The Social Council of the University of La Laguna presented the awards for the third edition of its annual honorary prizes yesterday afternoon, Thursday, June 22. The winner in the Best Internationalization Practice category was... International Master's Degree in Energy Decarbonization in Emerging Countries; in Knowledge Transfer from Research Groups the award winner was the Group on Diversity, Health and Education (DISAE); and in Teaching Excellence, the professor of Pharmacology received the distinction Emilio Sanz, while the professor from the Department of Didactics and Educational Research David López Aguilar, who was unable to attend the event, received an honorable mention.
The Vice-Rector for Culture and University Extension, Isabel León; the Rector, Francisco García; and the President of the Social Council, Dolores Pelayo.
The ceremony was presided over by the President of the Social Council, Dolores Pelayo, who highlighted the high quality of the nominations submitted, which posed a real challenge for the juries and also demonstrated the high level of expertise among the teaching and research staff of the University of La Laguna. She also noted that the trophy was designed by the renowned Tenerife sculptor José Abad.
The institution's rector, Francisco García, pointed out that the awards highlight three fundamental elements of the institution: teaching excellence, an award that communicates the commitment to quality education in a public institution that promotes studies with equal opportunities; knowledge transfer, in a region where investment in R&D&I is not abundant, making it necessary to value this activity; and internationalization, a fundamental element for the Canary Islands to connect with the global socio-economic landscape.
Award Winners
Benjamin Gonzalez
Benjamin Gonzalez, co-director of the International University Master's Degree in Energy Decarbonization in Emerging Countries, accepted the internationalization award explaining that this postgraduate degree represents the first international degree of the University of La Laguna, taught jointly with the University of Cape Verde in online mode, with face-to-face internships in centers such as the Technological Institute of Renewable Energies and the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands.
He highlighted the timeliness and relevance of this degree program, given the growing importance of the energy transition on the political agenda. This transition is accelerating the development of infrastructure projects whose design and maintenance require trained professionals, a demand this program addresses. He noted that this master's program, initially directed by Ricardo Guerrero, was made possible through a partnership between the academic institution and the Foreign Affairs Department of the Tenerife Island Council, and that its continuation is planned.
David Pérez Jorge
David Pérez Jorge, The coordinator of the Diversity, Health, and Education Group received the Research award and explained the lines of work they have developed to date. The first of these focuses on addressing special educational needs, with milestones such as their work with the deafblind community, which has resulted in the first diagnostic and intervention manual for this group. They have also established a postdoctoral training agreement with the European Research Institute, making the University of La Laguna the only Spanish institution with a similar agreement with this organization.
The second, more recent line of work focuses on health and education, specifically on an aspect that has received little attention from a multidisciplinary perspective: the mental health of young people. This is particularly relevant given that 50% of mental illness cases begin in the 14-year-old age group and that the Canary Islands has the highest incidence of these conditions. She noted that both lines of work are tools that promote the full inclusion of all students.
Emilio Sanz
Finally, Emilio Sanz He accepted the award for his teaching career, recalling that he has been a professor at the institution since 1982 and has witnessed the significant changes in the teaching and learning process. He explained that, as a student, knowledge was difficult to acquire, since books and journals were scarce or very expensive, making the lectures given by professors who had access to materials truly invaluable, and their notes were treasured for years.
Today, with the explosion of the internet, knowledge is ubiquitous, and the difficulty lies in distinguishing what is relevant from what is not, or even what is false. Therefore, while Sanz acknowledged that a truly traditional lecture still has value, he believes we must opt for teaching methodologies in which students are more active: placing the emphasis not on the transmission of knowledge, but on concepts and criteria for teaching how to learn.
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