The sixth edition of the Innova Forum brought together the educational community under the slogan "Towards a formative project center", highlighting the importance of a transformative Education as a pillar of Strategy 2025. 

This year, the event has counted with the special participation of Max Turull, who has shared his experience and knowledge about the concept and dimensions of a formative project university center, emphasizing the need for a seed of change in the higher Education .

In addition, the second edition of the Innova Awards was held, recognizing the transformative work of teachers at Education. This edition included a surprise: a fourth award voted by the public, thus encouraging participation and recognition among colleagues. (link with page Innova Awards )

After a well-deserved break, the forum gave way to a roundtable focused on the project formative center, addressing issues core topic raised by the community professor. Teachers from different areas discussed how to integrate the formal and informal teaching with the common goal of training professionals and responsible citizens, with a global vision and committed to serving society.

The importance of a cohesive team aligned with the values and objectives of the institution was another central theme, highlighting the vital role of all members of the university community in the process educational. It has been highlighted that the project is a living document that requires constant update to adapt to the changing needs of society and student body.

The forum concluded by reaffirming the University's commitment to a transformative Education , inviting all participants to continue to innovate and contribute to a relevant and adaptive educational culture, preparing students to face the challenges of the world with confidence and skill.

Last Thursday 9th, the University held a new edition of the Innova Forum, with the participation of more than 370 professors who shared ideas and experiences and reflected on the current and future teaching , this year, specifically on the competencies of university students.

The event was chaired by president, María Iraburu, who defined the meeting as "an excellent opportunity for professors to reflect, listen, share and feel part of a great project". She also fr amed it within the axis ofEducation Transforming of the University's Strategy 2025, which aims to seek learning beyond the acquisition of content. "We are looking for professionals who add up", whose incorporation into working life is "enriching for society", he said in his speech.

During the workshop also took place a roundtable in which several experts discussed the role of teachers in three moments core topic in the life of the student: entry into the University, stay during the programs of study and insertion into the world of work, under the prism of skills.

"Students have changed especially in the last promotions. It is important that we professors know the new profile of student body, although the challenge to "catch up" in terms of knowledge is theirs, because the university is for everyone."

Itziar Vélaz, professor at School of Sciences

"The concept of commitment and sense of belonging has changed. There is no longer loyalty to a business or a boss. Now what seduces are the values, not the brand. Recent graduates move for very brief projects, there is no concept of foresight: they are sponges of experiences." 

Roberto Cabezas, director of Career Services

"In the past, at the University, people went to classroom, to Library Services and that was the end of the university experience for many. It is important promote quality leisure, which is also part of the project educational and is framed within the model learning ."

Rosalía Baena, Vice President of Students

"In university classrooms, students develop a set of skills that will be useful for life. In addition to good documentation, we give them tools, contacts, websites, etc. in the sector of subject. In addition, they can always access specialized courses offered by the University."

Cristina Lacave, ISSA professor

"In the past, a very small percentage of the population went to university. Now it has grown and it is logical that there are worse students, but also better ones. And the good ones are very good. Now they are required to bring a series of knowledge from very diverse fields, but the time is the same as in the past. We have to think about what we want young people to learn. 

Alberto Arriazu, director of Navarro Villoslada High School

"It is important that business and university are united and agree on strategies. The university can draw inspiration and learn from business procedures so as not to lose sight of its objectives, and it is necessary for companies to rely on universities as source of knowledge and value creation."

María Antonia Otero, independent board member of Banca March

First Innova Awards

At the event, the Innova Awards were also presented for the first time, a award with which the Quality and Innovation Service wants to recognize the innovative work of teachers who, since the 2009-10 academic year, have launched more than 800 projects.

The award for the best disruptive project was awarded to the initiative "Bringing the concept of poverty closer to classroom through online games", directed by Isabel Rodríguez Tejedo, professor at School of Economics.

The award for the best collaborative project went to "research on historical references: a internship shared by Architecture students from the University of Navarra (Pamplona) and the UNCuyo (Mendoza, Argentina)", directed by María Angélica Rodríguez, professor at School of Architecture. 

Finally, "training Integral en Covid19", directed by the professors of the School of Medicine Leire Arbea, José Luis del Pozo and Jorge Quiroga Vila, won the award for the best transfer project .

presentation of the Universitas program

The Innova Forum also featured a discussion paper at position by José María Torralba, director of the Core Curriculum Institute. Under the degree scroll "Profession as service: how to define the profile of the graduate of each degree program?", he stressed that professional performance involves the whole person and that "one of its most characteristic features is the service mentality". He explained that the international programs of study on "professionalism" is increasingly unanimous in stating that "it is proper for every good professional not to limit himself to seeking his own interest in work", but to seek the good of those he serves. 

In this regard, Professor Torralba presented the Universitas Program, which is jointly promoted by the Quality and Innovation Service and the Institute Core Curriculum. His goal is to overcome an individualistic conception of the teaching and help each School to reflect on professional identity and learning models. The aim is to organize teaching by means of learning models that help students to develop their professional identity, i.e., to acquire the qualities of a good engineer, lawyer or teacher.

The Vice President of Office of Academic Affairs, Secundino Fernández, closed the Forum by stating that "competencies are behaviors and as such must call for action. They must be put on internship to become a habit and this, in virtue (order, curiosity, discipline...)". He also indicated that "professors are the backbone of the university and have a great responsibility: that of accompanying young people so that during university they acquire knowledge and wisdom, and contribute in a better way to society".

The IV Innova Forum brought together professors and academics in a face-to-face event that marks a hopeful return to educational normality. This meeting, focused on the concept of "Education Transforming", has been the axis of the 2025 strategy, proposing an enriching discussion on how to improve teaching and learning in the university environment.

A central discussion paper has been developed focused on the principles of a Education that seeks not only to transmit knowledge but also to transform students into committed and critical professionals and citizens.

One of the central parts of the forum was a roundtable where concrete experiences were shared in six areas core topic for the Education transforming from videos: internationalization Critical thinking, critical thinking, sense of service, competencies, student autonomy and integration of knowledge. Speakers from different areas of knowledge contributed their vision and practices, inspiring the attendees to apply a transformative approach in their subjects.

The forum concluded with a question and answer period, allowing a direct dialogue between speakers and attendees, and reaffirming the importance of the active participation of academic staff in the constant search for a teaching that transcends the traditional boundaries of classroom.

In 2018, the Quality and Innovation Service of the University of Navarra organized the first edition of the Innova Forum, with the goal to establish a place for meeting of all professors to reflect on improvement professor.

In the first edition of the Innova forum, the concept of Integrated Learning and how it can help students in their future careers through the integration of knowledge from different subjects and the promotion of strategies that form multidisciplinary teams is discussed in depth.

To innovate is to try to do things better day by day, to make new approaches or to improve the ones we already have. Training students to face social demands in a globalized world and multidisciplinary is a challenge B for our teaching.