More than 60 people have been working to define the next challenge ICS 2024-2025 of the Institute for Culture and Society

More than 60 people have applied to quotation at the University of Navarra's Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra to work on the next challenge ICS 2024-2025. The challenge ICS is a topic of research of high academic impact and social interest, proposed by the researchers themselves, on which the focus will be placed during a academic year. In the framework of the XII Annual meeting of the ICS, six proposals have been worked on research that could be chosen for the challenge 2024-2025.

Raúl Bajo, researcher of the Navarra Center for International Development, presented the topic 'Environmental policies, social inequality and equity criteria'. He focused on the criterion of equity, "the great forgotten one" when preparing environmental policies. The expert indicated that "we must be concerned about climate change but we cannot leave aside equity to avoid a social fracture".

For her part, Ana Paula Salas, doctoral candidate at the ATLANTES Global Observatory of Palliative Care, presented proposal 'Caring in the diversity of a multicultural society'. Salas considered important the link created in care, which goes beyond a unidirectional aspect as it is an aspect that can affect the wellbeing of society as a whole. In addition, this idea is part of the 2025 Strategy 'Health and Wellbeing' of the University of Navarra.

Likewise, Martiño Rodríguez, researcher of Education of affectivity and human sexuality, proposed to work on the topic 'Science - Science'. The researcher pointed out that science is a fundamental part of the human being and that the ICS aspires to contribute to the progress of knowledge. In this way, he invited people to reflect on the way of researching, 'doing science' and generating knowledge that is carried out at the center.

Javier Gil, researcher of Religion and Civil Societypresented the topic 'Orientalism, Occidentalism and the great global misunderstanding'. He explained how Western culture and the Western world have been discredited and criticized in recent decades. Thus, he proposed to study the speech clash of civilizations between Occidentalism and Orientalism that has led to the estrangement between East and West, as well as the "root of many current conflicts".

Next, Inés Olza, co-principal investigator of Vínculos, creatividad y cultura and coordinator of the XII meeting, proposed the topic 'Salir volando del laberinto: ¿en qué consiste ser creativos?'. According to the expert, the terms creativity, innovation and novelty have been overextended. She suggested working to narrow down the idea of creativity and look for the instructions common to all creative exercises. She indicated that creativity is included in matters as varied as humor, artistic internship or policy design .

Finally, Maria Calatrava, researcher at Education on affectivity and human sexuality, proposed working on 'Forgiveness - Forgiveness'. She assured that it is a transversal topic for the work of the ICS, as well as an essential experience of the human being. For Calatrava, this proposal is a continuation of challenge 2022-2023 on wellbeing in young people as it is related to mental health and wellbeing, as well as a "restorative experience" that can promote coexistence.

This challenge will be the second initiative organized by the ICS. During the 2022-2023 academic year, work was carried out on the challenge graduate "Young people, relationships and psychological well-being" on psychological well-being in adolescence and youth. The objectives of the challenge are to increase the critical mass of researchers, dynamize the research, improve the visibility of the center, create new networks of contacts, promote new research and new results of high scientific and social impact.