The event will feature the presentation of more than 800 academic papers, distributed across various discussion panels, and a dedicated space for showcasing best practices.
The city of Rosario, Santa Fe, will host representatives of public universities from across the country on August 28 and 29 for the First National Congress on University Innovation, under the theme "Teaching, Research, Management and Territory." The event is an initiative of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and, in this first edition, will be organized by the Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) in La Siberia, Rosario University City (CUR).
Over two days, there will be conferences, panels, and workshops focused on the major pillars that underpin the university system today: teaching, research, management, and outreach. The objective is to consider innovation in each of these fields, in a context of profound social, political, and economic changes that demand new responses from public universities.
"We will be addressing key issues, such as university funding and concerns about the reduction in teaching and non-teaching salaries. At the same time, we are pleased to be able to open a space for collective reflection on the university of the future: a university that we hope will have the necessary resources, but that will also be built on the innovations, contributions, and discussions that emerge from the presented papers," said the president of this Council, Oscar Alpa.
"This is the first time in history that the Argentine university system, the entire academic and scientific community, will meet to reflect on what we're doing well, what we need to improve, and what transformations universities demand in a rapidly changing world, in an Argentina that no longer faces the same problems, aware that the university cannot continue doing the same things," added Vice President Franco Bartolacci.
The event will feature the presentation of more than 800 academic papers, distributed across various discussion panels, and a space specifically dedicated to showcasing best practices: innovative experiences being developed by various universities that can serve as inspiration and replication at other institutions.
Approximately 2.000 people from across the country are expected to participate, including professors, researchers, administrators, students, and representatives of the academic and scientific community. "The university is an extraordinary tool for transformation: it not only trains highly qualified professionals, it also provides solutions and proposals in a world that is constantly changing. That's why we need to rethink how we do things better," Bartolacci concluded.
In parallel to the congress, the CIN will hold its regular meeting of rectors. The 94th Plenary Session of Rectors on Friday the 29th will serve to analyze the current state of the Argentine university system and define actions for the second semester, in direct dialogue with the conclusions and debates emerging from the congress.
In this way, Rosario will be much more than just a conference venue: it will be a place where experiences and proposals from across the country meet, a space for debate and reflection on the present and the future, reaffirming that public universities not only create knowledge but also transform it into a driving force for transformation for society as a whole.