Professors, workers in other areas, former students who are working in different spheres of society... all write a chapter in the history of the University of Las Tunas (ULT in Spanish), which on May 15 celebrated 30 years as an institution.

Duniela Comendador González is a graduate of the Pedagogy-Psychology program at this university, a leader of the UJC during her student years, and currently serves as head of the office of the rector.

You obtained the highest grade among all students in your university graduation...

Yes, I graduated in 2018. I was the best graduate in a comprehensive manner of the faculty, and at the University level, I obtained other awards in terms of social impact, scientific merit, and student leadership. Because of my professional and academic success, I could stay here as a trained professor.

For how long had you were a leader of the Young Communist Youth Union at the University?

I became a militant of the Young Communist Youth Union in 2011, in the former Pepito Tey University of Pedagogical Sciences, where I began to be a militant with responsibilities in my base committee. Then I began to lead the organization as general secretary of the UJC Committee of the University in 2020, and I remained until June 1, 2022.

Have you worked as a teacher?

Yes, since I graduated, I have been a professor. I was assigned a series of responsibilities in the Department of Pedagogy-Psychology. I worked as a teacher and instructor in the discipline of Integral Pedagogical Formation. Then I taught Pedagogy-Psychology, where I am currently in my tenth year as assistant professor.

You recently concluded your doctorate...

Yes, when you are aware of the scientific merit, you overcome the obstacles. Thus, in 2018, I began my doctoral training, firstly, with the pre-doctoral period, which was developed in our Center for Pedagogical Studies. Then, in 2020, I entered the Doctoral Program of Excellence, which is the PhD in Education at ULT, and last March 21, I concluded this process.

I finished the research part, but not the doctoral training, because I feel that from this moment on, my greatest work begins, in terms of truly forming myself as a doctor in science.

A VOICE FROM FEU

The University Student Federation (FEU in Spanish) has played an important role in the attention of students at the University of Las Tunas, which has influenced the quality of graduations. In this mission, one name must be mentioned: Yuniel Ávila Rodríguez.

Tell us about your time as president of the FEU at the University.

My beginnings in the FEU began in 2005, a year of great significance and value for me as a human being and university student leader, because that was when I met the Commander in Chief.

I began my work in the FEU as brigade president in the first year of the Sociocultural Studies course. Then, I was elected president of the Faculty of Social and Humanistic Sciences at the former Vladimir Ilyich Lenin University and, in the 2005 elections, I was elected president of the FEU at the same campus.

In November 2005, I participated in the historic speech of Commander Fidel Castro in the main lecture hall of the University of Havana. There, he asked the young people present and the National Council of the FEU if a revolutionary process could be irreversible.

At that time, none of us were able to respond, and today we realize that yes, we are the ones who can make this revolutionary process irreversible.

My transit through the FEU was quite fruitful. I participated in the Energy Revolution, called by Fidel, in which university students joined social workers to carry out the enormous task of reducing fuel and energy consumption, and I think we succeeded.

I spent two years as president of the FEU of the University, fulfilling that task, and then I became part of the Provincial Secretariat of the FEU, attending to the areas of International Relations and Culture. Later, I joined a project with Chinese students in Havana, and that is when I left the organization.

Afterwards, you were the first secretary of the UJC Committee at the University...

When I finished my work in Havana, I joined the University of Las Tunas as a professor in the Department of Defense Preparedness. After a year, I went on a mission to Venezuela for 24 months. Upon my return, I rejoined the department, and after a few months, I was appointed reserve cadre of the UJC.

In July 2015, I was promoted to professional secretary of the UJC Committee. That is the year in which the integration of the Vladimir Ilich Lenin University with the Pepito Tey Pedagogical University in Las Tunas took place. It was quite an arduous task because bringing together all the communist militancy was complex, but we succeeded.

I can say that I had excellent comrades in the leadership of the UJC in the three years that I served as secretary of the Committee.

THE CTC ALSO CONTRIBUTES

The educational processes in any school have many supports to achieve success. At ULT, the contribution of José Félix Cutiño Oliva, as a union leader, is undeniable.

You were at the head of the Union Bureau in two periods for several years (2001-2003; 2005-2006)...

For me, this whole stage was a great teaching, as a teacher and union leader, which allowed us to accompany teachers and non-teaching workers; to know their concerns, to revolutionize the socialist emulation ...

There was emulation between the different union sections in volunteer work, cleaning, and beautification of the premises, and we fought for the quality of the workers' lunch.

We tried to prepare a module with the initiative of the workers when a teacher or non-teaching worker was sick; we worried about going to their home to take care of them. This encouraged the desire to work.

The University Management supported us in everything with different resources; there was differentiated attention on historical dates, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Women's Day, and on vacations. We turned the University dining room into a restaurant, which we called El Panal Azul (The Blue Honeycomb).

The workers and their families from each union section, those who had excelled the most in emulation, went there with their families. We offered them an improved lunch at a low cost; this was an incentive for those who did not have high purchasing power. In addition, we had trips to the beach for the best ones.

We also took the initiative, together with the administration, to offer the most outstanding workers cleaning products. We were able to consolidate a favorable union climate and work. Then, when faced with any task, people responded.

You were also vice-dean and then dean of a faculty.

First, I held the position of Vice-Dean of Universalization, that was since June 5, 2003, when the Commander in Chief gave the task of universalizing Higher Education. A university campus was created in each of the municipalities. I was in charge of that front as vice-dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.

The Agronomy or Agricultural Engineering degree programs were opened in all the municipalities. We had to attend to the professors and advise them methodologically. We were in contact with them every week.

Then, from 2008 to 2011, I held the position of dean of the faculty itself; in 2012, I went on a mission to the Republic of Angola for four years; and from 2018 to 2023, I was elected deputy dean of the Faculty of Technical and Agricultural Sciences. During these periods, I not only grew as a manager but also as a teacher and trainer of new generations.

From 2024 to the present, I have methodologically taken care of the changes in teaching categories in the University, so that the faculty can raise its level, and the institution can have a level in the national ranking of universities.

We work under Regulation 145 of 2023, which regulates that the main teaching categories are assistant, auxiliary, and tenured. ULT has a great commitment to consolidating and raising the teaching categories, intending to enter the new evaluation that is being requested by the Central Accreditation Board for December 2025, to be accredited with a higher category.