Identity and Interculturality at the University: A Qualitative Analysis of Identity and Interculturality through the Narratives and Life Stories of Students at Santo Tomás University in Bucaramanga

Abstract

This article presents the results of the research study conducted in 2025 by the study group “Knowledge for Action” at Santo Tomás University, Bucaramanga. The group is made up of students from different undergraduate programs and faculty members from the Humanities Department. The investigation explored and highlighted the territorial, cultural, and identity diversity of more than 50 students through their life narratives; from a qualitative biographical approach, interviews were conducted and organized in five thematic axes: origins, migration trajectories, identity transformations, intercultural experiences at the university, and future goals. The analysis developed through thematic and axial coding allowed us to identify common patterns related to adaptation processes, intercultural tensions, narratives of territorial memory, and the redefinition of identity in the university context. The findings show that the institution functions as a dynamic space for cultural encounter and negotiation, where student experiences reveal both challenges and opportunities to strengthen intercultural coexistence.