On May 6, in the city of La Romana, Dominican Republic, the official inauguration of the first phase of the Universidad de La Romana (University of La Romana, UNIROMANA), a higher education institution promoted by the Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER). The solemn ceremony was held at the recently built campus and was attended by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, as well as His Excellency Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, accompanied by high-level governmental, provincial, and municipal authorities.
The FUNIBER delegation was headed by its president, Santos Gracia Villar, accompanied by the rectors of the FUNIBER University Network, area directors, and academic representatives from the different countries where the foundation develops its institutional work. Representatives from the Dominican business sector and civil society were also in attendance.
Upon their arrival, His Majesty the King and the Dominican President were received by the President of FUNIBER, whereupon the official photograph was taken next to the monolith that designates the “Boulevard Rey Felipe VI (King Felipe VI Boulevard),” located at the entrance of the university campus. Together with the heads of state, the official photograph includes Eduardo Kery, mayor of La Romana; Franklin García Fermín, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MESCyT); Mrs. Ivelisse Méndez, governor of the province of La Romana; Mrs. Jacqueline Fernándes Vrito, congresswoman and former governor; Santos Gracia Villar; and FUNIBER’s Director of Institutional Relations, Frigdiano Álvaro Durántez Prado.
Afterwards, the heads of state toured the classrooms and the main facilities of the campus, where they observed firsthand the academic infrastructure designed to offer excellent education with international reach. Santos Gracia therein explained the different UNIROMANA’s development phases, as well as the principles that support the educational model advocated by FUNIBER. During the visit, both presidents greeted a group of distinguished representatives of the Dominican business sector, as well as the team of workers who made the construction of the university campus possible.
At the front, Santos Gracia presents the UNIROMANA project and FUNIBER’s iberophone vocation to both heads of state. From left to right: Franklin García Fermín, Minister of MESCyT; Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic; Felipe VI, King of Spain; Frigdiano Álvaro Durántez Prados, Director of Institutional Relations of FUNIBER; and Eduardo Kery, Mayor of La Romana
The visit continued at the same site where the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2023 with the President of the Dominican Republic and the President of FUNIBER, marking the beginning of UNIROMANA’s construction work. On this occasion, Dr. Santos Gracia shared a few words with the audience, reaffirming FUNIBER’s firm commitment to equitable access to higher education. He especially emphasized the scholarship programs that seek to eliminate economic and geographic barriers, allowing talented students to access quality university education.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MESCyT), Franklin García Fermín, also spoke at the ceremony, highlighting the academic model of excellence and the opportunity for students to study part of their education in the Dominican Republic and complete it in Spain, thanks to the current double degree agreements.
Today, with the start of this first phase, UNIROMANA is projected as an academic enclave in the Caribbean, destined to become a strategic point for the tricontinental organization between America, Europe, and Africa. Its Iberophone vocation and its integration into FUNIBER’s international university network promote a model of horizontal cooperation in the educational and cultural fields between Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking peoples.
The Universidad de La Romana will adopt a hybrid educational model, combining face-to-face degree programs with postgraduate programs in virtual mode, guaranteeing simultaneous academic excellence and flexibility at the same time. Enrollment is now open for the start of academic activities scheduled for September 2025, including the possibility to apply for the UNIROMANA’s First Class Scholarship.
