Category: News

During the closing and presentation of the results of the Project “Professional Development in Competition Intercultural in Higher Education Institutions America Latin America and the Caribbean (PROFIC), Nelson Zárate, rector of the Technological University of El Salvador (UTEC), co-coordinator of the project, local partner and host of the event, reported that PROFIC has allowed UTEC to participate and develop more than 40 international projects with partners from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Asia.

He indicated that PROFIC has not only strengthened the projects of internationalization of the beneficiary universities in Argentina, El Salvador and Mexico, but also has impacted their academic and student communities, who have benefited from the co-financing of projects, in addition to the lessons learned, said Zárate.

He also added that this project encouraged interculturality, which is a key factor for coexistence.
between different societies, promoting the values ​​of tolerance, respect and solidarity, which
they contribute to what they want to call global citizenship, regarding the identity and rights of peoples.
In his intervention, Dane Lukic, coordinator of the PROFIC project and researcher at Glasgow Caledonian
University (GCU), asserted that this initiative seeks to break down myths and prejudices in competitions
intercultural in which they work with teachers to provide the necessary tools to their students.
students to work, study and live with different cultures and use the cultural diversity of their
environment as an advantage for innovation.
For his part, Roberto Escalante Semerena, general secretary of the Latin American University Union
and the Caribbean (UDUAL), described the PROFIC project as one more step in an issue of great relevance for the
society and for universities, he indicated that globalism and nationalism are anticultural, since they do not
promote cultural integration and regretted that universities do not teach how to be interculturally
able.
“For UDUAL, the main function of the university is to promote society as a whole and work in
favor of the most unprotected in LAC, is to be socially relevant and useful to solve problems
therefore, this project has a fundamental significance for LAC, all of us who participate
we are committed to using what we have learned in this project to go much deeper into
what Latin American and Caribbean universities need to do to say we are culturally fair
and equitable”, assured Escalante.
While Rubén Javier Ruffi Gómez, Argentina’s ambassador to El Salvador, stressed that the objectives
of PROFIC are designed specifically for the times that are currently lived in LAC, as
are the inequalities that affect the most vulnerable sectors: children, women, communities
LGTBI+, older adults “the depth of these inequalities has been revealed and it is
Given this, we must develop, both from the public governmental sphere, and from the academy
and society as a whole, the deconstruction of stereotypes, which will allow us to achieve a profound
socio-cultural transformation, it is a fundamental issue for us to advance in true equality
that it is a human rights issue and an essential condition for social justice.
Argentina understands that higher education is a human and social right and that it must be guaranteed,
he concluded it.
Also participating in the event were Francois Roudie, ambassador of the European Union; Mario Raphael Olmos
Argueta, rector of the Don Bosco University (UDB); Ricardo Cardona, Deputy Minister of Education Words of
representative Ministry of Science and Technology (MINEDUCYT) Republic of El Salvador; Maria Yarosh of the
University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Valeria Suárez, from the National University of La Plata, Argentina; Pink
Idalia Ramírez, from the Technological University of El Salvador; Thomas Peschken of the Glasgow Caledonian
University, UK; Elena Golovushkina, from the National University of La Plata, Argentina, and Francois
Roudie, ambassador of the European Union in El Salvador.

Is the academic field culturally diverse?: It is a question that she raises and that turns into the search for solutions of the project. (Interview)

She also tells us about the implementation in the practical field within her home institution and the good acceptance that the results of the project have had.

The Directorate of International Relations belonging to the Secretariat of Institutional Relations of the UNLP organized, together with the Glasgow Caledonian (United Kingdom) and Helwan (Egypt) universities, a webinar on professional development of intercultural competences, within the framework of the Erasmus+ PROFIC project financed by the European Union. La Abog. Agostina Curcio, director of the International Relations area of ​​the UNLP, and Dr. Dane Lukic, researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University and coordinator of PROFIC, spoke about concepts related to interculturality. At first, Lukic referred to the various “layers of culture” and how they impact relationships with peers, and then addressed the most frequent misconceptions observed in those who begin to deepen the study of interculturality. For his part, Curcio presented the progress of the ERASMUS + KA2 PROFIC project, of which the UNLP is a part together with the Glasgow Caledonian University, emphasizing the benefits generated by the implementation of the initiative with teachers, management and administrative staff of the UNLP, who participated in the different workshops developed between March and April of this year, with the commitment to continue developing action plans to strengthen the theme in the academic units. Likewise, activities were proposed with the attendees through walls of the Padlet application in order to promote direct interaction. In closing, the participants commented on concerns about the implementation of intercultural competencies in the various contexts and roles of university actors.

On Wednesday, June 30, the Directorate of International Relations under the Secretariat of Institutional Relations of the UNLP, through its Director, Abog. Agostina Curcio participated in the presentation of the 2nd Symposium on Cross-Border Education: joint development of intercultural competence, within the framework of the ERASMUS + PROFIC project, co-financed by the European Union. 130 people from different institutions in Latin America and Europe participated, especially from the twelve entities that are part of the project: Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL): University of Guadalajara (UdG) and Universidad Veracruzana (UV), from Mexico; National University of Córdoba (UNC), National University of La Plata (UNLP) and National University of Lanús (UNLa), from Argentina; Guglielmo Marconi University (USGM), from Italy; University of Deusto (UD), from Spain; Technological University of El Salvador (UTEC) and Don Bosco University (UDB), from El Salvador; and University of Groningen (RUG), from the Netherlands.
At the opening, the Project Coordinator, Dr. Dane Lukic, and Abog. Agostina Curcio described the scope of the already implemented phases of the program (workshop and community stage) and the results.
Then, three panels were presented with representatives from all the universities that participated in the project. The main achievements and challenges involved in the implementation of the pilot program on intercultural competences PROFIC were presented. Likewise, experiences, reflections and ideas were exchanged to be applied in the labor spheres within the universities, whether in teaching, non-teaching or management functions, among others. One of the moderators was Dr. Elena Golovushkina, professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the UNLP.
Also, local facilitators from the seven Latin American universities of the project were part of the panels, who shared their experiences of supporting the learning of the participants during the community stage of the program.
Finally, a space for debate was provided on the sustainability of professional development in intercultural competence.

The event aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of developing intercultural professional competence in the context of higher education. The 2nd Symposium will show the current activities of the PROFIC Project based on the implementation of a professional development program in 7 Latin American universities.

The PROFIC consortium piloted the first training workshop together with university colleagues from their institutions.

During 3 weeks in March, a group of participants from seven PROFIC partners will participate in six training workshops as part of the workshop phase of the professional development programme. The workshop stage includes both synchronic and asynchronic activities delivered through a Moodle platform provided by PROFIC. The objectives of this stage are to reflect on intercultural competence and how it relates to the practices of academic and administrative staff. The workshops will be coordinated by international and local facilitators and carried out during these three weeks simultaneously at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Argentina), Universidad Nacional de Lanús (Argentina), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina), Universidad Don Bosco (El Salvador), Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador (El Salvador), Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico), Universidad Veracruzana(Mexico). The workshop phase addresses several learning objectives in the development of individual and pedagogical intercultural competence, the support of intercultural competence and the professional practice of reflection on the development of IC. Once this stage is concluded, a community phase will take place in May. During this phase, participants from all the universities will exchange experiences. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative work, participative learning and reflection around intercultural issues experienced by the participants throughout their work. Activities will be carried out on the Moodle platform with some synchronous sessions. The purpose of this phase is to continue with the development of intercultural competences and to develop action plans in order to implement the knowledge and skills acquired by working with students and colleagues in the next phase. Following the PROFIC Learning Programme, a third phase will be piloted in LA HEIs. During this final phase, staff who attended the training will implement knowledge gained from the PROFIC Learning Programme in their work.

The International Relations Directorate of UNLP started the Workshop on competencies
intercultural, within the framework of the ERASMUS + PROFIC project, co-financed by the European Union.
This initiative seeks to strengthen and promote the development of these skills in the community
university.
The first virtual workshop was attended by 20 attendees from the different units
academics and members of the International Relations Department, it was also led by the
Dr. Dane Lukic, researcher at C– GCU- based in London and
Project coordinator. During the meeting, the E-LEARNING Program was formally presented
PROFIC, prepared by the institutions that are part of the consortium, discussed in detail the
objectives of this initiative and various practical activities were carried out with the active intervention
of the participants through the zoom platform.
In the coming weeks, the 6 virtual workshops that make up this
intensive workshop, as well as asynchronous activities through Moodle. Subsequently
will begin the stage called Community Stage, during which experiences will be exchanged,
witness cases, etc., will be presented with participants from other national and foreign institutions
on an online platform. Finally, the participants are expected to elaborate a small
project or activity to put into practice what was learned in the workshop and help students or colleagues
to develop their intercultural skills.
The ERASMUS + PROFIC project was selected by the European Union and started in February 2019.
Its purpose is to research, develop and put into practice a curricular program and
holistic, personalized, flexible and reflective professional who will provide institutions of
higher education in Latin America greater knowledge and tools to train
professionals with intercultural skills.

27th of May 2022

Dr Dane Lukic, PROFIC Coordinator, gave a session on Intercultural Skills in the framework of a workshop on Soft Skills organised by Guglielmo Marconi University

PROFIC presented to Palestinian Universities On Friday the 27th of May 2022, Dr Dane Lukic, PROFIC Coordinator, gave a session on Intercultural Skills in the framework of a workshop on Soft Skills organised by Guglielmo Marconi University, partner in the REACH (Reinforcing access to cross border employment at Palestinian higher education institutions) project (http://reach.iugaza.edu.ps/). REACH is an Erasmus Plus Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education project, coordinated by the Islamic University of Gaza and it aims at enhancing the capacity of Palestinian Universities in promoting cross-border employability of their students and graduates. The workshop, hosted by Guglielmo Marconi University, has been an opportunity for discussing the importance of Intercultural Competencies for University professionals, get the workshop participants involved in the Healing-Wheel Cycle of Stereotyping game and introducing them to the PROFIC project, highlighting its main results, like the Learning Programme and the Toolkit. It was an engaging, interesting, and interactive session, where more than 25 Palestinian Universities’ professors and staff members debated on prejudices and stereotypes, questioned about intercultural conflicts experiences at their universities and wondered on the potential support that the PROFIC experience might provide to their local.