Importance of emotional intellenge development in university students
Keywords:
Emotional Intelligence, Higher Education, University Well-being, Socioemotional Competencies, Comprehensive EducationAbstract
The university stage represents a turning point in a student’s life. Beyond the acquisition of technical knowledge, it involves a process of personal transformation in which emotions play a decisive role in learning, decision-making, and well-being. In this context, emotional intelligence emerges as an essential competence for meeting the cognitive, social, and affective demands of higher education.
Scientific evidence has shown that students with high levels of emotional intelligence experience lower anxiety and depression, achieve better academic performance, and use coping strategies more effectively. For this reason, various authors agree on the need to incorporate systematic emotional training programs within the university curriculum, integrating both theoretical and practical components that strengthen socioemotional skills.
In Colombia, the recent approval of the Chair of Emotional Education —inspired by the Pisotón program of Universidad del Norte— marks a historic milestone by recognizing socioemotional development as an educational right. This progress calls upon universities to take a leading role in consolidating institutional policies that promote emotional intelligence as an integral part of professional training.
The Caribbean region offers inspiring examples of this transformation. Institutions such as CECAR, UNAD, Universidad del Norte, and Universidad Simón Bolívar have demonstrated that emotional intelligence programs generate tangible impacts on well-being, social adaptation, and academic performance.
In a context where university mental health has become a priority, this evidence reaffirms a clear message: educating in emotions is educating for life. The university should not only train competent professionals but also human beings capable of managing, with empathy, balance, and resilience, the challenges of their time.
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