Under the motto “Young Science with Real Impact,” the Dominican American University (UNICDA) hosts the eleventh edition of this national scientific event, held annually to connect young talent with the country’s development.

The Dominican American University (UNICDA), together with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), inaugurated the XI Student Congress of Scientific and Technological Research (CEICYT 2026), the most important scientific event for undergraduate students in the Dominican Republic.

The Congress, held on September 16 and 17 at the Patrick N. Hughson Auditorium of UNICDA, is an initiative that began in 2016 as a strategic alliance between the Vice Ministry of Science and Technology of MESCyT and the country’s higher education institutions, aiming to promote scientific culture, stimulate innovation, and link academic production with national productive sectors.

For this eleventh edition, CEICYT reiterates its motto “Young Science with Real Impact,” based on the premise that the projects presented by young people are not merely an academic endpoint but the beginning of concrete solutions for society. The event promotes the idea that student research has the transformative power to influence public policies, become sustainable enterprises, and give voice to communities.

The welcome address was given by UNICDA’s rector, Enrique A. Fernández Malla, who highlighted research as a tool to understand and transform Dominican reality, emphasizing curiosity, critical thinking, innovation, and scientific rigor. He also stressed the importance of integrity and verification of information in the face of advances in artificial intelligence, and the role of English as a tool to access global knowledge. Finally, he reaffirmed the university’s commitment to training professionals capable of generating knowledge and providing solutions from the Dominican Republic to the world.

The event featured prominent authorities from the educational and governmental sectors, including the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Rafael Santos Badía, who delivered the keynote speech, and the Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Genaro Rodríguez Martínez, who gave the opening remarks.

The keynote lecture was given by geological engineer and former Fulbright scholar Ashley Morales Cartagena, titled: “From Risk Knowledge to Resilience: Science and Research Facing the Seismic Risk of the Dominican Republic,” which analyzes the country’s particular seismic vulnerability, emphasizing the need to foster a prevention culture based on scientific evidence, highlighting the role of national geological and seismic research to generate precise data that allows updating construction regulations, designing community contingency plans, and supporting decision-making in public risk management policies.

This edition of the XI CEICYT is supported and actively participated in by the country’s main universities and academic institutions, including the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), the Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher (PUCMM), Federico Henríquez y Carvajal University (UFHEC), the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), the University of the Caribbean (UNICARIBE), the Open University for Adults (UAPA), APEC University, Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU), and the ADRU Research Network (RIADRU).

About UNICDA
The Dominican American University (UNICDA), founded in 2001, is part of the Dominican American Cultural Institute (ICDA), a binational institution created in 1947 to strengthen ties between the Dominican Republic and the United States through education and culture. Over its 25 years of history, UNICDA has established itself as a higher education institution committed to academic excellence, innovation, and comprehensive training of professionals with a global vision, contributing to the sustainable development of the country.