The Government of Aragon, through the Department of Education, Science and Universities, reaffirmed its commitment this Wednesday to the continuous improvement of the education system during the opening of the 19th Teaching Innovation and Educational Research Conference of the University of Zaragoza. The event is being held on Wednesday and Thursday at the University's Paraninfo under the theme A critical perspective on the academic and social impact of university teaching innovation.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from Luis Morellón, vice-rector for Academic Policy at the University of Zaragoza; Jacobo Cano, director of the Centre for Innovation, Training and Research in Educational Sciences (CIFICE); and José Luis Ferrando, director general of Educational Policy, Organisation, Equity and Training for the Government of Aragon.
The conference brings together 350 university lecturers from all fields of knowledge and 100 teachers from pre-university education in Aragon, accompanied by university students and students in vocational training programmes. During the opening ceremony, Ferrando highlighted the Government of Aragon's “decisive support” and the “very positive” period of relations between the two institutions.
POSTERS INITIATING STUDENTS INTO RESEARCH
As an example of this synergy, he highlighted the close cooperation between the Department of Education, the Vice-Rectorate for Academic Policy and the Vice-Rectorate for Digital Strategy and Artificial Intelligence. This is also reflected in the conference through the presentation of research initiation posters prepared by both UNIZAR teachers and educators from earlier stages of schooling.
“The relationship between the University and educational centres generates mutual benefits: schools gain access to up-to-date knowledge, while the University is enriched by learning about the real needs of classrooms,” Ferrando said. The director general of Educational Policy stressed that educational innovation only acquires its full meaning when it places students at the centre of learning. “Innovating is not about doing more things, but about doing them with purpose, direction and a defined roadmap,” he said.
The Department of Education promotes this ongoing innovation, aligned with research and delivering a real, measurable and transformative impact in classrooms. Thus, the joint commitment of teachers at all educational levels, both inside and outside the university environment, shows that Aragon is moving towards innovation that is “results-oriented and evidence-based,” Ferrando concluded.
