Madrid, December 11, 2024 – On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the Transnational Conference of the HELCI Project (Higher Education Learning Community for Inclusion), co-financed by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, was held in the Assembly Hall of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation. The event brought together 45 people, including representatives from six universities and various national and international institutions committed to equality and non-discrimination.
The institutional opening included outstanding speeches by Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, Secretary of State for Migration, who highlighted the value of the project within the framework of human rights and the new immigration regulations in Spain. Lucía Sala Silveira, General Director of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, recalled the history of the Residencia de Señoritas as a symbol of educational commitment to equality, and Marta Gutiérrez Sastre, Vice Chancellor of the University of Salamanca, underlined the challenges still faced by universities in the inclusion of racialized and gypsy groups. Irina Vasiliu, representative of the European Commission in Spain, reaffirmed the role of universities as guarantors of European democratic values and highlighted the impact of HELCI in promoting diversity and inclusion.
The main conference, entitled “The challenge of universities in the face of human rights”, was given by Dr. Claribel de Castro Sánchez, professor of International Public Law at UNED, who insisted on the need for a transformative education that places human dignity at the center of the university ideology.
The round tables addressed key issues such as diverse university communities, gender equity, institutional racism and affective-sexual diversity. Speakers included Dr. Fernando Barbosa (UCM), Dra. Arancha Elizondo (UPV), Dr. Miguel Ángel López Sáez (URJC), Dra. Elena Segarra y Lisa Tackie (Universidad de Viena), Inga Jasiūnienė (Mykolas Romeris University), Carmen Girón (OBERAXE) and Dr. Kerman Calvo (USAL), among others.
Dr. Concha Antón, coordinator of the HELCI Project, presented the results of the project, including the development of four MOOCs on human rights, gender equity, affective-sexual diversity and ethnic diversity, as well as the development of a roadmap for inclusive universities.
The conference concluded with a very positive assessment by the attendees, as reflected in the results of the satisfaction survey: 100% of those who responded considered that they improved their knowledge of the topics covered, with an average score of 4,75 out of 5.
The recording of the event is available on the official channel of the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kp4qpbT_VE