Rafael Guarga

He graduated from the University of the Republic of Uruguay and taught at that institution until 1974 when he was dismissed by the new authorities of the University (imposed by the civic-military dictatorship), who were politically at odds with Guarga's ideals. He was persecuted by the dictatorship and in 1976 he had to take asylum in Mexico. He worked there in his profession and in 1978 he joined the Engineering Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico as an Associate Researcher. In 1982, he obtained a Doctorate in Hydraulic Engineering at that University, receiving the Gabino Barreda medal for academic excellence. In addition, his doctoral thesis received, in that year, the National (Mexican) “Banamex” Prize for Science and Technology.

In 1986, after nine years of exile in Mexico, Guarga returned to Uruguay and returned to work at the University of the Republic where he participated in the creation and was later appointed Director of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Environmental Engineering (IMFIA) of the Faculty of Engineering of that University, until 1992. In that year 1992, Guarga was elected to the position of Dean of the same Faculty, and was re-elected to that position two years later.

On May 6, 1998, he was elected Rector of the University of the Republic, the highest position a professor can aspire to. He was re-elected again in 2002. Finally, his term as Rector came to an end in 2006, and was succeeded by Dr. Rodrigo Arocena.

In the period 2005-2008 he served as Secretary General of the Association of Public Universities “Grupo Montevideo” and in the period 2006-2008 he chairs the Regional Institute of Unesco in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC).

University of the Republic of Uruguay