2015_04_22_inaguracion_bur
"University quality requires being excellent at something of one's own."
This was stated today at the University by Professor Concepción Naval during the opening workshop of the international congress on university reputation.
"You can't be excellent at everything. It is necessary to have a unique project , related to the identity and mission statement of the institution". This was signed today at the University of Navarra by Concepción Naval, president of the committee organizer of the international congress on university reputation. The meeting, which opened this afternoon, will be attended by more than 300 people representing 92 institutions and 48 speakers, all from 18 countries.
According to the expert, "Being excellent in one's own field" is one of the keys for the university to achieve its main goals today, which are "excellence in the teaching, the research and the transfer of the knowledge".
Along with differentiation, Concepción Naval, dean of the School of Education and Psychology, referred to five other challenges: "To obtain the necessary public and private funding; to generate a sense of belonging in the entire university community; a strategic communication management ; to create a network of national and international relations; and an opening to the environment with university extension activities".
He also pointed out that quality means promote improvement staff, beyond the achievement of external quality indicators. "Quality aims for results and these are an essential condition for the survival of the organization. However, it would be a mistake to confuse quality with success. External indicators are a necessary or convenient condition, but not sufficient to achieve quality in a radical sense".
"What is not evaluated is devalued."The congress Building Universities' Reputation 2015 was inaugurated by Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, President of the University of Navarra; the Councilor of Education of the Government of Navarra, José Iribas; and the Vice President of Communication of the academic center, Juan Manuel Mora.
The President stressed that in these times of change and uncertainty the university "must not emphasize the accidental, but continue to look at what is critical: the Education, the research and the transfer of knowledge to society. This makes it easier for innovation and creativity not to produce dysfunction".
For his part, Councilor José Iribas stressed the importance of the reputation of each university, but also that of the university system in which it is inserted. "In Navarre we have reason to be satisfied because we have a solid, accredited, cooperative system that trains qualified professionals and is committed to internationalization, without losing its roots". However, he pointed out that we must all strive for excellence and ensure that the institutions contribute their best to society. "It is necessary to evaluate ourselves to see our weaknesses and strengths in order to improve. Because what is not evaluated is devalued".
Finally, Juan Manuel Mora referred to the topic of congress, which had two starting points: the current discussion on rankings and the discussion on the need to change university model , which has taken place both in Spain and in other countries. These debates, as he pointed out, lead to new questions, such as "what does university quality consist of, how is university reputation managed and what deserves to be measured and evaluated".
John Haldane, director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of St Andrews, also participated in today's workshop with a discussion paper entitled "The student at the center of university educational performance".
There was also a roundtable on "The reputation of universities in a global scenario", moderated by Pilar Lostao, Vice President of International Office of the University of Navarra, with the participation of Jaume Pagés, CEO of Universia; Manuel J. López, president of CRUE (lecture of Rectors of Spanish Universities); and Lidia Borrell-Damián, director of research and Innovation of the European University Association (EUA).
The congress has been supported by institutions such as CRUE, Universia, the European Foundation Society and Education, Corporate Excellence, CASE, the British Council, World 100 Reputation Network and DIRCOM. The preparatory discussion paper or position paper has run to position of the sociologists Víctor Pérez-Díaz and Juan Carlos Rodríguez, precisely the Full Professor Pérez-Díaz has received this year the award National of Sociology and Political Science.