The Territorialization of University Education: Experiences and Social Transformation through the National Training Program in Histocytotechnology at UNEFM

Abstract

The territorialization of university education is a fundamental strategy for guaranteeing the right to higher education in contexts of spatial and social inequality. This article analyzes the experiences and social transformation resulting from the implementation of the National Training Program (PNF) in Histocytotechnology at the Francisco de Miranda National Experimental University (UNEFM) in communities of the Miranda Municipality in Falcón State, Venezuela, during the period 2023-2025. Using a qualitative approach and a participatory action research design, the experiences of faculty, students, graduates, and community members from the Miranda Municipality and other surrounding areas—from which the valuable student body of the aforementioned program originates—are systematized. The results demonstrate that the territorial presence of the National Training Program (PNF) has generated significant transformations in four dimensions: strengthening community health awareness for cancer prevention, establishing local health promotion and early detection networks, boosting emerging local economies linked to laboratory supplies and services, and empowering young people and women as leaders in territorial health. It is concluded that the territorialization of histocytotechnology education, by combining academic training, cultural relevance, and social commitment, contributes to building health sovereignty and epistemic justice in historically excluded territories.