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Healing with science and tradition: an encounter of knowledge at the University of Cauca
Every April 7 marks World Health Day, a date promoted by the World Health Organization to raise awareness about global health challenges and the importance of ensuring the well-being of communities. However, beyond a commemorative date, this occasion invites reflection on innovative and comprehensive approaches to health care, a perspective that comes to life in stories such as that of Professor César José Vela.
A native of Popayán and a nursing graduate of the University of Cauca, his professional path took a decisive turn during his university training. In the fourth semester, his first encounter with acupuncture and the effectiveness of Chinese medicine sparked a deep curiosity, leading him to train at a specialized school under the guidance of José Luis Padilla Corral. Years later, he would strengthen his profile with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Valle, consolidating an approach that brings together tradition and scientific rigor.
His vocation led him to teaching. For 17 years, he was a professor at the Neijing School (Cali campus), teaching acupuncture, massage, and chikung.
“We are doing this to care for the mental health of our own community, but also to contribute through research and social outreach,” he explains. Techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and therapeutic massage not only complement treatments, but also strengthen prevention and quality of life, positively impacting cost-effectiveness for patients.
The message Professor Vela conveys to his students is one of commitment and responsibility: “Take on the study and practice of integrative therapies with true responsibility. The health system needs professionals who not only apply these therapies, but also conduct research, generate knowledge, and promote the appropriate use of massage, acupuncture, and moxibustion. We are talking about invaluable knowledge; to give you an example, in 2010 in Nairobi, UNESCO declared acupuncture and moxibustion as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That is the level of therapeutic and historical treasure you hold in your hands, and your great commitment is to safeguard it, study it, and take it to the next level,” he states.
Thus, one of the most significant milestones in his life was obtaining his PhD in Biomedical Sciences in 2025. His research, focused on interventions using Chinese medicine in patients with advanced cancer, profoundly shaped his human perspective: “If I had to choose an experience that deeply marked me, it would undoubtedly be my doctoral project, which I began in 2020. It involved carrying out acupuncture interventions in patients with advanced cancer, accompanying people who were at the end of their lives. It was an invaluable joint effort, the result of a partnership between the University of Valle and the University of Cauca through a royalties-funded project. On both a professional and human level, it was an immensely enriching stage. As a team, we immersed ourselves in the field of palliative care and learned a great deal. But what truly reflects the impact of Chinese medicine on people’s lives was seeing how this discipline manages to provide relief, quality of life, and well-being to patients and their families in such difficult moments.”
Thus, the University of Cauca reaffirms its commitment to a vision of health that transcends the conventional. Hand in hand with Professor César José Vela, the institution not only integrates ancestral knowledge and scientific rigor, but also cultivates a sensitivity capable of providing well-being even in the most difficult moments of life. On this World Health Day, his story reminds us that true medical progress is born from openness and empathy; a path along which our Alma Mater continues to sow the seeds of a more humane, integrative, and deeply conscious medicine.
Written by: Communications Management Center
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Universidad del Cauca
NIT. 891500319-2
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Institution with High Quality Accreditation for 8 years, resolution MEN 6218 of 2019 - Vigilada MinEducación