Hope for Guatemala in the graduates from the Faculty of CC.QQ. and Pharmacy

Abstract

This occasion holds a very special meaning for me, and it is the opportunity to once again address the members of my beloved Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy after more than 11 years, when I left to improve my academic preparation. In mid-1983, I traveled to California on a scholarship to begin my doctorate in Biochemistry, little imagining that this date would also mark my separation from the Faculty's teaching staff. This time, I was granted a one-year leave to pursue these studies. I later mailed an extension of that leave, but received no response. Understanding that our postal service is very poor, and amidst the work and worries of a graduate student's life, I arrogantly and naively thought that upon my return I could easily return, especially considering that I would do so with more knowledge and experience. However, unfortunately for me, during the years I was absent, the University of San Carlos modified its Teaching Career Statute, excluding recognition of specialized studies and professional experience and limiting the promotion of its professors to years of service. Upon my return five years ago, there was a possibility that I could have re-entered the teaching profession as a pre-professor. I initially refused to accept this situation, since the aforementioned statutory provision destroys the basic foundations of the pursuit of excellence and individual improvement, which is in complete opposition to the work and purpose of university life. This circumstance in my life led me to seek other professional careers outside of this Faculty, which has brought me into contact with new people and environments, allowing me to continually reflect on what Guatemalan society requires of university professionals.