Introduction

The Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó “Diego Luis Córdoba” (UTCH) is a public institution of higher education, with a legal and academic status recognized by the Colombian State. It was created by Law and started to work in 1972. It has a population of over 10,000 students in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in both on-campus and distance education programs.

Missión, Vision

Mission
Our Alma Mater, the Technological University of Chocó “Diego Luis Córdoba” forms human minds to professionally utilize technology and science within an understanding of our natural and cultural diversity to face the challenges of the contemporary world, vindicating the University's long-established position in Colombian society, providing highly qualified professionals and entrepreneurs, committed to their region, their country, and the international community.

Vision
In 2023, the Technological University of Choco “Diego Luis Córdoba” envisions to be a postmodern institution, aligned with goals that encourage integral development in the people it shapes, the social environment, the contingencies of dynamic change, and the understanding of the rich ecological environment to guarantee the highest quality of the human condition.
 
Today, the UTCH´s historical, political and philosophical roots are evident in the institutional mission and vision as both are focused on research, development, cultural diversity, and sustainable management and conservation of ecosystem in order to improve the conditions for communities in Chocó and in Colombia. The UTCH as a public university, located at the heart of the Afro-Colombian community, with students from Indigenous communities. The University works to develop the constitutional and legal provisions for communities and through its mission it has assumed the historic role of leading and guiding the processes of ethno-education in the region and the country, both individually as an institution or in strategic alliance with other national or international institutions or organizations.
The University offers a number of services to the community, including a Legal Surgery, Finance and accounting advice, Career Coaching, Library and Archives, Radio, Event venues – auditorium and coliseum, Herbarium

Location

The main campus and administrative headquarters are situated in the city of Quibdó, capital of the state of Chocó. It has extensions and distance education programs in a variety of municipalities, for example it offers courses in Condoto, Istmina, Tadó (San Juan region); Bahía Solano, Nuquí, Pizarro (Pacific region), Acandí (Atlantic region); and Carepa, El Bagre, Arboletes, San Pedro de Urabá (state of Antioquia).
 
The Department of Chocó is one of the most biodiverse places in the world and one of the richest regions in natural resources (minerals, water, fauna and flora) in Colombia. Located, on the northwest, next to the Republic of Panama, Chocó has an extension of 46.530 square kilometers, and a population of nearly 500.000 inhabitants, 90% of which are Afro-descendant, 6% White and mixed race, and 4% Indigenous Peoples.
 
Chocó is the only region in the country having coasts on two oceans (Pacific and Atlantic). Besides that, it has got numerous rivers and the richest rain forests and virgin jungles on earth, sheltering the widest varieties of animal and vegetal species in the planet. For that reason scientists from different countries are interested in carrying out research in critical areas like biogenetics and biodiversity.

 

 

 

Academic Programs

The UTCH has 8 faculties, offering a total of 21 undergraduate and 8 postgraduate programs:

Faculty of Engineering

  • Civil
  • Environmental
  • Agro-forestry
  • Computing and telecommunications
  • Sustainable Mining

Faculty of Education

  • Linguistics and Literature
  • English and French
  • Mathematics
  • Biology and Chemistry
  • Physical Education and Sport
  • Music and Dance
  • Basic Education
  • Social Sciences
  • Educational Science
  • English Didactics
  • Pedagogy

Faculty of Health Science

  • Nursing

Faculty of social Science and Humanities

  • Social work
  • Family Intervention and Education
  • Community Development

Faculty of Administration and Accounting

  • Business Administration
  • Public Accounting
  • Tourism and Hotel management

 

Faculty of Basic Sciences

  • Biology

Faculty of Law And Political Science

  • Law

Faculty Of Arts

  • Architecture

Research

The University is committed to achieving excellence in research, in order to contribute strategic knowledge and underrstandinf for the benefit of society. Through the Vicerrectoría of Research, we have been working on strengthening the processes of scientific and technological research in order to achieve recognition in the National System for Science Technology and Innovation while integrating research into the teaching and extension process of teaching and extension. That University has the following research centre: Biodiversity Research and Habitat (CEIBHA), Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Cultural Studies (CIAFRO), Education and Pedegogy (CEIDUC). A series of strategic initiatives and projects such as the Centre for Research on Equity for Health in the Pacific (CIESP) in partnership with the Universidad del Valle and ICESI University; the National Center for Studies and Documentation of Afro-Colombian Cultures in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the Colombia Program at Georgetown University, USAID and the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANHI); the National Center for Science, Technology and Innovation for Productive Sustainable Development of Biodiversity (BIOINNOVA); Corp-Oraloteca, the ONDAS program and various networks in different areas of knowledge, and 53 certified research groups. This broad scope and diversity in our research and allows us to make significant contributions to the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation and the formulation of public policy.