University and social transformation

Abstract

Starting in 2011, a group of teachers, researchers and students of Philosophy and Education Sciences Faculty at the University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV) is thinking about the relationship between university and social transformation. The first diagnosis of the situation agrees with global crisis or crisis of civilizationtheories, so we start with this project to push the change from our field. In order to do so, we build bridges between the academy and social movements, opening spaces at the university for debates and social fights that traditionally didn’t have space on it. Creating a meeting place to discuss and put in practice alternatives to current situation. During last three academic years, we have organized conferences, workshops, seminars and started up a blog. The following text gathers some of the most significant ideas that sprung from this experience. In the first part we present a general framework about the necessary and possible social transformation, followed by the analysis of how university can play an important role in this transformation.