The 7th UAB Service-Learning Conference merges with the Arcadi Oliveres Awards to recognize talent with social impact

This conference, organized by the Autonomous Solidarity Foundation and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, with the support of the Barcelona City Council, has become a space to give visibility to university talent with social impact. These awards highlight research projects by UAB students that respond to the needs of today’s society and contribute to global justice from within the university. The awarded Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects stand out for their ability to analyze contemporary issues and propose solutions with direct impact.

The event was divided into three parts: first, a roundtable discussion was held; next, the two awards ceremonies took place; and finally, there was a Fair of organizations for service-learning projects.

The event was hosted by Maria Bouabdellah, journalist and UAB alumna, who introduced the first speaker, the Vice-Rector for Studies and Quality at UAB, Ramon Vilanova, who welcomed attendees by highlighting the need for Service-Learning (SL) within the university context: “Learning methods are increasingly being questioned, and SL helps give more meaning to everything the university currently does.”

The conference continued with the roundtable From Knowledge to Action: Alumni Voices for Global Justice, featuring Alaaddine Azzouzi, journalist at 3Cat and anti-racist activist, and Gisela Torrents, environmental scientist and climate activist. Both UAB alumni shared reflections on activism, critical education, and collective responsibility in a debate moderated by Òscar Tercero, a student at the Faculty of Communication Sciences and writer for UAB Mèdia. 

Azzouzi denounced the dehumanization present both locally and globally: “There is a lot of individualism and dehumanization of people. At the local level, for example, with the difficulties of establishing a mosque in a town; and globally, with the genocide in Gaza.” He also emphasized the transformative role of the university: “The university has the duty to engage and to motivate students toward critical thinking.”

For her part, Torrents defended the need to democratize environmental discourse: “It is very important to continue talking about environmentalism for everyone, while maintaining circles of empathy with the rest of the planet.” She added: “To move from the individual to the collective, we must situate and focus ourselves: on our social class, the place we occupy in the world, and our environmental impact. I encourage that, once we situate ourselves, we think about imaginable futures where we would like to live and where there is a fair distribution of resources.”

After a break, a video of Arcadi Oliveres was shown, a professor at UAB for 36 years and an activist for peace and global justice. The video introduced his figure and highlighted how his legacy continues through these awards that bear his name.

Next, David Llistar, Director of Human Rights, Global Justice and International Cooperation at Barcelona City Council, especially thanked the role of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), which he described as one of the universities with the most well-defined channels in terms of social transformation and global justice.

Afterwards, the awardees, in one-minute speeches, presented their Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects and the motivations behind their research. In total, 31 projects were awarded within the framework of the Arcadi Oliveres Awards for Bachelor’s Degree Final Projects for global justice, and 10 projects developed using the Service-Learning methodology. All the awarded final degree projects can be consulted in the UAB digital repository of documents.

After the students’ remarks, the winners by field of knowledge for both awards were announced:  

In the Sciences, Biosciences and Technology category, Laura Meroño, a Biochemistry student, received the Arcadi Oliveres award for her project Bringing knowledge of inherited metabolic diseases closer to families and patients: a project with Sant Joan de Déu Hospital. The Service-Learning category award went to the project Wild animals as agents of change. Design of an environmental education proposal at the Vallcalent Wildlife Center, by Biology student Laura García.  

Cecilia Garcia, from the Translation and Interpreting degree, received the Arcadi Oliveres award in the Arts and Humanities category for her project Court interpreters in Spain: The cost of having untrained interpreters.  

In the Health Sciences category, the Arcadi Oliveres award winner was Medical student Natàlia Berthet, for her project Lost in translation: the language barrier and its implications for health. Marta Dalmau, from the Veterinary degree, who could not attend the event, received the Service-Learning category award for her project Study of the body condition of L’Olivera sheep and its relationship with reproduction.

Finally, in the Social and Legal Sciences category, Helena Marcer, from the Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree, received the Arcadi Oliveres award for her study The necropolitics of mourning: the case of the Melilla massacre of June 24, 2022. The final Service-Learning category award went to Early Childhood Education student Laia Peiró for her project La Troca organization: Reorganization of materials in the Canalla Space for child development from 0 to 3 years old.  

The event concluded with a speech by Esther Zapater, Secretary General of UAB. Zapater highlighted that “In a context of strong influence of Artificial Intelligence, it is important to emphasize the role of human intelligence, which is what truly allows us to revolutionize, transform, and generate sustainable change.” She also congratulated the initiative and the FAS, which “works daily to promote projects aimed at transforming society.”

To close the conference, a light reception and a Fair of social and environmental organizations were held at Plaça Cívica, showcasing collaboration opportunities for faculty and students interested in service-learning projects at the university.

*This news item was originally published by the Fundació Autònoma Solidària UAB