability of these organizations in times of crisis will depend to a high degree on their close relations and cohesion with communities.

ue to the opening of markets and falling prices of palm oil in the 1990s, INDUPALMA was on the verge of bankruptcy. But a creative alternative put forward by the management and workers was able to rescue it. And today it is a benchmark for the business world. The saving grace for this business was based on a combination of factors: several as- D sociated work cooperatives (made up of workers who became owners of land and equipment) and a strategic relation between the community and the organization. “This can only take place when there is a strong emotional connection between the community and the organization, strong enough to achieve a genuine transformation,” explains Fernando Juárez, director of the Finance and Marketing Re- search Line of the Business and Management Research Group of the School of Management and Business at the Universidad del Rosario, and leader of the research project Strategic Rela- tions of Organizations with the Social Environment and Mar- keting. “The principal goal of the project is to provide a singular and strategic sense to marketing activities in such a way that the organization may be seen as a member of the community. After all, its development depends on the development of the community; these are things that can’t be separated,” says the professor. A SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION The New entrepreneurial and business tendencies have demon- INDUPALMA case reflects a strated that a business that does not concern itself with its sur- strategic relation roundings and with the needs and potentials of its different between the interest groups –employees, investors, customers, allies, etc. – community and the organization. will not survive. In other words, the sustainability of an orga-

163 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The sustainability of an organization depends on the development of the community in which exists, and the development of a community is directly related to the sustainability of organizations. If a business can sustain itself, it will contribute to the social and economic growth of communities.

nization depends on the development of the WHERE THE DIFFERENCE LIES community in which it exists, and the devel- Professor Juárez recognizes that organiza- opment of a community is directly related to IT’S A GOOD tions have always had some interest in com- the sustainability of organizations. If a busi- TIME FOR munities, and from a marketing point of ness can sustain itself, it will contribute to the view they communicate with them to find social and economic growth of communities. ORGANIZATIONS out what they think as consumers regarding In addition, we understand today that TO GIVE THE their products and services, and what ideas marketing tools not only boost product sales COMMUNITY A they have for improving them. The proposal and impact markets, but also allow for a more MORE LEADING is to incorporate communities, but in ways direct and human relationship with the com- less based on exploiting their utility as con- munities where organizations are located. ROLE, WITHOUT sumers. As Juárez notes in one of his articles on this NECESSARILY “It’s a way to relate to all kinds of commu- topic, it is not possible to have a relationship NEGLECTING nities, not only communities of customers or with a community without knowing what THEIR OWN consumers but in the widest sense possible. kind of community it is, and marketing tools The organization should have a very clear and help in discovering this. In the same sense, it is SURVIVAL sincere interest in the problems that commu- not possible to find solutions for a community nities face, and should help resolve them. The without knowing what its real problems are— organization should be a good neighbor like not only its needs—and this means becoming any other; that’s the idea.” a member of the community. And it is not While these proposals could be associated possible to become a member of a communi- with the concept of corporate social responsibility, Professor ty without using tools focused on community Juárez points out where the difference lies, stressing a focus actions. “To overcome these barriers, commu- more on community possibilities and potential rather than on nity concepts and strategies are necessary for insufficiencies and vulnerabilities. “The strategies, tactics, and finding marketing solutions and the relation- operations of the organization focus on positive characteris- ship of organizations with the community,” tics, even when trying to eradicate poverty. It is a relationship he explains. between businesses and communities to promote programs

164 Photos by Alberto Sierra

SIZE IS NOT IMPORTANT

Professor Fernando Juárez says that the new marketing approach is useful for any business, whether it is large or small, or even for an individual with a neighborhood business. “An organization is always going to be embedded in a community; that’s inevitable. It’s completely different if the organization doesn’t want to see it that way. If it thinks only of customers rather than communities, that’s a different question.”

From the point of view of the organization, it doesn’t matter if the community is understood as the neighborhood where it is located or even as a whole country. Every community is going to have its own problems, its particular culture, and its kinds of relationships.

“Organizations should form an idea of that community and understand the key dynamics of where it is working, and then it should use a number of community strategies and techniques as the bases on which marketing actions will be generated. Bringing these elements together allows us to create these ties of interest to both, involving impacts, oper- with the community,” explains Juárez. “The organization ations, and relationships with many groups should have within the community,” he explains. Actions decided on can lead to community a very clear development programs that include elements and sincere interest in the THE CASE OF INDUPALMA of both marketing and community building problems that INDUPALMA, in Colombia, is a business that such as the establishment of communities communities reflects exactly this kind of relationship, and for learning, communities for practical skills, face, and should help resolve for this reason it is one of the cases that most work communities, the creation them. The interests Professor Juárez today. In his words, of social capital, leadership capacities, or organization the company very successfully transformed community empowerment.“ All of these will should be a good neighbor like itself into an organization that provides a ser- help the organization to gradually take on any other; that’s vice to the community. Thanks to the support that symbolism, those cultural and emotional the idea,” says of the employees and of the wider communi- mechanisms that will make it feel like a Fernando Juárez, director of the ty, the organization came to understand the member of the community,” he says. Finance and community’s needs and potentials. Marketing “Social and community marketing does Research Line of the also exist, but this approach is much broader, Business and much more oriented to the real problems that lyzed the experiences of different kinds of companies to de- Management are important to communities. Organizations termine if this is a relevant approach. Research Group of the School of should develop strategies not only to offer “We have observed that greater cohesion with the commu- Management and products and services to their communities, nity has permitted organizations to overcome periods of cri- Business at the but also problem-solving solutions based on sis in some markets,” he says. “It is an approach that requires Universidad del Rosario the conviction that resolving these communi- much greater development, and with the changes that are tak- ty problems is fundamental for the survival of ing place all around the world, this is a good time to put it into the organization. This is not utopian,” he says. practice. It’s a good time for organizations to give the commu- The project has sparked interest among his nity a more leading role, without necessarily neglecting their students, and in their work, they have ana- own survival.”

165 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Agricultural subsidies are inefficient

166 By Marlyn Ahumada / Photo by Rafael Serrano

The Agro Ingreso Seguro (Agricultural Income Security - AIS) program, and very probably its successor, Equitable Rural Development, seem to lack – at least in the short term – the capacity to achieve their two stated goals of promoting productivity and protecting the income of agricultural producers.

houghtful and independent studies have both underlined that recent agricultural policy has not generated the anticipated results. Among them is a study by Ricardo Argüello, Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the Universidad del Rosario, which is outlined in the document Estimated Effective- ness of Some of the Principal Instruments of Agri- Tcultural Policy in Colombia. Professor Argüello’s idea was to measure the expected effects of three of the principal sub-program of Agro Ingreso Seguro - AIS, a program launched by the Colombian government to subsidize the country’s agricultural production. The sub-programs studied were: a special line of credit; incentives for rural capitalization, and a call for drainage and irrigation projects. All of them depended on four types of incentives: subsidies to working capital, subsidies to productive capital, subsidies for land use, and WHEN INTEREST increasing land productivity. RATES ARE LIMITED ACCESS TO CREDIT SUBSIDIZED, The resources channeled to AIS seem to have THE RESOURCES primarily benefited a small group of large ALLOCATED TO landowners, which according to Professor Argüello is what usually happens when state LARGE AND MEDIUM policy instruments are used to influence the PRODUCERS agricultural sector. “Lower income producers ARE RAPIDLY with less capacity to formulate projects and EXHAUSTED, weaker ties to markets tend to have less access to credit.” WHILE THIS IS NOT In other words, when interest rates are ALWAYS THE CASE subsidized, the resources allocated to large WITH RESOURCES and medium producers are rapidly exhaust- ALLOCATED TO ed, while this is not always the case with resources allocated to small producers. SMALL PRODUCERS One of the differences between ordinary government credit programs and exceptional ones like AIS is that access to the latter kind of program often requires knowledge and capacities that are beyond the reach of small

167 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

One of the problems of the rural sector in Colombia is a lack of state investment, so the volume of funds allocated to this program is not questionable, but its specific orientation is.

farmers. “This means that they depend on capital, or other purposes), limited only by intermediary agents that prepare the project the continued availability of resources in the proposals they will submit for a credit evalu- line of credit. ation, which affects their access to credit in a In the case of irrigation, on the other hand, number of ways,” says Professor Argüello. there is an independent determination of the As things stand, the allocation of budget funds that will be available, which depends resources to agricultural policy instruments is on the total availability of resources, histori- based on the total volume of resources avail- cal demand, and the goals of agricultural pol- able, the historical demands of producers, and icy. When the Equitable Rural Development the priorities of policymakers at a given time. program replaced AIS, it allocated resources Subsidies to working capital and to pro- for irrigation exclusively to small and medi- ductive capital are both part of the same um producers, reacting to large producers’ policy toolbox and do not represent a specif- previous abuse of those resources. ic proportion of the budget. In this case the subsidies are granted within the framework DECREASING BUDGET ALLOCATIONS of certain lines of credit (particularly the Although the allocation from the national special line of credit that growers request for budget for AIS of 35% of funds allocated to the each purpose (working capital, productive agricultural sector might seem high (about US

168 Photos by Rafael Serrano / Leonardo Parra

duction of crops that are not economically sustainable. In conclusion, the problem of economic viability is a question for many aspects of Colombian agriculture that does not seem Although the allocation to have a solution based on the provision of from the subsidies. Even subsidized credits for the national purpose of capital investment in the agri- budget for AIS of 35% cultural sector (particularly those under the of funds Rural Capitalization Incentive program) have allocated proved to be inefficient vehicles for increas- to the agricultural ing and strengthening investment in agricul- sector might tural production. seem high, Professor A FAVORABLE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT Argüello does not consider it Several analysts have pointed to the advan- so, “because tages of using more resources to provide what budget expenditures are called public goods–and in general for on the agricultural production— in ways that are agricultural available to producers without restriction to sector have been particular products. Some examples of this decreasing are investment in tertiary roads to connect over time”. producing areas to markets, the provision of well-designed plans for irrigation and drainage, support for agricultural and livestock research, the strengthening of technical assistance for the adaptation and application of available technologies, and the provision of marketing infrastructure. In other words, it would seem to be more effective for the State to concentrate its efforts on the promotion of basic conditions that would allow for a more favorable invest- ONE OF THE ment environment and the DIFFERENCES development of agricultural BETWEEN activities, rather than apply- ORDINARY ing policy instruments, in- $280,000,000 in 2012), Professor Argüello does not consider cluding subsidies, that tend it so, “because budget expenditures on the agricultural sector GOVERNMENT to be inefficient and to gener- have been decreasing over time, and only with an injection of CREDIT PROGRAMS ate perverse effects. new resources is it showing some recovery. In reality, one of AND According to Professor the problems of the rural sector in Colombia is a lack of state EXCEPTIONAL Argüello, a fundamental el- investment, so the volume of funds allocated to this program ement for the generation of is not questionable, but its specific orientation is.” ONES LIKE AIS IS this favorable investment In order for programs to help agriculture to meet their goals, THAT ACCESS TO environment would be the agricultural policy must be reoriented from instruments such THE LATTER KIND regulation and strengthening as that mentioned above, which has several problems accord- OF PROGRAM of the land market, including ing to Argüello, among them that it is not possible to find suf- land restitution, the formal- ficient resources to grant subsidized credit to all agricultural OFTEN REQUIRES ization of property, the gen- producers and such programs give an advantage to those who KNOWLEDGE AND eration of incentives for the do gain access to credit, contributing to increased inequality CAPACITIES THAT productive use of land, and among producers. ARE BEYOND THE the strengthening of insti- Subsidies, on the other hand, can make some activities at- tutional means to guarantee tractive or profitable, although they would not otherwise be REACH OF SMALL access to land as a productive so, and growers would be expending resources on the pro- FARMERS asset.

169 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Training researchers

he Universidad del Rosario has undertaken to consolidate its character as an institution where excellence in teaching is reinforced through the strengthening of research capacities. It is making a significant effort to promote a university ecosystem that supports the generation of knowledge and its application to curricula, course design, and the classroom. This innovative and dynamic initiative is com- plemented by specific strategies for research training that help students apply the knowledge they have acquired and propose innovative solutions to problems in Ttheir academic specialties. SCIENTIFIC STUDY PATH

From undergraduate study to Ph.D. • Intergenerational • Young researchers learn programs, young people with scientific succession by doing: The University interests and talent can work with provides the applies research methods individual researchers as well as country with young with a pedagogical research groups and projects in the researchers who component that gives different academic units. generate, adopt, students opportunities to This initiative provides two advantages and appropriate contribute to scientific that go beyond the institutional scientific progress by assisting in interests of the University: knowledge. research projects.

THREE DIFFERENT STAGES OF TRAINING IN LINE WITH LEVELS OF COMPETENCY

Number of research incubators RESEARCH INCUBATORS 1Training spaces principally 2012 2016 intended for undergraduate students, where they can work 2 50 in areas of common interest that allow them to experience research practices firsthand while they acquire skills and aptitudes for scientific research.

Number of students working in research incubators in 2016

32 223 20 165 208 26 103 School of Faculty of Faculty of School of School of Medicine Faculty of Faculty of Management Political Science, Natural Human and Health Sciences Economics Jurisprudence and Business Government, Sciences and Sciences and International Mathematics Relations 170 YOUNG RESEARCHERS

2By integrating this stage of training into Master’s programs, we provide students with opportunities to collaborate with existing research groups or with professors’ strategic research programs.

Representative • In 2000, the Faculty of comments by young Economics implemented researchers regarding its own young researchers the program program for Master’s students in Economics. A total of 112 young people have benefited Source: Jaramillo- Salazar, H., Lucio-Arias, D; from this program through Peláez Sierra, S. (2017). their collaboration with the Determinants of productivity Faculty’s own research group. of young researchers: case study of the Faculty of Economics at the Universidad del Rosario. Working paper.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Doctoral3 study is an important step in the training of researchers. At this stage, they acquire the ability to form hypotheses, apply different research methodologies to the design of scientific studies, read the existing literature critically, and write scientific articles and grant applications. Opportunities for participation as graduate assistants are oriented toward students in the University’s doctoral programs.

171 7 Leadership and social innovation Leadership and social innovation

Leadership and social innovation ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Not only is he the author of books recounting the milestones of Colombian medicine over Emilio several centuries; he is also the prime mover behind the reconstruction of medical history in Latin America. Quevedo, This is the profile of one of the most outstanding figures in the history of historian medicine. of Colombian medicine

e is about to turn 71 and his mind is Four elegant volumes of over 200 pages each attest to the as active as it was when he was at- way that Quevedo, with the help of an interdisciplinary re- tending the Liceo Antioqueño sec- search group, has compiled the history of the medical profes- ondary school and simultaneously sion in Colombia from 1492 to 1975. studying music and classical guitar at the Conservatory of the Univer- PEDIATRICIAN AND RESEARCHER sity of Antioquia in his native Me- Quevedo took on this huge task after more than 20 years in Hdellín. pediatrics. In 1994, he closed his practice and began full-time In addition to a prodigious memory that research, aiming to understand what was taking place in this allows him to recall every detail of his long country, propose projects, and teach what he was researching. and fruitful life, his energy and straightfor- Consolidating these activities as a career for the past 34 years, ward sincerity make Professor Emilio Que- he has worked alongside a team of researchers who spent seven vedo Vélez of the School of Medicine and years conceptualizing this final project. At the same time, Que- Health Sciences of the Universidad del Ro- vedo has combined his study of medical history with a clinical sario a truly outstanding figure among those practice in pediatrics since 1983. who are reconstructing the history of medi- “Our work is not a history of medicine in Colombia. It is a his- cine in Colombia. tory of Colombia from the perspective of medicine, and a social

174 By Mauricio Veloza / Photo courtesy of Emilio Quevedo

history of medicine. It points to medical problems, but places Saturdays accompanying his gastroenterologist father, Tómas them in the wider context of Colombian history. It is a history of Quevedo Gómez, on his home rounds to patients. To his sur- Colombia as expressed through the production of medical and prise, he became increasingly enthralled with medicine, and scientific knowledge, the development of the professions in the when he graduated from high school he decided to apply to the context of the country’s social, political, and economic history.” recently-established Faculty of Medicine at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá. MUSIC AND MEDICINE “I had learned a lot about medicine and clinical practice on Quevedo was born in the area of Boston Plaza in central Me- all those Saturdays that I spent with my father, so when I en- dellín, but he spent his childhood and adolescence at a coun- tered the university I already knew quite a bit, especially about try home outside the city, where he played the guitar, having the classical French clinical school. This tradition had been learned to do so at the Conservatory. “On my mother’s side, handed down through the generations since the days of my my family is extremely musical. I remember seeing my mother great-great-grandfather. It emphasized clinical thinking, the sing in the Orpheum choir of Antioquia’s Institute of Fine Arts. I development of the senses, and the correlation of patients with used to go to rehearsals with her, and I subsequently joined the their social and cultural environments.” choir myself,” he recalls. In 1967, Quevedo began his medical studies at El Rosario. That idyll with the arts ended when he was 19 years old and By the time of his third semester, he was in a group of stu- a junior in high school. That was when he decided to spend his dents with outstanding grades who accompanied medical

175 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE residents on their night rounds at the San José Hospital . “We should reconceptualize Quevedo points out: “I studied a very spe- health in Latin cial kind of medicine, very different from what America, and was being studied in the rest of the country.” that is our goal,” says He worked in the emergency department, Professor performed electrocardiograms, and assisted in Emilio operations as a surgical instrument technician. Quevedo, Director of the He also participated in extracurricular practices Group for the in other towns, bringing him into contact with Social Study public healthcare and people in communities. of Science, Technology, “It was an incredible school. I learned a and the medicine steeped in society, not a hermetic, Professions at hospital-based, and mechanical medicine such the Universidad del Rosario. as that studied today,” he says. He was always a critical student who argued his points of view with professors, but at the same time he was the best student of his group. He even participated in the student movement then so active and prominent in Colombia. When he had to repeat Bio- chemistry, a pathologist at OUR WORK IS NOT the Lorencita Villegas de San- A HISTORY OF tos Children’s Hospital invit- MEDICINE IN ed him to join him there in pathology. And this gave him COLOMBIA. IT IS A his practical education in pe- HISTORY OF diatrics, even though he was COLOMBIA FROM still a medical undergraduate. THE PERSPECTIVE When he returned from OF MEDICINE. his obligatory one-year place- ment in rural medicine, in Duitama, he decided to spe- Emilio Quevedo cialize in pediatrics. “I real- Researcher ized that Colombia had very serious problems, but its children represented the future and their living conditions were very poor.” HIS EVOLUTION Thanks to his medical work at the country’s Family Welfare Institute, Quevedo was given a position at the Children’s Hospital, which allowed him to enroll in the School of Pediatrics “Since I had to make a personal decision,” recalls Quevedo, at the Universidad del Rosario. From there he “the first thing I needed to do was study the history of pediatrics transferred to the school of pediatrics at the in order to understand the three schools. I realized that history University of Antioquia, where he trained in was a fundamental tool for understanding medicine, and from his specialty. that moment, the study of history became my guide to thinking His experience there influenced Dr. Queve- and analysis.” do, marking out his path towards a career as a Subsequently, Quevedo worked at the Hospital Materno researcher in Colombia’s history of medicine. Infantil, Bogotá in obstetrics and with the newborn, moving There were three distinct traditions represent- later to the new Faculty of Medicine at the El Bosque Univer- ed at the university: the French school, the US sity, then known as the Colombian School of Medicine. Be- school, and social pediatrics, which was heavi- ginning in 1979, he worked full-time at the El Bosque Clin- ly influenced by Mexican medicine. ic with the newborn, while running an ongoing seminar in

176 Photos by Leonardo Parra

QUEVEDO, RECOGNIZED AS A RESEARCHER EMERITUS BY THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT

In 2016, Emilio Quevedo Vélez was recognized by COLCIENCIAS as a Researcher Emeritus, an honor bestowed by that institution through the National Science, Technology, and Innovation framework to Colombian researchers based at national institutions who have made significant contributions to science, technology, and innovation through epistemology and the history of science and vedo joined the Faculty of Medicine as a re- their scientific and medicine. search professor. He established the Center academic careers, “That’s when I began to conduct research, for the History of Medicine, and worked for contributions, and because in our first few semesters we taught 14 years leading numerous research projects. output. history of world medicine, but beginning in the In the meantime, he earned a Ph.D. in the so- fifth semester we began to look at the history of cial study of science from Australia’s Deakin “After many years, medicine in Colombia. Since there were no good University. COLCIENCIAS has books on this topic we began to build around Since 2009 he has been a full-time profes- honored me with what we were teaching,” he remembers. sor at the School of Medicine and Health Sci- the distinction For 12 years, he conducted his own “self-doc- ences and directed the Social Studies in Sci- of Researcher torate” with the students and professors at El ences, Technologies, and Professions Research Emeritus. This honor Bosque. He published his first scientific articles Group (GESCTP) at the Universidad del Rosa- is recognition for on the studies he was undertaking, and got to rio. Along with the latter, he is now planning an academic career work on initiating the faculty’s discipline in the launch this coming June of a high impact focused on research history of medicine, a subject that had been project: a five-volume comparative history of and teaching that shut behind the closed doors of the country’s medicine in Latin America that will encompass has shared with the medical faculties for some 50 years. the relevant past events in 10 countries: Cuba, academic community Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Ar- the results of studies HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO gentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Colombia. carried out by myself THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE “Its ultimate goal,” says the professor, “is to and teams I have led, In 1991, Quevedo Vélez was conducting re- establish a platform for knowledge on the re- groups typified by search and directing a program at COLCIEN- ality of medical practice in these countries as teamwork focused on CIAS, Colombia’s Administrative Department a first step to constructing a model for top-to- training researchers of Science, Technology and Innovation. That bottom global health that will not depend on from undergraduate year, he and researcher Néstor Miranda pub- the imposition of metropolitan, North-Amer- level and onwards,” lished a ten-volume social history of science in ican, or European approaches, but embrace a comments Professor Colombia and participated in a comprehensive health vision constructed communally from Quevedo Vélez on the reform of the national system of science and within those countries based on understand- award. technology. ings of their own situations. We seek nothing Two years later, when Antanas Mockus less than a full rethink of health in Latin Amer- was rector of the National University, Que- ica,” he concludes.

177 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

What Is the Recipe for Business Success? 178 By Marlyn Ahumada / Photos by HarvestPlus LAC - Christian Zapata

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe, formula, or instruction manual for success. We find only a few shared factors between the most successful enterprises in a world Marshall McLuhan correctly predicted would turn into a global village.

ompanies such as Google and Apple—so associated with virtual communication, connectivity, images, technology, computer science, and imme- diatism—are among the most widely-known firms for the general public. This is no surprise; they bla- zon their names and incalculably complex and sophisticated systems several times a second across C computers and other electronic objects the world over, even in outer space. Their employees tend to be citizens of the world, people who need no specific nationality to surrender their knowledge to particular nations or any cause ready to offer an environment laced with the right incentives for getting the most from their potential, a shepherding of talent that ingeniously holds on to workers and gives them enough freedom to accept the risks that come with being innovative. This management outlook regards the odd project failure merely as a stepping stone for a leap towards excellence, not as a reason for meting out punishment. KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE FIRMS These kinds of exceptional businesses are known as “knowledge-intensive firms,” or KIFs, and their value is based on the superior performance of their employees, which naturally translates into the superior performance of the enterprise. And although it may be hard to believe in this time of fierce competition, when only the most qualified, motivated, determined, and daring survive, there are many such firms that are not as well known as those that shine so big on social networks and in the mass media. And not all of them are engaged in computer technology. Others carry out altruistic activities that generate huge profits

179 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Merlin Patricia Grueso Hinestroza, professor at the Universidad del Rosario, analyzes organizations that develop and exchange effective solutions, making intensive use of their employees’ knowledge. They are known as knowledge- intensive firms (KIFs).

that would be the envy of any start-up established solely to fill the pockets of its owners. KIFs are key actors in world economic growth, and represent an expanding sector of the labor market in countries around the world. For this reason, they are attracting unusual interest from researchers, especially those who study organizational culture and behavior. KIFS: THEIR CONTRIBUTION According to a 2016 report by the National Science Board, KIFs make a significant contri- HOW THEY DO IT bution to global growth (29% in 2014). They Their defining characteristic is not what they do, but how represent 39% of the GDP in the United States, they do it. Their accomplishments emerge from an organi- 30% in Europe and 19-21% in emerging econo- zational culture based on values, beliefs, habits, myths, and mies such as Brazil and China. symbols that are shared within the universe of each enter- Several definitions of this kind of firm are prise. found in available literature, but in general A KIF in Columbia awoke the interest of Merlin Patricia they are organizations that develop and ex- Grueso Hinestroza, professor at the Universidad del Rosario’s change effective solutions, making intensive School of Management and Business. This academic leads a use of their employees’ knowledge. They case study on the company HarvestPlus, a joint venture in- share certain characteristics such as high- volving the International Center for Tropical Agriculture ly trained personnel, the creation of market (CIAT), in Cali, Colombia, and the International Food Policy value by developing forms of knowledge that Research Institute, in Washington, USA. enable them to take the initiative, deploy such HarvestPlus seeks to reduce malnutrition and improve food knowledge to foment innovation, and create and nutritional security in Latin America and the Caribbean skills for service provision. by increasing the consumption of biofortified crops and food

180 Photos by Leonardo Parra / 123rf

The results of the research show that Har- vestPlus has an adhocratic culture, meaning that it is nonhierarchical, non-bureaucrat- ic, and has evolved freely in keeping with its goals. “At its first stage (HarvestPlus Phase I), the organization was clannish, and in its current stage (HarvestPlus Phase III), the appearance of certain characteristics allows us to predict that in its next phase it will provide high-value-added products to the market that should benefit a needy population,” says Pro- fessor Grueso. LEADERSHIP VS. CREATIVITY The research team also established that effective leadership in the enterprise stimulates creativity and risk-taking in “revolutionary ways”. Trust- ing in employees gives them the freedom to decide what EFFECTIVE direction their work will LEADERSHIP IN take. THE ENTERPRISE People who work in the STIMULATES organization have abundant ethical values and emotional CREATIVITY AND intelligence (known in these RISK-TAKING IN organizations as “soft skills”), “REVOLUTIONARY and they embrace equality, WAYS”. diversity and interdisciplinary cooperation in order to TRUSTING solve problems that can mul- EMPLOYEES GIVES tiply global impacts. There is THEM THE no doubt that these elements FREEDOM TO make it possible for these enterprises to effectively con- DECIDE WHAT front the challenges of “hid- DIRECTION THEIR den hunger,” which is their products based on them. Biofortified crops differ from the con- WORK WILL TAKE ultimate mission. ventional varieties that are now grown and consumed in the Setting up the kind of cul- region, having increased nutritional content and better agro- ture to assess the results an nomic features. organization needs is certainly not easy to establish. It requires a shared vision, common THERE ARE GOOD EXAMPLES motivations, a flexible structure, a special According to CIAT’S Wolfgang Pfeiffer “we are working to re- management style, and many other factors too duce the hidden deficiency of micronutrients that impacts numerous to be listed as if they were a recipe more than 2 billion people in the world, producing crops that for cooking up solutions to complex problems. contain more vitamins, iron, and zinc without increasing costs This is clear evidence that the most import- to farmers.” ant capital for an organization continues to HarvestPlus is growing exponentially around the world be its personnel, their abilities, and their op- with the help of international nonprofit organizations such as portunities for growth as human beings and the Gates Foundation. To Professor Grueso, it illustrates most professionals. These are more important than of the characteristics of KIFs, and provides a good opportunity high salaries, abundant physical resources, or to evaluate them. cutting-edge technology.

181 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

Abuse is a common denominator in the lives of thousands of Colombian women. Indigenous women know it well, but their valiant struggle and resilience in the face of violence is now aimed at finding ways to develop themselves, nurture their territory, and watch over their traditional knowledge. The Intercultural School for Indigenous Certificate Programs is strengthened by their participation and illustrates their capacity for the construction of a new Colombia.

182 By Inés Elvira Ospina / Photo by Rafael Serrano Indigenous women leaders raise their voices against violence

think that we Huitoto women get our tion and abuses in a series of events that forced her to return to strength from our elders. My mother is her community in El Charco, Nariño, a municipality plagued both very religious and very traditional. by violence. Undaunted by the abuses she continued to suffer She keeps calm at even the most difficult there, she went to work with local and international organi- times, for example when my father was zations, including the United Nations, in social movements killed,” says Nazareth Cabrera. “Based on fighting to uphold the sexual and reproductive rights ofthe her example of invoking faith, prayer, and women of her ethnic group, the Emperara, and to denounce “Iincantations, all you can do is keep mov- abuses committed against the victims of the armed conflict. ing forward.” Cabrera is a survivor of guerrilla Leopoldina and Nazareth are just two of the hundreds of violence in Araracuara, where she began to indigenous women whose strength, resistance, and resilience use her role as a teacher to build peace more have stood out during work supporting intercultural certif- than 20 years ago. icates in programs organized by the Intercultural School for At just 13 years of age, Leopoldina left Indigenous Certificate Programs (EIDI) at the Universidad del school to live in Cali as a domestic worker. She Rosario. The School offers educational programs for female had firsthand experiences of labor exploita- indigenous leaders without them needing academic degrees

183 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

The programs THE INTERCULTURAL are designed in collaboration SCHOOL FOR INDIGENOUS with indigenous organizations CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS HAS to meet the PARTICULARLY FOCUSED needs of indigenous ON TRAINING INDIGENOUS peoples and the interest of the WOMEN AND LEARNING University FROM THEM TO UNDERSTAND in curricula, research AND DOCUMENT THEIR projects, and any action EXPERIENCES AND HOW THEY or program HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE arrived at collectively CONSTRUCTION OF PEACE IN with indigenous THEIR COMMUNITIES organizations.

to receive training in legal, political, and economic skills. The programs organize the study of specialized subjects, planned and coordi- nated with indigenous students to provide the greatest possible conceptual and technical tools for self-directed progress. The EIDI has been developing programs for 10 years, but in the last three years it has focused particularly on training indigenous women and learning from them to understand and document their experiences and how they have contributed to the construction of peace in their communities. “We want to understand and highlight the role these stories play today in society, to show how they have resisted, contending with these painful experiences and transforming them into an affirmation of life,” says Ángela Santamaría, EIDI Director. “With the help of the University, different Five indigenous organizations, and agreements intercultural with organizations such as Oxfam, Opiac, CIT, certificate programs have and the German agency GTZ, we go to differ- been held in ent regions with a group of professors. There, Amazonas, we run one-week programs with long work- and seven have been held ing days, and we invite community elders to in the Sierra attend and contribute their knowledge,”- ex Nevada with plains Santamaría. indigenous women who Bastien Bosa, of the School of Human Sci- live in those ences and teacher on some of the intercul- areas. tural certificate programs, says that the challenge for the team is to exhibit a new form of instruction, since education in general –and higher education in particular– faces the great challenge of embracing the multicultural di- mension.

184 Photos by Leonardo Parra

TWO-WAY LEARNING We want to “The memory bath” is one of many spaces that understand have been developed within the certificate and highlight programs. This is a workshop for constructing the role these stories collective memory and generating a two-way play today in dialogue for learning and reflection. society. It was there that María Benítez, profes- show how they have resisted, sor at the School for Women’s Leadership in contending Amazonas and spokesperson for her Ticuna with these and Jagua community, told how she was left painful experiences under the care of nuns in a Catholic boarding and school following the death of her parents. Af- transforming ter escaping from the school, she was cared for them into an affirmation of by her grandparents and “found herself.” Un- life. fortunately, she was also abused by her second husband, who thought that women were good only for housekeeping and farm work. One can see that these programs provide spaces for more than just storytelling. Par- When an indigenous person wants to study for a degree, ticipants also learn from them and begin to he or she must do what any other student does, adapting to question themselves and others in ways that the characteristics and the requirements of the program. Uni- contribute to the construction of a better so- versities have not taken the idea of multiculturalism seriously; ciety. “Those who participate find a space of they have not designed new programs or changed their educa- trust where they feel they can train under a tional models,” says Bosa. high-quality educational process without any So far, more than 2,500 students have graduated from these impositions. It is collective learning,” con- intercultural certificate programs. Five have been held in Am- cludes Dunen Muelas, a 10th semester Law azonas and seven in the Sierra Nevada with indigenous wom- student at El Rosario and the youngest daugh- en who live in those beautiful areas. ter of Luz Helena Izquierdo, one of the first “These programs are designed to meet the needs of indig- Arhuacan university graduates in the country. enous people and the interest of the University in curricula, The confidence that these participants gain research projects, and any action or program arrived at col- leads to a deeper reflection on life, strength- lectively with indigenous organizations. In the context of this ening and extending the common bonds con- process we have literally moved out of the cloister of the Uni- necting their lives. It also gives them the tools versidad del Rosario, taking professors to the communities to they need to unite and continue building create new spaces for the collective construction of knowledge peace in their communities and, therefore, in in indigenous territories,” concludes Santamaría. Colombia.

185 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

A study at the School of Management Workers: and Business this year is searching for the keys to dare to be understanding what can give employees the courage to innovators be innovators. 186 By Víctor Solano / Photos by Leonardo Parra

leadership and organizational behavior of the Business and The modern Management Research Group, classified since 2006 in the leader should highly-respected A1 category by COLCIENCIAS in recognition recognize that innovation is of the high academic level of its lines of research. The group a springboard has run a Ph.D. program for around six years. for the This professor and researcher has not only been ideally progress of the organization. placed to witness the School’s evolution first hand, but- to The gether with other researchers she has played a fundamental organization’s role in its determination to focus on innovation and entrepre- ability to innovate neurship. reflects its This orientation has led Contreras to devote much of her capacity to energy to new research that seeks to better understand the observe what goes on around nature of employee behavior in innovation, the impulse that it and imagine takes workers beyond passive compliance with a timeta- how it can ble and towards the kind of procedures through which they be adapted within the might follow instructions to reach a state of self-examination organization. on, for example, how processes can be fine-tuned or how the packaging for the product they manufacture daily could be improved for the children who buy it and play with it. And who knows what other improvements in efficiency and effectiveness could be suggested within a business? WHAT ARE INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY LIKE? Professor Contreras believes this behavior can be analyzed by studying how people change industrial processes, which leads to the question: how does an employee manage to innovate. Of course, based on her years of research, Professor Contreras knows that some businesses adapt more quickly than others, and that this is largely because “businesses are the people” who work for them and who either move them forward or paralyze them with inertia. Based on the idea that businesses are their human resources, one of the fundamental THEY ARE NOT variables is leadership. “Leadership is one of ASKED TO BE the most studied variables in organizational “INVENTORS” IN behavior. Leaders want their enterprises to adapt to the environment,” says Professor THE TRIVIAL WAY Contreras, underlining that the role of lead- THAT WORD IS er today has much to do with stimulating the rofessor FranÇoise Contreras arrives USUALLY curiosity of team members so that this moti- on time for our café conversation. UNDERSTOOD, BUT vates them to constantly innovate. They are She looks around the place, and, not asked to be “inventors” in the trivial way just from reading their faces, seems TO DARE TO that word is usually understood, but to dare to know how the staff feel and even PROPOSE IDEAS. to propose ideas. To this end, it is up to their what the boss must be like. But her TO THIS END, IT leaders to establish the environments that time is not spent in prophesying or IS UP TO THEIR bring about such zeal. Pentertaining hunches. Contreras is a researcher on how organiza- LEADERS TO INNOVATION IS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL tions should be led in order to encourage their ESTABLISH THE Today, those companies unable to quickly employees to adopt innovative behavior. ENVIRONMENTS find new markets or a rich seam in the exist- She has been interested in such topics for THAT BRING ing marketplace are destined to disappear, or eight years. Working at the Universidad del at least to be less competitive in the face of Rosario’s School of Management and Busi- ABOUT SUCH such mercurial conditions. Innovative behav- ness, she heads up the line of research on ZEAL ior is necessary for survival in environments

187 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE

where competition may come from any direction. This may include traditional busi- Businesses nesses in the sector, but it may also include are the people who work others that are trying to colonize new spaces, for them. perhaps after others have cannibalized their traditional options. Today, says the professor, “a new leadership model has been proposed to promote innovative behavior that facilitates innovation and survival.” This model, which should be self-generated as much as possible in countries such as Colombia, must take into account the essence of Colombian workers, their expectations, their ambitions and, of course, their fears. Team members often have innovative ideas but don’t speak up, fearing that their own jobs could be eliminated if they suggest ways things might be improved. Organizations should think about what kind of leaders they have, because businesses have two kinds of leaders (though not necessarily mutually exclusive) transactional leadership and transformational leadership. Transactional leadership includes managers who primarily focus on the supervision of tasks, assigning functions, overseeing performance, and in general seeing that missions are carried out, but not in changing the future, just keeping things ticking along as well as possible. AUTHORITARIAN LEADERSHIP Transformational leadership, on the other hand, focuses on people, on empowering work teams, transforming them through new ideas is related to the ability to observe boosting motivation, morale, and perfor- what goes on outside it and imagine how it mance. When asked, Contreras says that al- A NEW can be adapted within the organization. though one cannot generalize, Colombian This is a variable that Professor Contreras leaders often display a certain authoritarian LEADERSHIP has brought from the University of Leipzig, in bent. Some think that leaders should be ex- MODEL HAS Germany, where she participates in a virtual tremely serious to win the respect of their BEEN PROPOSED platform to carry out this international- re teams, but obviously there are those who are TO PROMOTE search. A total of twelve researchers work on more open and dynamic, and who use cha- the platform, three of them from the Univer- risma as a means of persuasion, especially INNOVATIVE sidad del Rosario, and others from Mexico, among younger generations. BEHAVIOR THAT Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador. The professor and researcher also indi- FACILITATES In January 2017, Contreras made a pre- cates that leadership is related to an orga- INNOVATION AND sentation at the University of Leipzig, where nization’s capacity to integrate new ideas, a she got excellent feedback from the research- fundamenal element for implementing inno- SURVIVAL ers and doctoral students who attended the vation. The modern leader should recognize event. Among the variables that the professor that innovation is a springboard for the prog- and other researchers on the platform will analyze going for- ress of the organization. This ability to take in ward is the organizational climate for innovation as a space

188 "Leadership is one of the moststudied variables in organizational behavior. Leaders want their enterprises to adapt to the environment,” says François Contreras.

necessity for contributing to their businesses, and thus their economies. Contreras says that we have a variety of challenges in Colombia, but they can be summarized with one underlying imperative: “The leaders of this century must meet the challenge of shepherding diversity.” The cultural diversity of employees adds an additional challenge to the transmission of ideas, since employees from different regions have very different expectations and ways of understanding life. At the same time, the plu- for encouraging workers to suggest and implement new ideas. rality of outlook inherent in such diversity This also implies team members’ engagement, their emotion- increases the possibilities for finding uncon- al involvement in their work, a factor workers with high inno- ventional solutions to practical problems. vative potential admit to experiencing. There is also diversity in generational dif- In a first phase, the proposed model will be tested by pro- ferences, where the experience of older team ducing and distributing questionnaires to 1,200 MBA stu- members may complement the energy and dents (200 in each of the countries mentioned above) who impetus of younger ones. In the end, it is the have worked for at least one year in business within the par- job of leaders to stimulate everyone to be ticipating countries. comfortable in the organization, and to dare In a second phase, the group will consider other countries to innovate. “People do well at what they en- in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Finally, they will design and vali- joy doing,” notes Contreras. date an instrument to assess organizational practices and use We have finished our coffee, and the pro- this information to steer leaders toward practices that professor again glances at the staff who served us mote innovation among their workers. and those behind the counter. That reminds When the results are available, the international team will me of one of her very telling phrases about make recommendations on what stimulates innovation with- leadership and organizational culture: “To in organizations, giving these countries some guidelines for understand the leader, you must look at the training new leaders to project innovation as a fundamental operative.”

189 ADVANCES IN SCIENCE Innovation, a part of academic life The Universidad del Rosario’s Entrepreneurship Center, known as UR Emprende, was established five years ago at the School of Management. In line with the Universidad del Rosario’s mission to act for the benefit of society, the center’s goal is to implement a curricular and extracurricular strategy for cultivating entrepreneurial talent and facilitating the development of initiatives and projects that create social value. In the view of the Universidad del Rosario, entrepreneurship is the human capacity to transform problems into opportunities and to act on them by developing innovative projects and initiatives that serve the needs of businesses, communities, and society itself. SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS 65 7.332 strengthened participants

2013 - 2015 78 27 activities established 1.702 5.220 participants participants 20 strengthened 17,000 118 6 PARTICIPANTS IN 34 IMPACTED established 14 ENTREPRENEURIAL activities BUSINESSES activities ACTIVITIES 2009 - 2015 2016 2012 2016 Since 2009, more than 150 activities have been developed.

PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES BY SECTOR (2009-2016)

15 % 26 % Cultural and 6 % Other Creative Non-profit services organizations

3 % 26 % Health and Food and 9 % Beauty Beverage Software, Information and Communication Technology 6 % Tour is m

78 % 21 % 1 % Students Graduates Management

PERCENTAGE BY RELATIONSHIP TO UR (2009–2016)

190 2012 2016 4,706 216 PEOPLE TRAINED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP people ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER TIMELINE

1,548 2009 - New conception of 2013-2015 people entrepreneurship. 2,351 2010 2011 - Initiation people aof the Center for Entrepreneurship. 2012 - Consolidation of the 761 model and launch of PROJECTS TAKEN PART IN (2009-2016) UREmprende. ACCOMPLI- 2013 - Opening of the Center SHMENTS to all University Faculties beginning • Master’s de- with the School of gree in Entre- Medicine and Health preneurship Sciences. and Innovation 2014 - Development of (MEI) deve- the methodology loped with for accompanying the School of 99 projects (connect, Management 2012 apply, and practice). and Business’s 149 2016 2015 - Creation of Graduate the innovative School of Bu- pedagogical siness. program “The art of • Research entrepreneurship.” project coor- Entrepreneurship is integrated into dinated with 953 university thinking. the E&I line ENTREPRENEURS of research of BY SEX (2009 -2016) 2016 - Relations with the the School of entrepreneurial sector are Management. strengthened by developing consultancies and community projects. The Rosario 50.26% 49.73% Entrepreneurial Male Female Network is 479 474 established. Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs

COMMUNITY IMPACT

• More than 100 • Relations • Seven • The • Together with the Centro entrepreneurs with over 60 entrepreneurship generation Comercial Santafé in contact with institutions programs in the of over 370 shopping mall and through our community, 20 that support community since 2009, million pesos in the Mighty Minds program, professors, consultants, entrepreneurship. impacting over 1,500 income through 13 businesses have been and entrepreneurs with people with over 50 collaborations assisted in making sales links to UR Emprende. entrepreneurial projects. and of 450 million pesos in 3 sponsorships. months. 191 THIS TEACHING SEEKS TO PROPAGATE THE KNOWLEDGE OF SEVERAL NECESSARY SCIENCES AMONG THE YOUTH OF AMERICA… ALL CIVILIZED NATIONS HAVE EXPERIENCED PROGRESS OR BACKWARDNESS IN PROPORTION TO THE DISREGARD OR OUTRIGHT IGNORANCE OF THIS KNOWLEDGE, OR TO ITS CULTIVATION AND FURTHERANCE IN MAN’S INDUSTRIES, AGRICULTURE, ARTS, AND COMMERCE, WHICH, AS THEY FORM THE PRINCIPLE BRANCHES OF MAN’S SUSTENANCE AND COMFORT, MUST BE SEEN AS QUINTESSENTIAL FOR ANY SOCIETY ASPIRING TO CULTURE AND GREATNESS

Excerpt from the Provisional Plan for the Teaching of Mathematics (Mariquita, January 11, 1787) Funerary monument to José Celestino Mutis in the Chapel of the Bordadita at the Universidad del Rosario. The panel on the left depicts Mutis and his work with the cinchona tree, which is the source of quinine. The panel on the right depicts Mutis in 1762, conducting his first class as university professor of mathematics. ACADEMICS SHOULD…

• SHARE THEIR RESEARCH WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WITH OTHER ACADEMICS, AND WITH POLICYMAKERS AND DECISION- MAKERS. • MAKE THEIR ACADEMIC ARTICLES AVAILABLE TO READERS IN ORDER TO ELICIT (SOMETIMES SURPRISING) REMARKS THAT WILL ENRICH THEIR RESEARCH. • IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE MEDIA. • DEMONSTRATE THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC AND THE IMPACT OF THEIR WORK ON THE UNIVERSITY

Maria Balinska Editor, The Conversation US Harvard University