Dr. Buxarrais published on the 26th of July an article (in Spanish)in The Conversation, which is a source of news and analisys written by the academic community for society in general. The article is entitled “¿Debemos enseñar a los niños a controlar sus emociones?” and can be read in its entirety and freely in this link.
This month of July (20th to 23rd) The 48th Association for Moral Education (AME) Conference, took place in Manchester with the theme “Moral Development & Moral Education in Global Transition”. The event was organised by the Assocation for Moral Education, the Journal for Moral Education y the Asia-Pacific Network for Moral Education. Dr. Buxarrais presented a paper and a poster in the conference (see below).
The paper, authored as well by her two research students, Eric Ortega and Laura Fontán was intitled “Ethics in Times of Pandemic: An exploratory study on the values, attitudes and civic habits of Catalan citizens towards the COVID-19 crisis“.
This is the abstract: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a wide impact on everybody’s life. From the Observatory of Civism and Values of Catalonia and the Moral Education Research Group GREM of the University of Barcelona, we carried out an exploratory study to find out the impact on moral values, attitudes, habits, and citizenship behavior during the pandemic in Catalonia (2020-2021). We collected data at two different times through two descriptive surveys, collecting individual perceptions and concerns about the virus. In the realm of people’s values and ideals, a reconfiguration of the hierarchy of values can be observed”.
Dr. Buxarrais with her research students, Eric Ortega and Laura Fontán
The poster Dr. Buxarrais presented (which can be freely downloaded here) was intitled “Evaluation of Ethical Competencies in Students of Behavioural, Biological and Health Sciences” and it was a common effort between Zaragoza Faculty of Higher Education of the Autonomous University of Mexico and the Faculty of Education of the University of Barcelona. The authors, Los autores, además de Maria Rosa Buxarrais, son Rubén A. Miranda, Mirna García, Alan A. Mercado, Miriam de la Torre y Héctor Raymundo.
Parcial image of the poster presented by Dr. Buxarrais
Furthermore, as the Chair for the Good Work Award Committtee, Dr. Buxarrais handed this year’s award to Geoff Thompson, five times heavyweight champion of the world in karate, for the work he carries out with his NGO Youth Charter promoting the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of young people in underpriviledged communities, nationally and internationally.
Photos of the event
Dr. Buxarrais with Dr. Loret de Ruyter (Univ. of Utrecht), AME President
Dr. Buxarrais with Dr. Brian Gates (Univ. of Cumbria), local host of the conference
Dr. Buxarrais with Dr. Taylor (Univ. of London) and Dr. Conroy (Univ. of Glasgow)
Dr. Buxarrais with Dr. Phyllis Curtis-Tweed (Bermuda College)
On the 2nd of this month, the 17th Prize for Research for Peace was awarded. This contest is organized every year by the University of Barcelona Solidarity Foundation to encourage secondary school students to find creative solutions to promote peace. The event was attended by the Rector of the university, Dr. Joan Guardia, the Director of the Professional Development Institute, Dr. Maria Rosa Buxarrais, and the President of the Solidarity Foundation of the University of Barcelona, Mr. Xavier López (see picture below).
This year’s award winner was the student Dídac Jiménez Vergés, tutored by Francesc Dolz, from the Frederic Martí Carreras Secondary School (Palafrugell), with the work “Ordinadors de sang, rius de deixalles. Una segona vida per als residus informàtics” [“Computers of blood, rivers of rubbish. A second life for computer waster]”.
This research studies the journey of a computer from when it is deposited in the clean point until it disappears from the planet. It also analyzes the reasons that explain the amount of electronic waste that we generate and designs a protocol to prevent computer equipment from being wasted. This way, it will be easier for people with few economic resources to be able to give them some use.
Likewise, the Rector presented nine special mention diplomas as well as the Joan Gomis Prize, awarded by the Santa Coloma de Gramenet City Council to the best research for peace from this municipality.
Award winners and Authorities at the end of the ceremony
Dr. Adela Cortina, Professor Emeritus in Moral Philosophy and Politics at the University of Valencia, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education by the University of Barcelona on the 25th of May at the Faculty of Education. Dr. Cortina was sponsored by Dr. Miquel Martínez, member of the Research Group in Moral Education, which Dr. Maria Buxarrais coordinates.
Dr. Cortina was the first woman accepted as a fellow fo the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 2008. She has been a visiting lecturer at the Universities of Lovain-la-Neuve, Amsterdam, Notre-dame and Cambridge. At the University of Frankfurt she worked with Karl-Otto Apel and Jürgen Habermas, whose Ethics of Discourse she is recognized for introducing in the Spanish and Iberoamerican academic world. She is the Director of the Inter-university Research Group “Applied Ethics and Democracy”. She is the Director of ÉTNOR Foundation for Ethics in Organizations since 1991. She has received prestigious awards such as the Ernest Lluch Award to Thinking (2003), the Marcos García Journalism Award (2004) or the Jovellanos International Essay Award. She has published over twenty books, among others the following: Ética mínima, Ética sin moral y Ética aplicada y democracia radical.
During the ceremony it was highlighted the fact that her work shows “a defence and active promotion of the values of freedom, democracy, justice, equality and solidarity”, as well as her collaboration with the University of Barcelona and the Catalan context in “studies, research and actions related to education in active citizenship and participation in democratic and inclusive societies”.
Dr. Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Dr. Teresa Anguera going to the ceremony
The GREM research group with Dr. Cortina. From left to right, back row: Francisco Esteban, Miquel Martínez, Josep M. Puig, Carlos Miralda, Mónica Gijón, Fàtima Avilés, Adela Cortina, Xus Martín, Amèlia Tey, Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Jaume Trilla. From left to right, back row: Brenda Bär, Ferrán Crespo, Laura Fontán, Marta Esteban, Ana Maria Novella, Elena Noguera, Ana Maria Ayuste and Montserrat Payà.
The 19th of this month, Dr. Buxarrais took part in “El podcast de les revistes“, talking about “the authority. Reflexions about the value of authority nowadays, especially in the context of family and school”
Dr. Buxarrais was representing the magazine Revista Valors, where she is a regular contributor.