A Reflection on the Research Education of University Students

The objective of this article is to reflect on the reasons that make difficult for the Colombian university students to achieve a proper education on research. This difficulties become evident because these university students are not acquiring the required competencies for research. Some causes are linked to the evolution of universities and to the conceptualization and types of research they manage. This article has been written based on a review of documents published in databases or indexed journals, proceedings, standards and web pages. The quality of texts, as well as their relevancy and the time period 1991-2014 were used as selection criteria. In conclusion, is established that the difficulties in research education are still present because of the marked influence of Napoleonic heritage, which structures have been difficult to remove by the government, the universities and by the teachers themselves.