Rutilia Calderón, In Memoriam

On Sunday 13 August, the Latin American academic world received the news of the passing of Dr Rutilia Calderón, a renowned Honduran woman of science who was a member of the Governing Board of UNESCO IESALC, where she contributed generously and invaluably to debates and research on issues of inclusion, recognition of studies, virtual education, teacher training and educational reforms, among others.

The Honduran academic was a medical doctor who graduated from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), an epidemiologist from the National School of Public Health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a graduate of the Doctorate in Social Sciences with a focus on Sustainable Human Development Management.

She also served as minister of education, was academic vice-rector of the UNAH from 2006 to 2017 and was international advisor to WHO/PAHO in Venezuela and the Netherlands Antilles.

Calderón was the author of several books, academic articles and research papers, especially on health and education issues.

She also served on the Board of Directors of the Honduran National Commission for Non-Formal Education (CONEANFO), and was a representative of the Central American University Superior Council (CSUCA).

The Honduran Ministry of Education, through the social network twitter, recognised as part of his legacy his dedication to the articulation of all levels of education, and decreed three days of mourning.

For his part, the rector of the UNAH wrote on twitter: “Her invaluable contributions as a professional and her tireless dedication to the UNAH have left an indelible mark on our institution and on the academic life of Honduras (…) We are sure that her legacy will be remembered with gratitude and will serve as an inspiration to reach the standards of excellence that she represented”.

In a lecture broadcast on the UNAH Facebook account on 27 October 2020 entitled Challenges for the Integration of the Fundamental Functions in the University Curriculum and the Impact of the Pandemic on Scientific Research, Dr. Calderón shared a message to her colleagues on the UNAH’s Facebook account on 27 October 2020. Calderón shared a message to her country and her university in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic:

It is important that students understand that the university is alive and that it is seeking to improve the fulfilment of its mission that, in times of pandemic, it is a mission that no other institution in society can fulfil: to contribute scientific knowledge, techniques and technologies not only to cope with the pandemic but, as Pope Francisco said, so that afterwards we can all be better… It is a great opportunity to rethink our university.

Rutilia Calderón