IMPALA work session observation in the Pontifical Xavierian University (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) and the University of La Sabana

Following two years of virtual meetings and online work sessions of the IMPALA project as a result of the pandemic, the consortium finally returned to meet face-to-face from the 14th to 18th of March to carry out a study visit and a coordination meeting.

On this occasion, Colombia was the destination that was chosen to receive the delegations of the consortium with the Pontifical Xavierian University and the University of La Sabana as hosts of the event.

During these days, each of the host institutions organised work spaces with different participants of the third mission including, managers, beneficiaries and directors. They will shared the projects of the different typologies of the third mission that are being conducted in their institutions with the members of the consortium.

Likewise, we made the most of this study visit by carrying out a round table with the participation of the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN for its acronym in Spanish), the National Council of Accreditation (CNA for its acronym in Spanish), and the Latin American Network of Accreditation, whose objective is to analyse, in more detail, the topics related to quality, accreditation processes and the third mission of the universities.After two years of virtual meetings, it was also important to change the discussion methods and to rekindle communication between the partners of the consortium, hence the importance of this face-to-face meeting.