VI Service-Learning Researchers' Symposium

On 23rd August, in the context of the 20th International Service-Learning Week, the VI Service-Learning Researchers' Symposium was held at the Faculty of Dentistry lecture hall of the University Buenos Aires (UBA). CLAYSS and UBA hosted this Symposium with the support of the Ibero-American Service-Learning Network (REDIBAS, in its acronym in Spanish) and in collaboration with the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI, in its acronym in Spanish) and the Uniservitate Global Programme.
Gustavo Galli from the University of Buenos Aires; Diego Filmus, representing the OEI; Andrew Furco, founding member of IARSLCE; Enrique Ochoa, executive director of CLAYSS and Alejandra Catibiela (CLAYSS), member of the Host Committee of the Symposium were present at the opening ceremony. A particularly moving moment was the greeting of Dr. Noemí Bordoni, pioneer of social educational practices in the Faculty of Dentistry at the UBA.
One hundred and eighty specialists in the field, researchers, students, educators and authorities from universities, schools and civil society organisations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, the United States, South Africa and Uruguay attended the event.
During the plenary and simultaneous sessions, there was a presentation of the 51 research projects; a team of 21 specialists selected them out of the 78 submissions to the call.

Before the celebration of this Symposium, there had been a call for papers with 78 submissions. Then, a team of 21 specialists selected 51 research papers, which were later presented that day. The selected research deals with case studies and systematisation of service-learning programmes and practices linked to different university degrees and educational areas related to Health, Arts, Biology, Business Sciences, Nursing, Integral Ecology and Economics. Several higher education institutions have carried out research in medicine, psychology, veterinary medicine, and nursing, among others. On the other hand, other papers have focused on the institutional programme monitoring and evaluation, and the design, follow-up and scope of institutional policies to establish and promote service-learning. Furthermore, some papers have also focused on building discussions and theoretical contributions to the definition of "service-learning" as well as solidarity, fraternity and spirituality.
On this occasion, the JIAS, which usually takes place every two years, underlined the momentum and interest to keep developing experiences and building and disseminating knowledge on service-learning in universities or other formal and non-formal educational spheres. 
The panels are already available here (Spanish)
The e-poster gallery of the different presentations delivered in the simultaneous sessions is available here. 
Papers will be published in full in the Conference Proceedings, which will also be available online in the Resources section of the CLAYSS website.