Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health
The event was organized by Alberto Hurtado University, the University of Chile, Diego Portales University and the Metropolitan Technological University and sponsored by the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH).
The seminar will take place on October 11, 12, and 13 and aims to mark a turning point in how coexistence is addressed in university settings. The event is open to the public, but prior registration is required. HERE.
With a community-based, inclusive, and non-sexist approach, the First University Coexistence Seminar aims to become a space for discussion among different communities, challenging the policies and methods used to address coexistence in higher education institutions.
The activity, open to the public, will address various theoretical elements, share good institutional practices, and discuss policies and intervention experiences, so that through dialogue between different communities, coexistence can be improved.
It is worth noting that this important seminar will have three dates, covering four different thematic areas, each of them developed through talks and panels given by national and international speakers.
Axis 1: Discontent in university life. Whose responsibility is it?
The first part of this Seminar will take place on Wednesday, October 11th at the facilities of the Alberto Hurtado University (Almirante Barroso N°10, Santiago) starting at 09:00 hrs.
The theme of this axis will allow us to reflect on what we understand as university coexistence, how the approach to this theme is articulated in the different university communities, considering in the same way the frameworks of understanding and intervention.
On this first date, the main international talk will be titled “Towards a fair and effective management of university coexistence”, led by Dr. Mara Hernández, associate professor of the Office of the University Ombudsman for Equality and Attention to Gender Violence (UNAM), followed by an expanded panel where the frameworks for addressing and understanding university coexistence will be discussed.
This first day also includes an inter-committee panel of the CRUCH, so that the authorities can open the reflection on such crucial areas as coexistence, mental health, gender equality and the connection with the environment, and the necessary dialogue between them, given their intersection and interconnection in university life.
To conclude this section, the panel will be held. “Articulation of approaches to university coexistence”, in which, through the participation of different units and key actors of the university communities, the aim is to highlight the importance of collaborative and transdisciplinary work to overcome the challenges of university coexistence.
Axis 2: Scope and limits of punitivism in addressing university coexistence
This second event will take place on October 12th, at the Diego Portales University (Vergara N°324, Santiago) starting at 09:00 hrs.
The objective of this section is to address the scope, relevance, and outcomes of institutional sanction mechanisms in cases where university coexistence and its various dimensions are compromised. It will also explore limitations and unresolved issues, paving the way for alternative and complementary perspectives on conflict intervention and resolution.
It will begin with the keynote address “Feminist debates on punitivism: aspirations of university community and transformation”, led by national guest Dr. Lelya Troncoso, from the ATE220009 Ring Project Dissonances, Community, University, and Feminist Irruption, which will follow the panel “Alternative and complementary experiences based on the scope and limitations of sanctioning tools in addressing coexistence”, an instance in which the participants will review the conflict resolution methods of the communities.
Following this interesting panel, a practical, in-person workshop will be held, exclusively for students, with limited spaces, led by Dr. Mara Hernández, including a community lunch, in order to exchange experiences and generate working and organizational links.
Axis 3: Social coexistence, participation and community
The third part of the Seminar will be on October 12th, at the facilities of the Metropolitan Technological University (Dieciocho #390, Santiago), starting at 3:00 PM.
This section of the Seminar will reflect on the co-construction of community in universities, the links with the environment and their contribution to social coexistence, considering the public role of universities, looking at it from a formative perspective through methodologies linked to citizenship, participation and the development of territories.
It will begin with the keynote address “Biographical knowledge and social coexistence: Understanding our past to project the future”, The presentation was given by regional guest Dr. Boris González López, Director of Student Development at UPLA and former Director General of Community Engagement at the same institution. The panel then began. “Contributions of universities to social coexistence”, in which various work experiences associated with coexistence, promotion of participation and connection with the communities of the territory or environment will be shared, with a focus on civic and integral training.
This day at UTEM will end with a space for coexistence and encounter, where the aim is to share around art, culture and collective reflection.
Axis 4: Mental health and university coexistence
The final session of the Seminar will be on October 13th, at the Central House of the University of Chile (Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins N°1058, Santiago), between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
This day will address the implications of mental health and community relations in university life and will share innovative experiences in the management of this topic, through a round table in which various voices from research and intervention organizations, as well as student experiences linked to mental health, will discuss.
The Seminar will conclude with a synthesis of the reflections shared during the three days of execution, along with the discussion of the challenges for higher education institutions regarding university coexistence.
It is worth noting that each day will feature the participation of the authorities of the respective educational institutions organizing the event, along with an artistic and cultural exhibition, developed by the university communities themselves.
Text: Alberto Hurtado University, University of Chile, Diego Portales University and Metropolitan Technological University
Photo: CRUCH
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