"To understand where people's values come from is to understand their history."

"People don't change their positions on issues, not because they don't want to, but because they find it hard to cope with the loss. You have to understand what that person would lose if he or she did not defend an idea. To understand where people's values come from is to understand their history," said Alberto Willi, professor at IAE Business School, during his speech at the 11th edition of the University Identity workshop. XI edition of the workshop on Identity at the University of Navarra, organized by the Core Curriculum Institute. organized by the Core Curriculum Institute.

In his speech, the professor explained how controversy can be managed in the classroom: "When we are faced with a controversial topic , we need to understand what values are at stake, what different views exist on the problem, who represents each view and what they stand to lose in the dialogue," he added. He also stressed the importance of creating a "safe environment" in the classroom: "We need to be able to say 'I don't agreement' and know that I won't be misunderstood.

In this sense, he stressed the importance of "the teacher exposing himself first, becoming the guarantor of the rules of operation of this dialogue, being grateful for dissonance and not allowing disrespect, taking care of minorities and having a reflective look". Finally, he highlighted two core topic virtues in controversy: curiosity and courage. "Courage pushes you to embrace controversy and curiosity is the mother of openness."

More than 150 teachers in dialogue over the controversy

The workshop was also attended by experts such as Professor Juan Pablo Canatta, director of the Cultural Mediation and Social Affairs project (Intermedia Social Innovation, Rome), who explained that controversy "is inevitable and at the same time fundamental for some of the goals we want to achieve" and how it "is a way for people to learn the virtues of coexistence from an individual and collective point of view.

For his part, Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro, artistic director of the Museum, presented art as a bridge in a controversial society, since it facilitates dialogue with other sensibilities and disciplines. The reason for the creation of the University of Navarra Museum is to "educate students from the point of view of direct experience and interdisciplinarity; to promote holistic and human training ; and to teach them to understand the world from broader horizons.

Finally, the workshop ended with a roundtable in which several University professors gave some examples of how they encourage and manage controversy in the classroom. Javier García Manglano and Lourdes Esqueda shared some experiences with students and Asunción de la Iglesia referred to the importance of taking into account that "students speak, listen and interpret from their history, from the 'tattoos' they carry in their hearts".

The Identity workshop

As part of the reflection on the statement of core values and the Identity of the University, the Core Curriculum Institute organizes an annual workshop for faculty and staff of the various academic centers and services to reflect on issues relevant to university life: teaching, research, multidisciplinarity, faith and reason, or the implications of Christian identity.