President Luis Abinader officially inaugurated the new Regional Center of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) in Santiago Rodríguez alongside Housing, Habitat and Buildings Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó. The new campus is expected to serve more than 1,000 students, allowing many young people in the region to pursue university degrees closer to home.
The project, developed by the Ministry of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (MIVHED), represents an investment of RD$737 million and forms part of the government’s strategy to expand public higher education through modern infrastructure in underserved provinces.
Expanding Access to Higher Education
Bisonó described the new campus as a key investment in regional development, saying it reflects the government’s commitment to bringing higher education opportunities to communities outside the country’s largest cities.
The minister noted that the Santiago Rodríguez facility is the sixth regional UASD center completed by MIVHED over the past four years. According to the government, the initiative seeks to reduce geographic disparities in access to university education while creating more opportunities for young people to study without relocating to other provinces.
During the inauguration ceremony, President Abinader expressed his hope that the campus would become a center for education, culture, and community development. He also encouraged students and residents to preserve the facilities so future generations can benefit from the investment.
Modern Facilities for More Than 1,000 Students
The new campus includes approximately 8,543 square meters of construction and has capacity for 1,026 students. Academic facilities feature a four-story classroom building with 24 classrooms, four laboratories, a smart classroom, a computer lab, and a library.
An additional three-story administrative building houses postgraduate classrooms and an auditorium for academic and institutional events, expanding the university’s ability to offer undergraduate and graduate-level programs in the province.
Campus Designed to Support Student Life
The project also includes a multi-purpose sports court with bleachers, a patriotic plaza, a wastewater treatment plant, a water cistern, a backup power generator, storage facilities, loading and unloading areas, and designated waste management spaces to support daily campus operations.
To improve accessibility, the campus provides 105 parking spaces for cars, motorcycles, and buses, as well as reserved parking for people with disabilities.
Bisonó also praised UASD Rector Editrudis Beltrán for promoting the expansion of the state university’s regional centers, saying the institution has consistently worked to bring higher education closer to students throughout the Dominican Republic.
With the opening of the Santiago Rodríguez campus, the government says it continues its broader effort to strengthen public infrastructure that expands educational opportunities while supporting the social and economic development of the country’s regions.