The engineering that elevates us

In recent days, a group of young Argentinians achieved the unthinkable and offered us a breath of collective enthusiasm: joy can come packaged in metal, in the precise shape of a can. Or, more precisely, a satellite the size of a soda can, designed, built, and launched with talent and commitment by university students.

This achievement transcends the technical and reflects a constant trajectory of effort and innovation on the part of our students. This is within a learning environment long designed as a launching pad. With the Southern Cross as our guide: global education trends and the transformation of the future of work. Learning practices focused on flexible and experiential training, with methodologies that encourage deepening knowledge and working on interdisciplinary projects. We strive to use talent, human values, and initiative as driving forces. We believe these transformative experiences are what shape the professionals the world needs.

Universities seek to be generators of knowledge and opportunities. They also connect academic knowledge with real-world problems, and student associations are often places where learning takes place by doing. Challenging the established order. Because knowledge provides the foundation, and it is in challenges that knowledge takes on meaning, where limits are tested, and creativity is fostered.

Working on interdisciplinary projects like those carried out at ITBA is much more than calculations and precision. It involves making decisions under pressure, adapting to the unexpected, and solving problems in real time. It requires technical excellence, a passion for knowledge, and, above all, teamwork. It is in these types of challenges that leaders with strategic thinking and values ​​are forged, capable of tackling complex problems in a constantly changing world whose resolution doesn't fit neatly within a single discipline.

Educational institutions must rise to the occasion. Not only by creating knowledge, but also by anticipating the evolution of industries, businesses, and the future of work itself. Because it is the sum of these capabilities that generates opportunities for our students and society. In a constantly changing context, this goal is achieved by providing an education that prepares well-rounded graduates with soft skills, collaborative skills, critical thinking, and a global vision.

A commitment made by those of us who have the privilege and responsibility of leading a university is to promote institutions aligned with the development of the country and the world. ITBA maintains strong partnerships with companies, startups, colleges, universities, and research institutions. This results in laboratories, research projects, internships, and opportunities for students to gain practical experience in real-world settings. Thus, of the 10 students who made up the SEDS ITBA team, six received scholarships. This is a clear example of opportunities realized through synergistic integration with companies and donors that transcends the individual to elevate the whole.

We must commit to academic excellence, integrated teaching models, and internationalization as a strategy for expanding our knowledge and boundaries. We must ensure that classrooms are dynamic spaces where debate is fostered and learning extends beyond textbooks to practical experiences. Building platforms for our students, creating the conditions for them to shine, should be an unavoidable responsibility.

Hopefully, this satellite won't remain just an achievement to be applauded. May it serve to open more doors, to connect, to encourage more young people to dream big, to demonstrate that knowledge transforms realities and creates opportunities. Finally, we humbly thank those who recognized the effort and achievement of this group of students. Recognizing the merit of others is the most effective way to propel us forward, whether to the stars or as a society.

Rector of the Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA)

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