INFOTEP certifies first tobacco school graduates and hosts AI research panel in Dominican Republic

The National Institute for Technical and Vocational Training (INFOTEP) and the Dominican cigar manufacturers association PROCIGAR awarded certificates to the inaugural class of the Tamboril Tobacco School, graduating 127 participants (78 women and 49 men). INFOTEP deputy director Luis Manuel Rodríguez said, “The 78 women and 49 men receiving their certificates today have acquired skills in premium handmade cigar manufacturing, tobacco crop pest management, customer service, personal development and conflict management.” Seventy‑two graduates have already been hired by firms such as La Aurora, La Flor Dominicana and Davidoff, with further placements expected.

Separately, INFOTEP organized a panel titled “Research in the era of knowledge and artificial intelligence: engine of innovation and sustainable development.” The discussion, held in Santo Domingo, featured Carmen Consuelo López of the Universidad Católica de Santo Domingo, IDEICE executive Jesús Antonio Andújar Avilés and researcher Adrián Gutiérrez Cepeda. Panelists stressed that artificial intelligence should support, not replace, human thought and emphasized the need for ethical use, critical‑thinking skills and robust training for researchers.

Both initiatives reflect INFOTEP’s broader effort to strengthen Dominican human capital in key sectors, from premium cigar production to scientific research and innovation.