UNAY’s 2025 Achievements in Arts and Education

Mérida, Yucatán — The University of the Arts of Yucatán (UNAY) marked 2025 as a year of academic and artistic achievements that reinforced its role as a driver of cultural, educational, and social development in the state, according to Rector Domingo Rodríguez Semerena.

Rector Rodríguez Semerena emphasized that during the closing year, goals were met that solidified UNAY as an academic reference point integrating creation, pedagogy, and research. Key accomplishments included the reactivation of the Bachelor’s Degree in Artistic Education, the initiation of work for the upcoming opening of two new professional-level academic programs, the creation of intermediate training and art education programs, the establishment of new collegiate bodies, and the development of management and creation spaces such as institutional Artistic Groups.

In the academic sphere, UNAY promoted training, research, and artistic professionalization through regional composition competitions, international seminars, specialized conferences, summer programs, diplomas, and graduate programs with national impact, such as the Master’s in Stage Direction, which brought theatrical premieres to ten cities across the country.

Additionally, the educational offerings were strengthened with accessible and flexible programs, laying the groundwork for new bachelor’s degrees. Concurrently, UNAY bolstered its institutional structure by creating Artistic Groups, including Theater and Dance companies, presentations by its Symphony Orchestra, and the review and expansion of its public schedules, enabling an annual program of 150 proposals—many spanning multiple days—encompassing concerts, stage productions, film options, as well as conferences, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and artistic celebrations.

Several of these activities were conducted through international and national collaborations, interdisciplinary productions, and the participation of artists with extensive careers, alongside partnerships with emblematic cultural venues in Mérida and across the state, impacting diverse audiences and strengthening access to art as a social good.

Similarly, during this year, the UNAY Extraordinary Chair was established, recognizing creators with international careers who have left a significant mark on the cultural heritage of the state and country. The first award was presented to Tomás Marín Medina, a Yucatecan musician, violinist, and concert performer with over 50 years of experience.

A Consultative Council was also formed, comprising over 60 representatives from the artistic, cultural, academic, research, and civil society communities, serving as a consultative and participatory body.

Furthermore, work began for the UNAY Foundation to commence activities in January, a collective that will help promote young talent and social transformation through art.

Social commitment was another fundamental axis of the year, reflected in initiatives such as the Symphonic Concerts with Cause, in collaboration with Iniciativa Haz, which linked artistic excellence with support for community programs, as well as the constant participation of students and teachers in social responsibility activities.

Looking ahead, UNAY projects sustained growth based on improving its academic offerings with bachelor’s degrees in Artistic Education—in a new version aimed at youth—and Literature, which will expand the institution’s training reach, along with increasing the visibility of its community’s talent and strengthening strategic alliances.