He La Gomera Campus 2026, The initiative, promoted by the University of La Laguna, the Island Council of La Gomera and the General Foundation of the academic institution, hosted the second edition of El on the afternoon of Friday, June 12. Tagoror of Knowledge. This activity, held in the Plenary Hall of the Vallehermoso Town Hall, is conceived as an academic and social meeting space intended to disseminate the knowledge generated by university students linked to the island.
This initiative aims to establish itself as a permanent forum within the La Gomera 2026 Campus, providing a platform for undergraduate theses, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations to gain visibility and knowledge transfer to the wider community. It promotes the use of accessible language to bring scientific content to a broad and diverse audience, thereby facilitating knowledge transfer beyond the strictly academic sphere and reinforcing the interdisciplinary nature of the event.
The event was attended by the Vice-Rector for Culture and University Extension of the University of La Laguna, Isabel León; the Education Councillor of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Rosa Elena García; the Mayor of Vallehermoso, Emiliano Coello; the Director of the University Extension Secretariat, Abel López; and the Director of the Secretariat of Cultural Development and Library, Isabel Castells, among the presence of representatives of the municipality's town hall.
Abel López introduced the event, highlighting the successful enrollment of the Campus La Gomera program, with over 200 people in the first few weeks, and expressing his gratitude for the students' enthusiastic participation in sharing their research and making it accessible to the community. He then gave the floor to Emiliano Coello, who appreciated the choice of the municipality for this activity, a region that has also contributed knowledge through the academic work of its residents, one of whom was one of the afternoon's featured speakers.
Next, Rosa Elena García emphasized the importance of creating a broader educational and social initiative than the La Gomera Summer University, with courses and workshops running from May to November. “The aim has been to develop the training at a more relaxed pace and to allow participants to enjoy the courses more fully across the island, whereas previously they were concentrated in just fifteen days. The Tagoror de Saberes (Knowledge Gathering) is one of its most significant activities, as it facilitates the return of knowledge from young people to the island,” she highlighted. Finally, Isabel León emphasized the support provided by the university's teaching and research staff to the six individuals who are bringing their academic work to the island “as a gift,” in diverse areas of knowledge: humanities, social sciences, and health sciences.
La Gomera as an object of study
The first paper presented was the final degree project, "The Demographic Reconfiguration of La Gomera (1940–1991): Causes, Internal Movements, and Emigration," by Daniel Ventura Sierra, a History graduate from Vallehermoso. Based on an analysis of municipal censuses, he explained how the agricultural crisis of the 1960s spurred a shift in the economic model, favoring tourism and construction development in the south of the island. This process led to internal displacement and emigration to Tenerife and Venezuela, with subsequent returns primarily to southern La Gomera and Tenerife.
Roberto Noel Rodríguez Covián, from the Master's Program in Nautical Management and Maritime Transport, presented part of his Master's Thesis, 'Specific Training for Navigation in Areas with the Presence of Cetaceans'. This merchant marine captain from Asturias explained that his experience in the waters off La Gomera since 2022 led him to become concerned about the deadly impact of vessel collisions on cetaceans, prompting him to develop an ethical navigation model that takes marine biodiversity into account.
His work outlines three lines of action: education, technological development, and operational measures of a legislative nature, giving a central role to training. He proposes specific programs for nautical schools, an initiative that will begin to be implemented next year in one undergraduate and one master's degree course at the Nautical, Marine Engineering, and Naval Radioelectronics Section of the University of La Laguna, a pioneering initiative worldwide in this discipline.
Mayte Asencio Chinea, a Spanish graduate, presented her final degree project, "Linguistic Attitudes and Perceptions of La Gomera Residents Regarding Their Own Variety: A Pilot Study," based on a small sample of the island's population. The research analyzed how the island's native population values their linguistic variety, revealing insecurities stemming from the perceived correctness of certain dialectal features outside the island. This variety is traditionally associated with stereotypes of rurality and informal speech, and is perceived by more than half of the respondents as a less prestigious form of Spanish. The study observed the increasing use of forms like "ustedes van" (you all go) compared to traditional variants such as "vosotros vais" (you all go) or "vos vais" (you go), a shift primarily driven by the younger population, influenced by mobility for studies or work, and by factors associated with globalization.
The next work presented was the Master's Thesis 'Guido Kolitscher Through Color: Identity, Landscape, and Emotion in the Work of a Contemporary Artist from La Gomera,' by Sarah Vázquez Rodríguez, from the Master's Program in Theory and History of Art and Cultural Management. Based on an analysis of interviews with the Austrian artist himself, who has lived in La Gomera since the 1970s, and a bibliography that has not been updated since 2004, the study focused on Kolitscher's printmaking, a discipline that has received little attention in research and to which he dedicated himself from 1974 onwards. He used iron plates instead of the traditional copper plates and featured landscapes of the island as his primary subject. The artist also designed the posters for the Lustral Festivals from before 1988 until 2023.
Tribute to Guido Kolitscher.
After Vázquez's presentation, one of the most emotional moments of the evening took place: when Guido Kolitscher, who was also present in the Plenary Hall, received recognition from the organizing institutions for his enormous contribution to the art and culture of La Gomera with his extensive work.
Luis Arteaga Mora, a graduate in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, shared some insights from his final degree project, "Critical Analysis of the Basic Foods of the Traditional Canarian Diet: Nutritional Assessment and Dietary Considerations." Through seven famous Canarian dishes, Arteaga introduced the importance of applying sustainability criteria, prioritizing local products and minimizing the ecological footprint, in contrast to the influence of ultra-processed products in the current Western diet, which pose significant health risks to the island population. The graduate concluded that the Canarian diet has potential as a dietary model due to its substantial nutritional contributions, reducing fats in dishes like carne fiesta (a traditional Canarian stew), and balancing dishes with more vegetables and legumes, such as watercress stew, sancocho (a hearty stew), and puchero (a traditional Canarian stew).
The presentations conclude with Alba Herrera Rodríguez, a predoctoral researcher at the University of La Laguna, presenting her doctoral thesis, "Risk and Protective Factors for Well-being in Adolescence: A Differential Analysis Based on Gender." Drawing on the dual perspectives of social work and psychology, and following interdisciplinary gender studies on mental health and well-being, Herrera's research analyzes how social media use influences the construction of identity and daily life among adolescents. The study is based on a sample of 331 adolescents aged 11 to 19 from La Gomera: 149 boys and 178 girls.
Culture among Terraces
The program continued on Saturday, June 13th, with the second edition of "Culture Among the Terraces," which began at 6:00 PM in the Plaza de la Constitución in Vallehermoso with the opening of Aday Niebla's photographic exhibition, inaugurated the previous afternoon next to the Tagoror de Saberes (Knowledge Gathering). At 7:00 PM, a Canarian wine tasting workshop took place, an activity that introduced participants to the richness and diversity of the archipelago's viticulture through an understanding of its soils. The program concluded with a film screening about wine, followed by a discussion designed to encourage debate and reflection among the attendees.
These activities are part of the Campus La Gomera 2026 program, which includes a dozen specialized courses on diverse topics, as well as practical workshops, field trips, and new university micro-credentials. The project thus reinforces its commitment to bringing university education, research, and culture closer to all residents of La Gomera, fostering spaces for encounter and shared learning in different municipalities across the island.
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