This new chair, result of an agreement between the Universitat de València and the Valencian Youth Institute (IVAJ), aims to promote the development of knowledge, research and innovation in issues related to youth policies.
The Chair will offer training, cultural, research and university extension activities aimed at the knowledge and permanent dissemination of the reality of young people and youth policies in the Valencian Community.
In particular, as stated in the collaboration agreement signed between UV and l'IVAJ, several measures are considered throughout 2022, such as the organisation of courses and training activities, seminars, research and conferences on youth issues; the implementation of joint research lines between the UV and the Valencian Youth Observatory; the promotion of technical-scientific meetings at national and international level; the execution of research work, transfer of results and PhD theses; and the promotion of publications on youth issues.
The UV-IVAJ Youth Chair will be directed by the professor of the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology of the Universitat de València, Paz Viguer Seguí. Dr. Viguer's research has focused on the field of Evolutionary Optimisation, especially dedicated to the study and promotion of optimal development. During her research career she has directed and participated in numerous research projects and has nearly fifty scientific publications. She has also made numerous contributions to society through the transfer of her work to the applied field. She has participated in more than 120 courses, conferences and national and international scientific meetings. She has signed nearly 25 agreements and contracts with public institutions and associations, which have yielded important results such as the creation of a local model for the prevention of violence and the promotion of coexistence that was adopted by the Catalan Government and implemented in various towns.
Following this line of work, professor Viguer is at the head of this new chair, which was created with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of the situation of young people in the Valencian Community, optimising policies and orienting them in relation to their needs. Furthermore, this chair will pay special attention to the training of youth professionals, as well as to reinforcing research in its field of action from a multidisciplinary perspective.
