Academic Fauna | Digital Processes

The title of this article is based on the famous comparative study conducted in 2004 by Dr. Francesc Pedro, a distinguished professor at the Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona). Currently, he is Director of IESALC, UNESCO’s International Institute for Higher Education Education in Latin America and the Caribbean. The vision of this award-winning innovator and maker of public policies in education is not only a European one, but also a global one for the academic profession in universities. Therefore, according to Pedro, the academic fauna is only a comparison with natural species in a double sense, on the one hand, the globalized character that increasingly shapes the academic profession in Europe, and the growing internal differentiation, just as it happens with natural species. That said, it seems necessary for us to reflect on this issue, which is crucial not only for Europe but for all universities in the world.

There is no doubt that the university as an institution is going through one of the most serious crises of our time, which should be seen as an excellent opportunity to strengthen its teaching, research, extension and linkage axes, while also adding another axis such as internationalization which is the mobility of students and professors, in order to improve the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and enrich the academic experience. In this sense and taking into account the results obtained by Professor Pedro in universities in a European context, but now applicable to the entire world, that is: the academic world must expand the salary range that exists in each university. category, develop recruitment formulas, require teaching certification, that is, university teachers must undergo long-term training to update their knowledge in order to improve and pass it on to students, optimize the autonomy of each university for the entire professorial department and something extremely important, ostensibly to improve not only the image of the university, but also the work within it and train a new generation of replacements, in terms of financial remuneration and career incentives, which are in exchange for a commitment to achieve the goals of each university axis of the current university.

An essential and even very dangerous aspect that universities all over the world experience is the budget problem. Without state or private support to achieve its goals and focus on its mission and vision, principles and values, it is difficult for a center of higher education to achieve better academic results. Today, some universities have budgets that are barely enough to pay professors, half of whom are full-time and the other half are hired on an hourly basis or, failing this, on professional service contracts. The above situation has not led to improvements in the faculty or students of any university, resulting in a huge gap and scarcity of knowledge in the labor field for graduates of different disciplines or specialties. The approach proposed by Dr. Pedro in his book is so broad that it does not leave out any details that involve universality in Europe. Based on the research conducted, he exposes in one of his chapters the existence of internal hierarchies and power relations. , the differences that usually exist between men and women, the qualifications for entering the university profession, the selection procedures, promotions, mobility and endogamy, leave of absence, etc.

Dr. Pedro, who now has a new understanding and perspective on the academic profession from Latin America, reminds us that “future teachers must experience firsthand what a quality and equitable education must look like in the 21st century. If this experience is not achieved in training centers, they become a profession that spreads traditional pedagogy under the guise of progressive discourse” and this therefore means that teacher training centers, especially the initial ones, as well as faculties of education, will become pioneers in the contexts that are relevant to them as educational institutions.

Another great task to be worked on, accomplished and achieved is undoubtedly the digital transformation of higher education. Times are changing cruelly, and other areas and tasks of society are changing when we least expect it. More than ever, the university in the 21st century is an entity facing great challenges and challenges, and therefore, it must be at the forefront and respond to the needs and requirements of private and public companies. On the contrary, universities can be replicating medieval, archaic and outdated practices, a situation that could relegate them further and further away from the top status of obtaining national and international accreditation and gaining the global recognition they deserve.

The 2022 World Education Conference discussed the future of higher education and global proposals, and discussed topics such as autonomy, which is seen as an opportunity that universities have to show their real work, presence and performance in a transparent way to the authorities and society at large. With financial, personnel, academic and organizational autonomy. Another major part is governance, focusing on building an academic, critical, intellectual and scientific community where each university recognizes the individual and collective capabilities of all its participants. In addition, the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda will surely be more effective and achievable with the participation of higher education institutions. In addition to this, there is a need to increase investment in science, technology and innovation to meet international standards and synergize the efforts of universities around the world.

In conclusion, it can be said that both in Europe and in the American continent, and especially in the Latin American region, efforts must be made to strengthen the role of universities as references and teachers in order to develop for countries a development agenda that benefits human life, as well as environmental protection, among others. We must respect the fields and disciplines of knowledge, not infringe on the space of those who do it very well, develop programs and projects aimed at promoting the mobility of students and teachers, in order to further globalize knowledge that is changing rapidly and drastically. The academic profession is respected and recognized for the determined efforts of each university professor. We should promote the values ​​of science, technology and innovation, especially the efforts made by all universities in developed and developing countries to improve the quality of higher education. No one, except within universities, governments and private companies, believes that academic work should be improved, trained and encouraged to achieve an excellent academic profession that is evident in university missions and publicly displayed in every society where higher education exists. The existence of the Center is that it is by respecting teachers and providing them with opportunities that we can achieve better results in the training of competent and competitive professionals for the 21st century.