Edupolis is a project designed by two research institutes: the Center for Political Education (CEP), which is made up of the National universities of Colombia, the Andes and Ibagué, and the Internet and Society Center of Rosario (ISUR). ).
The interdisciplinary team is led by Alexis De Greiff, professor of Sociology at the National University, and Julio Gaitán Bohórquez, professor of Law at the Universidad del Rosario.
The pandemic, according to the organizers, has changed the social, cultural and political environment of Colombian youth. With the confinements, street meetings were prohibited. However, political protests increased in public spaces and on digital platforms.
Concerts, graffiti and pot-banging expressed the struggles of an isolated student population, while social networks reinforced this trend through the circulation of political images and speeches.
Thus, the border between the intimate and the public was blurred. These changes invite us to dialogue about new repertoires of protest within the university community.
“Democracy is modesty, it is a willingness to change, to self-critical reflection, to listen to others seriously. It is the only form of government that must be learned daily,” says Professor De Greiff.
Furthermore, recent research has revealed a deterioration in the mental health of Bogotá’s youth. According to a report from the National University of Colombia, the pandemic has reinforced problems such as fragility, loneliness and despair about the future. Although most students are doing well, De Greiff emphasizes that “paying attention to emotions is essential to defend and expand democracy.”
The objective of the seedbed is not training, but rather collective learning. The people who will participate in Edupolis will build new skills and knowledge to understand and transform the social problems that affect them. This will be done through the use of agile and playful methodologies.
Edupolis will take place over two academic semesters, until August 2024. Initially, four exploratory workshops will be held during which the two topics of the seminar will be addressed separately.
Exploratory workshops
The Edupolis exploratory workshops are open to the entire academic community: students, administrative staff, professors, or anyone else interested in improving well-being and democratic processes.
These workshops aim to identify the needs, problems and expectations of students. The information collected in these workshops will be the fundamental inputs to design a specific training and learning route, and to constitute the research seedbed.
The workshops will take place in Bogotá on the following dates:
- Thursday, November 2, mental health. Place: National University of Colombia.
- Thursday, November 9, social protest. Place: National University of Colombia.
- Friday, November 17, mental health. Place: Rosario University
- Tuesday, November 28, social protest. Place: Rosario University
The first stage to integrate Edupolis is to participate in the exploratory workshops. Spaces are limited and will be assigned in order of registration. You just have to fill out the form found by clicking here.
Citizen Laboratories of Political and Digital Education
In the first half of 2024, the collaborative training and learning process will begin through the “Citizen Laboratories of Political and Digital Education.” These laboratories will involve the participants of the seedbed, as well as other actors from university life and civil society. Common problems will be addressed and their foundations will be delved into, looking for “other ways of doing things” that lead to the generation of solution proposals.
Online Repository and Forum:
Before the end of the first half of 2024, an open online repository will be built that will contain all the documentation of the process, as well as the creation of multimedia materials.
In addition, a Forum will be held for debate, presentation of experiences and network articulation around mental health and social protest.
It may interest you:
Benefits obtained by participating in Edupolis
- Learn about current and relevant topics for Colombian society
- Develop political and digital skills that enhance your professional profile
- Interact with people from other universities and institutions
- Build collective knowledge and generate action proposals
- Receive support to obtain scholarships and funding for research projects.
- For more information, you can visit the project website.
2023-10-18 20:52:03
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