La Salle Campus Madrid and La Salle Campus Barcelona have held the II La Salle University Conference, a meeting aimed at recognizing and renewing their Lasallian heritage while addressing key societal challenges such as cultural pluralism, the centrality of the person, sustainability, social justice, technological change, and the international dimension of education, among others. On April 9 and 10, the Madrid campus brought together professors, researchers, students, and university leaders to analyze the shared identity of La Salle institutions and reflect on how to guide the university mission in today’s context.
Throughout these two days, several sessions were held, sharing joint reflections on Lasallian identity, the role of educators and students, as well as the current challenges facing higher education. The two members of the organizing committee for the conference were Armando Pego and Brother José Andrés Sánchez.
The opening of the conference was led by Josep M. Santos, General Director of La Salle-URL in Barcelona, and Brother Maximiliano Nogales, President of La Salle Campus Madrid. Brother Maximiliano Nogales highlighted the importance of remaining faithful to what is essential, with the ability to build something common through everyday life experiences. Likewise, Josep M. Santos distinguished between the roles within the institution, stating that “the teacher elevates, the professor professes, and the educator cares,” emphasizing that their main mission must always be to care for people. This introduction led to the contribution of José María Pérez, FSC, who explored the institution’s historical development and its ongoing relevance.
On the first day, speakers included Óscar Arteaga, Iván Sánchez, Laura Rodríguez, Victoria Pont, Nicolás Garrido, Pilar Relaño, and David Badia. In this second edition of the conference, held two years after the first one in Barcelona, faculty and researchers reinforced the importance of staying true to Lasallian identity, highlighting accompaniment, curiosity, and collaboration as key drivers of growth within the university community.
On the second and final day, speakers included Cristina Rodríguez, Rosa Ma. Alsina, Alejandro Martínez, Elva Rodríguez, Javier García, Alfonso Gil, Alice Gravelle, Brother Jesús Félix Martínez, and Francesc Miralles. The different sessions addressed fraternity as the foundation of university life, research with social impact, and social commitment.
