IQS was represented at the congress by Núria Agulló and Paulo Milanesio, heads of the University Social Responsibility Unit (USR), who attended the congress on behalf of the institution and also as active members of the Service-Learning Network of Catalan Universities (ApS UCat) and the UNISERVITATE programme, the global network promoting solidarity-based service-learning in Catholic Higher Education institutions.
IQS Reinforces Its Commitment to Service-Learning at the 13th National and 7th International University Service-Learning Congress
From April 22 to 24, IQS was present at the 13th National and 7th International University Service-Learning Congress, held in Bilbao and jointly organized at the campuses of Mondragon Unibertsitatea, the University of the Basque Country, and the University of Deusto. The event brought together the academic community committed to Service-Learning (SL) as a tool for educational innovation and social transformation.
The congress welcomed more than 280 registered participants and over 150 contributions in the form of papers and posters, cementing its status as a key forum for the exchange of experiences, academic reflection, and the building of partnerships among universities from different countries. In this context, the event allowed IQS to present projects driven by its faculty and students, learn about other initiatives underway at European universities, expand its collaboration network, and work in parallel on the future of the networks it belongs to.
Papers Presented by IQS
Two Service-Learning experiences developed at IQS were presented at the congress. The first, entitled Science with Purpose: Educational Capsules for Social Equity, focuses on the creation of science educational videos aimed at young people from working-class neighbourhoods in Bogotá, Colombia, in collaboration with the local organisation Sotavento. The project puts scientific knowledge at the service of educational equity and was developed by IQS faculty members Alejandra Beltrán, Francesc Guix, Xavier Ortiz, Jordi Cuadros, Oriol Quintana and Llorenç Puig.
The second experience presented was Science Communication and Social Commitment: SL in STI Education, an initiative aimed at improving sexual health education and access to rigorous information on sexually transmitted infections among adolescents and young people, in the face of persistent myths and misinformation. The project was developed by IQS professors Patricia González Sáenz and Núria Agulló Chaler, from the Materials Engineering Group (GEMAT), and Núria Golet Pascual.
IQS’s participation in this congress reinforces the institution’s commitment to university education with social impact, integrating teaching, research and service to society, and consolidating its active role in the national and international networks that promote Service-Learning as a driver of change and social responsibility.