A story of vision and collaboration! In March 1963, President John F. Kennedy met with Central American presidents in Costa Rica. Together, they requested support to develop a management training program to strengthen public institutions and enterprises in the emerging Common Market. President Kennedy enthusiastically endorsed the proposal and wrote to George P. Baker, Dean of Harvard Business School, on April 10, marking the beginning of the wonderful project that is INCAE, and which continues more than 60 years later.
The first academic activity of INCAE was the Senior Management Program, PAG I, held from July 1 to August 7, 1964, in Antigua, Guatemala. It was attended by 45 executives from the private sector and public institutions from six countries in the region. At the closing of this first event, the Founding Charter of INCAE was signed and a Regional Board of Directors was elected, with Francisco de Sola as its president.
Under the impulse of the participants of the Antigua PAG, and especially of those who were part of the first Board of Directors, other similar senior management programs were carried out in Boquete, Panama, San José, Costa Rica, San Salvador and Managua. Thus was born a network of graduates of these programs: entrepreneurs, high-level public officials, professionals and academics. Learn more about our community Incaísta!
After an exhaustive search for the ideal location for the new campus, with offers coming from Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, on May 7, 1966, the Founding Charter and statutes were approved in Managua, during a constitutive general assembly of the associates of INCAE. According to these statutes, INCAE would have its legal headquarters in Managua, Republic of Nicaragua, but could also establish branches, offices or study centers in other parts of the country or abroad, as decided by the Governing Council.
Clark Wilson, an American with a PhD in applied psychology from the University of Southern California, was an outstanding pioneer in the introduction of tools for psychological assessment in management. His leadership was fundamental as the organizer of the first master's program, as he not only played a crucial role within the institution, but was also personally in charge of recruiting and interviewing each of the applicants. In addition, he had the honor of participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus on July 1, 1967.
On January 8, 1968, 42 students from six countries began the first MAE program. Although construction of the new campus took another year to complete, the students were temporarily housed in Managua's Lido Palace Hotel, while classes were held on one floor of the newly constructed Central Bank of Nicaragua building.
Ernesto Cruz, the first Central American rector of INCAE, held the position for the longest period to date. A Nicaraguan with a PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University, he also excelled as a lawyer throughout his life. Cruz received INCAE as a project and transformed it into a renowned international institution. During his President, INCAE not only offered top quality management education, but also became, for the first time, a think tank after the 1972 earthquake in Managua.
Let's celebrate more than 55 years of teaching of the beloved professor Nicolás Marín in our institution! Countless students remember him fondly and apply his valuable teachings, a pillar in our educational community!
June 20, 1969 marked a memorable milestone in the history of INCAE, with the celebration of the graduation ceremony of the first graduating class of students of the Master in Business Administration, MAE I. This event also marked the inauguration of the Montefresco campus (so named until 1982). The campus, whose construction began in 1967, finally opened its doors on the same day, June 20, 1969.
