The Universitat de València starts its Seasonal Universities 2021 programme with 20 editions that guarantee its presence in all the regions of the territory. After a year in which mobility restrictions concentrated most of the sessions in one term, the initiative recovers its link with the seasons of the year and maintains its thematic distribution and its blended learning character.
The Universitat de València (UV) -through the Vice-principal for Territorial Projection and Society- starts its extensive and interesting Seasonal Universities 2021 programme, with the celebration of 20 editions in as many localities, which guarantee the presence in all the province's regions both inland and coastal. The Seasonal Universities recover their link with the season of the year that gives them their name, after a year marked by mobility restrictions due to the pandemic, which forced to concentrate the celebration of most of them in the last quarter, in order to make possible the challenge of holding 20 editions, for the first time, in 2020.
In 2021, these conferences, free and open to citizens of all ages, also maintain the distribution by thematic areas, reflecting the transversality of knowledge of the UV in the territory and the plurality of topics studied by many of its specialists in the various campuses. And also the semi-attendance, which was promoted last year through the incorporation of the online link, which allows the sessions to be followed by streaming and contributed to achieving an unprecedented success in terms of participation, by facilitating attendance for all those interested regardless of their location, with over a hundred attendees in all the sessions and doubling this figure in some cases. As in 2020, the UV will facilitate registration through the website (http://projeccio.uv.es) and will provide the corresponding certificate of attendance in both cases.
The UV, loyal to its commitment to the territory and local Valencian society, has promoted this academic action, which it organises with the city councils of each locality and in collaboration with the Diputación de València and Caixa Popular, and, in the case of the UTO of Ontinyent, with Caixa d'Ontinyent and the Fundació Universitaria Vall d'Albaida. The aim of the Seasonal Universities is to promote debate on a monographic theme linked to the singularity of each geographical area, taking into account its particular idiosyncrasy, history and culture, under the coordination of a specialist in the subject and, in this way, to strengthen the symbiosis between university, territory and society.
The UV's Principal, María Vicenta Mestre, stressed that the Seasonal Universities are "the best example of the UV's commitment to get closer to the territory and work together in the dissemination of teaching and training, raise current issues that interest society and reach the largest number of people".
20 Seasonal Universities, 4 stations and 3 thematic areas
The Seasonal Universities programme will begin with the two Winter Universities: Cofrentes and Requena. The Cofrentes conference will be held this Thursday, 25th March, under the title 'Longevity and well-being in the rural environment. Quality of life and future'; and the one in Requena, on Monday 29 March, to debate on 'Chemistry in vinification. Lights and shadows of wine'.
The Spring Seasonal Universities will start their sessions with the Seasonal University of Alzira, which will analyse, on 23rd April, 'Valencian biodiversity in the face of the challenge of global change'. The Seasonal University of Cullera will debate, on 29th April, 'A look at heritage and tourism under the sea'; the Seasonal University of Xàtiva, on 13th May, 'Governance and management of cultural tourism'; the Seasonal University of Sagunto, on 20th May, 'Consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on women and girls'; the Seasonal University of the Canal de Navarrés, on 28th May, 'Rural development against depopulation in inland municipalities'; the Seasonal University of Alto Turia, on 11th June, 'From the territorial resource to the tourist product in a biosphere reserve'; and the Seasonal University of the Rincón de Ademuz, on 21st June, 'Rural landscapes: Sustainable tourism products'.
The Seasonal Summer Universities will start on 7th July with the Seasonal University of Aras de los Olmos, whose main topic will be 'Botany and rural development'. The Seasonal University of Gandia will debate, starting on 12th July, on 'Changes. A kaleidoscopic look'; and the Seasonal University of Sagunto, on 15th September, on 'Sagunto: World Heritage. Between myth and cultural legacy'.
The Autumn Seasonal Universities will close the 2021 programme. The Seasonal University of Alaquàs will open the cycle on 7th October, with the topic 'La Huerta en la encrucijada: algunas decisiones históricas cruciales' (The Huerta at the crossroads: some crucial historical decisions). The Seasonal University of Buñol, on 15th October, will be entitled 'Buñol. Cultural heritage. Music as an engine of social change'; the Seasonal University of l'Eliana, on 21st October, 'Smart cities: technology and citizenship'; the Seasonal University of Oliva, on 27th October, 'Education: Equal and diverse'; the Seasonal University of Llíria, on 29th October, 'Music as an educational tool for social transformation'; the Seasonal University of Ayora, on 4th November, 'Challenges and threats of beekeeping in the 21st century'; the Seasonal University of Enguera, from 11th November, 'Professions of the future and healthy living in a global and sustainable world'; and the Seasonal University of Ontinyent, from 23rd November, 'Times of transformations'.
The Seasonal Universities will debate this year 2021 on multiple aspects linked to each territory around three thematic areas: 'Historical and Cultural Heritage' (Cullera, Xàtiva, Sagunto, Alaquàs, Buñol and Ayora); 'Education and Social Well-being' (Cofrentes, Sagunto, Llíria, Oliva, Enguera and Ontinyent); and 'Biodiversity, Development and Territorial Innovation' (Requena, Alzira, la Canal de Navarrés, Alt Túria, Rincón de Ademuz, Aras de los Olmos, Gandia and L'Eliana).
