ZAPOPAN, Jalisco; May 30, 2024.- The Universitas Forum was an event designed for the Panamericana community to express their points of view in written form, through reasoned essays on the topic proposed as the axis of discussion. This year, the central theme was "Democracy: in search of a more humane world".
In this edition, those interested had the opportunity to present their reflections on the role of democracy in the search for a more humane world. The call sought to generate a space for dialogue, analysis and reflection for the construction of a democratic system that will bring us closer as a society to the upcoming elections in Mexico.
Democracy: in search of a more humane world
The objective of the XV Universitas Forum was to channel the critical analysis of the concept of democracy that has been installed in the world as a paradigm of government.
The thematic lines of the essay contest were divided into six topics:
- Challenges and threats to democracy.
- The role of intermediate societies: family and business in the face of democracy.
- Democracy, social justice and human rights.
- The media and democracy: lies and truth in politics.
- The importance of education in democracy.
- The role of the university in democratic society.
The Forum had two categories, each with a winner: one for students (undergraduate or graduate) and one for professors. Participants had the opportunity to register from February 1 to 23.
Requirements
The papers had to be the unpublished result of research, analysis and personal reflection, as well as being suitably written and argued, with a relevant bibliography. The essays were submitted between March 18 and 22 via Moodle. To facilitate the writing process, different courses and workshops were offered where participants could improve their different written communication skills.
Awards
The oral presentations of the finalist essays were held on May 17 and the award ceremony for the winners of both categories was held on May 18 at the Guadalajara Campus. The awards were:
- First place in each category: a MacBook Pro 14".
- Second place in each category: a Liverpool Card worth $5,000.
- Third place in the student category: a Liverpool Card with a value of $3,000.
Winners
After a close competition, the winners were:
Teacher Category
- 1st place: Diana Sofía Derat Castrejón (Campus UP Mexico).
- 2nd place: Ana Fernanda Navarro González (Campus UP Aguascalientes).
Alumni Category
- 1st place: Alessandra Sandoval Hinojosa (Campus UP Guadalajara).
- 2nd place: Zianya Marian García Lozano (Campus UP Mexico).
- 3rd place: Roberto Gómez Orea (Campus UP Guadalajara).
One of the reasons why Panamericana stands out is its humanistic education. Therefore, it was of great importance for the institution to promote thinking, analysis, exchange of ideas and problem solving. Thus, it encouraged its community to join the XV edition of the Universitas Forum, leading the guild towards a more humane world.
