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This Monday, February 13th, 2017, was held in the Theater of teaching building 4 of the University of Informatics  Sciences (known as UCI), the defense of the career of Bioinformatics, which will start soon in the faculty of Sciences and Computational Technologies of this Center of high studies.

Ph.D.  Miriam Nicado García, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party and of the Council of State, and Rector of the UCI, together with the University Council and other guests were present there.

The Court, for this act of defense, approved by the First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education (MES), was made up of personalities with a high academic and scientific prestige: Ph.D.  Carlos Novo Soto, Full Professor, Consultant Professor of the UCI and Professor of Merit of the CUJAE, as President; And members Ph.D. Isis del Carmen Torrens Madrazo, Senior Researcher, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB); PhD. Raúl Díaz Rodríguez, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kourí" (IPK); And Ph.D. Adolfo Díaz Sardiñas, Full Professor of the UCI.

The opponents were Ph.D. Aimée de los Ángeles Marrero Severo, Titular Professor of the University of Havana, and Ph.D. Luis Javier González López, Principal Investigator of the CIGB. Meanwhile, the speaker was the MSc. Mario Pupo Meriño, president of the National Commission of the career, who presented the public defense act of Plan of Studies E, of the new specialty that will soon begin in the country.

Bioinformatics is a transdisciplinary science, in which computer science and life sciences such as biochemistry, biology, among others, as well as chemistry and physics come together; Which focuses on the research, development and / or application of computer tools for the solution of biological, medical or biotechnological problems, in general those involving the acquisition, storage, organization, analysis and visualization of chemical-biological-structural data.

The Bioinformatics Engineering course lasts four years, responding to the growing need in the Cuban biotechnology industry and in biomedical and agricultural research of suitable professionals, equipped with interdisciplinary tools based on Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Informatics and Mathematics; Which have specific competencies with a focus on knowledge engineering, to support the biotechnological, chemical-pharmaceutical, agricultural and biomedical development of the country.

The guiding documents presented were subject to a review by the specialists in order to check whether or not they comply with the standards established by the MES for a career. An opinion was issued highlighting the joint work of the UCI professors with the advisors of other disciplines.

This is the first proposal of its kind in Cuba, which makes the UCI a pioneer in this regard, although the career was also designed for other universities in the country. It is a process that is just beginning and involves a great challenge that will require students with high academic achievement because they need knowledge in subjects as diverse as Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Computing.

In his speech, Ph.D. Jorge Luis García, MES adviser, expressed his satisfaction that we start this career in the UCI; But warned that adequate income figures should be handled. He said it is a way to ensure the vitality of biotechnology in the country. He said that we have to have a dialectic interrelation with the scientific centers.

Meanwhile, Ph.D. Nicado García explained that the career was born with strategic alliances with very specific centers like the Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kourí" (IPK), and we have in our hands all the tools to have successes. The curriculum is creative and revolutionary, she said.

The court ruled that the submitted project meets the requirements for the new career, but should add the recommendations and suggestions made with a view to its subsequent approval by the MES holder.