August 21, 2023.— The Universidad Panamericana held the 2023–2024 Academic Year Opening Ceremony on August 15, 16, and 17 in the three different cities where the institution has a presence: Mexico City (at the Ciudad Panamericana campus), Guadalajara , and Aguascalientes.
Opening Ceremony
The university tradition (which emerged under the auspices of the Church in the 13th century) celebrates the annual cycle of this ongoing process with an opening ceremony to mark the end of one academic year and announce the start of the next, welcoming new students and bringing the entire university community together around the faculty. La Panamericana revives these celebrations and invites the faculty and all members of its university community to the first class of the new academic year.
Each of the ceremonies began with a procession of the academic faculty, in which university officials—directors, deans, professors, and emeritus presidents—wore their academic regalia and medals to lend a sense of solemnity and to recognize and celebrate the start of the new academic year with remarks from each university president on their respective campuses.
Challenges in the Future of Education
One of the main topics discussed was artificial intelligence and the challenges it poses for both the university community and society at large.
Dr. Santiago García Álvarez, rector of the Mexico City campus, spoke about the challenge this poses and its relationship to truth: “The concept of truth has been in crisis for a long time, which is why the search for truth has become a process that is not only arduous but, at times, nebulous. Although it is difficult to know the truth, many of us believe that it exists, that it gives hope, and that it sets us free. In this context, we seek a truth that serves as a protective shield against the risks posed by those who choose to direct Artificial Intelligence toward particular interests or ideological positions.”
For his part, Dr. José Antonio Esquivias Romero, rector of the Guadalajara campus, suggested that change is an integral part of universities:“When universities have lost their institutional identity and forgotten that innovation is their defining characteristic, they have fallen into academic stagnation and become outdated.”
Meanwhile, Antonio de los Reyes Moreno, M.A., dean of the Aguascalientes campus, shared the following on this topic: “We are living in an era of rapid change and technological advances, which means we must prepare ourselves to face challenges we do not yet know. The ability to adapt and a willingness to learn continuously will be essential to your success in the workforce.”
Artificial Intelligence
This year, the topic chosen for the keynote lectures was Artificial Intelligence. In Mexico City and Aguascalientes, the lecture was delivered by Dr. Félix Martínez Ríos, Full Professor (Research Category C); while in Guadalajara, it was delivered by Jafet Rodríguez Muñoz, M.A., director of the Systems and Computer Graphics Engineering program at the Guadalajara campus; both are faculty members at our Panamericana University.
Dr. Martínez Ríos provided a historical and theoretical overview of Artificial Intelligence and discussed its challenges. In particular, he noted: “The real challenge is not to oppose the incorporation of AI into professional life, but to accept the inevitable change in any given practice by integrating AI into specialized workflows. “The most likely danger is that we’ll do whatever computers tell us to do, because we’re in awe of them and rely on them to make important decisions.”
“I am confident that the National Association of Journalists of Argentina ( Universidad Panamericana ) and all its members, firmly grounded in our founding principles, will be able to face all these new challenges with a humanistic and ethical perspective, free from their negative consequences,”he concluded.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rodríguez Muñoz spoke about the various AI tools and their applications. He noted that artificial intelligence is everywhere, and that this is not a bad thing; rather, it can serve as a set of tools that we can use to our advantage. He pointed out that there are many different types of artificial intelligence—for generating images, sound, and text—and that all of them can be used to contribute to the advancement of humanity.
Values of the Pan-American Highway
Finally, Dr. Fernanda Llergo Bay, President of the UP-IPADE system, recalled the values that give our institution its integrity: “In today’s global, collaborative, and interconnected culture, the University carries out its institutional mission by upholding the commitment of all its members to its founding values; including respect for human dignity, charity, and the pursuit of truth.”
He adds, regarding the sense of community that should exist at the university, that “this mission is also reinforced each year when a new academic year begins.” The faculty is the force that generates and transmits the spirit of the university through research, teaching, and personalized attention. The faculty keeps us true to who we are. Students are the protagonists and the center of university life; they are the recipients of the learning content from the various fields of knowledge delivered by the professors, and they are also enriched by the exchange that takes place among their peers.”
Universidad Panamericana answers the call and opens its doors wide to welcome its faculty: professors from Mexico and around the world who align their personal mission with our institutional vision.
