Buffalo State and UNAB renew MOU, highlight importance of creativity education
Buffalo State’s Center for Applied Imagination welcomed Juan Camilo Montoya, rector of Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga (UNAB), and alumnus Cesar Guerrero, ’16, director of UNAB Creative, for a two-day strategic visit on July 9–10 that culminated in the signing of a renewed Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.
Building on nearly a decade of collaboration, the visit included discussions focused on expanding joint research, faculty and student engagement, creativity education, micro-credentials, and future international initiatives.
President Jennifer L. Burris, Ph.D. emphasized the importance of creativity education and expressed excitement for “all that our universities will build together in the decade ahead.”
“In a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence,” Burris said, “creative thinking has never mattered more.”
Gerard Puccio, Ph.D., SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the Center for Applied Imagination, expressed enthusiasm about the renewed partnership, noting that Guerrero recently contributed a chapter to The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Creativity in Higher Education (2025), which Puccio edited and which highlights UNAB’s innovative model of integrating creativity education across undergraduate and graduate programs.
“The conversations over these two days reaffirmed the strength of our partnership,” said Puccio. “We are excited about the opportunities ahead, including joint publications, collaborative research, faculty exchanges, and co-hosting international conferences that will continue to advance creativity education on a global scale.”
About the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University
Founded by creative thinking pioneers Alex F. Osborn and Sidney J. Parnes more than half a century ago, the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State stands as the first educational institution in the world to offer graduate-level courses, a master of science in creativity studies, and—beginning in fall 2026—a doctor of professional studies in creativity and change leadership.
Photo by Mark Mulville.
