21 leaders of Marist Higher Education joining forces this week
Photos: Matheus Gomes
The X Assembly of the Marist International Network of Higher Education began on Tuesday, Apr 26. The event will last one week on the campus of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), in Porto Alegre (RS). In this edition, leaders of 21 Marist institutions will be discussing the theme Innovation, Development and Transformation.
Since the last face-to-face meeting, in 2019, in Lima, Peru, the Network has been remodeled. For this edition, the event will focus on scenarios, challenges and opportunities for higher education. Attendees will also share good practices, discuss and vote the Network’s strategic plan and operating model.
The program gives participants the chance to share and build things together. The first day had a number of presentations by the institutions in the group who discussed the context of the network. Br. Manuir Mentges, Senior Vice President of PUCRS and President of the Network’s Executive Board, opened the event and presented what will be done in the next few days.
After that, Br. Deivis Fischer, Provincial / President of the Brasil South-Amazon Province / Marist Network delivered a speech. He shared the local Marist history and talked about the regional context as something that brings these institutions together.
After that, Br. Evilázio Teixeira, President of PUCRS, who welcomed the leaders, reinforced the importance of the connection between the member institutions and introduced the University.
After the opening speeches, Br. Luís Carlos Guterres, Marist Institute’s General Vicar, addressed the commitment of Marist institutions to the construction of a more just and fraternal society. He presented the three dimensions of Marist higher education and invited participants to reflect. Move on with boldness, establish proactive actions and innovate with passion. There is a lot to be done in the network”, he said. “The topics that will be discussed here will be an opportunity for this construction”.
In the afternoon, Josep Miquel Piqué, president of La Salle Technova Innovation Park (Barcelona) and of the Catalan Network of Science Parks – XPCAT, made his presence felt. Piqué talked about the possibilities for innovation today. “Societies that encourage talent encourage society to move forward,” he said. “An entrepreneurial university is one that embraces innovation, talent and transformation in its surroundings”. He emphasized the need to have educational arenas connected with research and impact to address the problems of our time. “We only learn when we connect with a problem, when we connect with something that we are responsible for,” he said.
Inspired by the Piqué’s speech, Dr. Jorge Audy, Superintendent of Innovation and Development at Tecnopuc, and Ana Berger, Leader at Tecnopuc Crialab, delivered a presentation to design opportunities in the Network.
The group is expected to approve the governance models and the strategic projects that will be emphasized in the next stages. The new Executive Committee and new president are going to be elected.
The International Marist Network of Institutions of Higher Education (HEI) currently consists of 27 institutions that are in line with the General Administration of the Institute of the Marist Brothers , in Rome, seeking to connect with one another to accomplish its mission.
Being founded in 2004, this network intends to create opportunities for partnerships, training programs and joint projects, thus maximizing its activities in higher education in more than 10 countries.
Learn more about the Network here.
