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.

On the 1st of this month, Dr Buxarrais was part of the examination panel evaluating Dr. Mar Lorenzo for the position of professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Santiago de Compostela. The other members of the examination panel were: Dr. Miguel Angel Santos (University of Santiago de Compostela), Dr. José Manuel Touriñan (University of Santiago de Compostela), Dr. María del Carmen Palmero (University of Burgos) y Dr. Cruz Perez (University of Valencia).

From left to right: Dr. Cruz Pérez, Dr. Manuel Touriñán, Dr. Mar Lorenzo, Dr. Miguel Ángel Santos, Dr. María del Carmen Palmero and Dr. Maria Rosa Buxarrais.