Professor Florencia González Venzano, from the Faculty of Communication and a member of the Philosophy Institute initiative, presented a communication at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross on the training in intellectual virtues in university professors.
From October 29 to 31, 2025, the international congress “Purpose of the University,” organized by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, was held in Rome. The event brought together academics and university authorities from around the world to reflect on the identity, mission, and social impact of the contemporary university.
On behalf of the Universidad AustralProfessor Florencia González Venzano, from the Faculty of Communication, presented the paper “Training in intellectual virtues for communication teachers”In her presentation, she shared the interdisciplinary experience that the Institute of Philosophy promotes in all faculties of the Universidad Austral, aimed at explicitly integrating virtues such as curiosity, open-mindedness, intellectual humility, rigor, autonomy and perseverance into university teaching.
The presentation focused on the concrete results from the Faculty of Communication, where a group of fourteen professors worked for three years to create a Learning Community. The presentation described the progress made in developing teachers' intellectual literacy, incorporating these qualities into course design, and using self-reflection exercises and specific pedagogical tools. The professors demonstrated improvements in their teaching practices, including greater reflection on their teaching, innovation in classroom activities and assessments, and a stronger commitment to the holistic development of their students.
The presentation also highlighted the progress of the three-year plan (2023-2025), which involves more than 130 teachers from across the region. Universidad Austral, and the first impacts of the project on the institutional culture, by fostering collaboration among colleagues, pedagogical innovation and a deeper understanding of the formative meaning of the university task.
