Being a simple and affable man, this Avileño does not reveal at first glance his ambition to hoard scientific knowledge as an intellectual capital that he is constantly increasing.
Doctor of Science Iván Ramón Gutiérrez Rojas recently received an award from the Territorial Delegation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA).
This is the «Recognition for the impact of the text on scientific research on medical professionals» for his book «Issues for debate on scientific research in health».
The intellectual training of Dr. Gutiérrez Rojas, or simply Prof. Iván, is broad and diverse, in a variety of subjects, which makes him a very comprehensive person.
In 1969, he graduated as a Chemical Technologist from the Instituto Tecnológico de Química «Mártires de Girón», in Havana; he then obtained a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the ISACA, currently the University of Ciego de Ávila «Máximo Gómez Báez», where he also obtained a Master’s degree in Tropical Citriculture in 2001.
Between 2019 and 2021 he developed and concluded his doctoral thesis in Educational Sciences and was not satisfied with the highest category of Doctor of Science, as he has not stopped his self-improvement and research in various subjects.
Iván Gutiérrez was born in the city of Morón, where he lived until 1963, when he moved to Havana to study. He remained in the Cuban capital until 1970, when he returned to Havana.
Since 1974 he has lived in the town of Ceballos, where he currently lives with his wife Lourdes, an engineer in Irrigation and Drainage, now retired, and his daughter Sandra, a graduate in Pharmaceutical Sciences, who has become a journalist for Radio Surco.
Prof. Iván decided to retire in 2009, but his constant interest in intellectual work and research led him to return to work and he is currently a consulting professor at the University of Medical Sciences in Ciego de Ávila.
What is the essence and objectives of his book? is a question he answers explicitly: «The text Temas para debate sobre investigación científica en salud, in three chapters, seeks to alleviate the scarcity of publications on the processes of science management, offering a comprehensive approach to identify and overcome the shortcomings that affect scientific development».
«The central objective is to encourage the use of the country’s capacity to generate transcendent results, highlighting the need to train decision-makers and scientific managers with an integrated vision aligned with national transformations. In this sense, the text includes
practical concerns and offers concrete proposals, emphasising the relearning of managers and professionals and promoting critical and innovative thinking in scientific management».
What is Science for you?
«Science can be defined as the universal system of human knowledge, the essence of which lies in the construction of this knowledge through scientific research.
Each researcher has a unique vision of science, influenced by his or her epistemological approach and academic context,» he says, and concludes: «Science expresses itself through regularities, relationships and laws that allow us to transform objective reality.
How does science affect life in Cuba today?
«As a generator of new knowledge and technologies, science is an essential pillar of Cuba’s cultural and economic sovereignty. Through the construction of knowledge, economic, social and environmental challenges are faced, contributing to sustainable development and socio-economic autonomy».
«Concrete examples of this impact are the advances in biotechnological medical sciences, such as the production of vaccines and innovative medicines. These capabilities not only strengthen national self-sufficiency, but also position the country as a reference in the international scientific arena,» he concludes.
Citizens like Iván Gutiérrez Rojas, who has an enviable professional and scientific background, are what Cuba needs in its efforts to forge the present and future development of the island.
