Challenges and vision of the future
The IVth Meeting of the Council of Rectors and Representatives of the Marist International Network of Institutions of Higher Education was held in a Porto Alegre (Brasil). It brought together more than 40 representatives of Institutions of Higher Education from Brasil, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, Argentina, Spain and Peru.
The Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Mgr Dadeus Grings, opened the meeting. Among the participants, other than the delegates of the Institutions, there were the president of UMBRASIL, Br. Arlindo Corrent, the Provincial of Rio Grande do Sul, Br. Inácio Nestor Etges, Br. Josep Maria Soteras, Councillor General, and Br. Juan Miguel Anaya, of the Mission Bureau. Among the numerous challenges facing Universities or Institutions of Higher Education, we must underline that of educating global citizens, just, and capable of promoting social integration.
The proposal came from UNESCO and was emphasized in the opening address of Br. Joaquim Clotet, Rector of the PUC of Porto Alegre. Br. Joaquim spoke of the great challenges of the XX century, such as durability, diversity of opinions and the formation of responsable citizens and good professionals. He also underlined important characteristics for the universities of tomorrow, which must move towards scientific progress by means of research, partnership with the technology producing enterprises, teaching and the transmission of knowledge. « The University should be dynamic and take up its responsabilities vis-à-vis economic and social development » he said by way of conclusion.
The Rector of the PUC of Paraná, Br. Clemente Juliatto, spoke of the proposals of UNESCO, and José María Amigo, Director of the University School Cardenal Cisneros, presented some basic lines of Higher Education in Europe.