In 2007, when Dr. Rafael Correa took office as the newly elected President of Ecuador, science and higher education became one of the most important goals for his term in office in order to transform the national economy from one based on exporting raw materials to one based on knowledge. In 2009, the Ecuadorian government reformed the entire system of higher education, and in 2013 the creation of four flagship universities of excellence was announced, including Yachay Tech University, the first research intensive university in the history of Ecuador.In May 2013, Yachay Tech became a reality through the reconstruction of San Jose, a 20th century hacienda in the San Miguel Canton of Urcuquí in the Imbabura Province, north of Ecuador, which now make up the patrimonial campus of the university.