The Asia Pacific Open Dialogues, led by Tecnologico de Monterrey,  aims to develop a collaborative model for promoting meaningful conversations among the consortium universities in the Pacific Rim, to create empathy and awareness on current shared topics, and to develop responsible leadership skills.   In this online exercise, students had the chance to engage in candid conversations with peers from around the globe. These types of efforts not only provide students with opportunities to enrich their international experience but also allow them to understand the importance of connecting with people with different perspectives fostering safe and violence-free spaces. 

Led by Tecnológico de Monterrey, the APRU Open Dialogues Pilot aims to develop a collaborative model for promoting sustained dialogues among the consortium universities

The Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization, through the Directorate of Transversal Models, and the Vice-Presidency for Inclusion, Social Impact and Sustainability, through the Center for the Recognition of Human Dignity of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, in collaboration with the consortium of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), held the APRU Open Dialogues 3rd Cohort on October 23. The theme of this edition sought to generate a space in which students could become aware of and reflect on partner violence in the university context. More than 50 students from 4 universities (Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, University of Chile and UCASAL) and 24 moderators participated. In this edition, the team of moderators was not only made up of the academic team of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, but also included the participation of Alejandra Parra from the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito and Osvaldo Guzmán from the Universidad de Chile, who, thanks to their universities participation in previous cohorts, had the opportunity to be certified in the Dialogue Moderation of the Sustained Dialogue Institutes, offered by the Tecnológico de Monterrey. But why talk about partner violence in the university context? According to UN Women, various studies and research at a global level have revealed alarming statistics on gender violence. It is estimated that, worldwide, 736 million women – almost one in three – have been victims of physical or sexual violence by their partner, sexual violence outside the couple, or both, at least once in their lives. Although most studies on partner violence include only the female population, there are figures that indicate that both sexes may be susceptible to suffering it. Furthermore, we cannot forget that heteronormativity persists in society, making people in the LGBTIQA+ community more vulnerable due to external stress factors, such as discrimination and violence against this community. Knowing the impact at a global level is crucial to understand the magnitude of the problem and take measures to prevent it. Educational institutions play a very important role in the learning process about gender relations and how these relations are fundamental to the origin of violence. In addition, universities are spaces where we can reflect, make these realities visible and raise awareness among people who in the future will be able to formulate effective policies and programs to prevent violence. As part of the learning generated in the dialogue tables, the students who participated in the exercise recognized that “the session was a calm space, with freedom to talk about all the issues,” and that “listening to the experiences of other people can help us propose solutions to these problems,” stating that “we are contributing our grain of sand to generate change.” Finally, they invited the team to “generate more international spaces where we can learn to listen different perspectives and bring them to our own context to generate change.” At the end of the activity, Adriana Rojas, Senior Director of Programs at APRU, said “We thank all the people who participated in this exercise of international dialogue today. These spaces contribute not only to reflection on difficult issues, but also make us sensitive to international contexts.” For her part, Perla Salinas, Director of Training in Human Dignity at the Center for Recognition of Human Dignity at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, commented that “these spaces promote the recognition of all people and their diversity, and also help us imagine ways of inhabiting the world more peacefully, renewing hope in complex times.” These types of efforts not only provide students with opportunities to enrich their international experience but also allow them to understand the importance of connecting with people with different perspectives fostering safe and violence-free spaces. We look forward to having you at the APRU Open Dialogues 4th Cohort Author. Natalia Moreno Barbosa, Management and Engagement Leader, Center for the Recognition of Human Dignity at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

After successfully completing the APRU Open Dialogues Pilot in 2023, on May 10th, the APRU Open Dialogues 2nd cohort took place on the topic “What is the right to higher education?”. This topic was selected based on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which exposes the right to higher education as part of the fundamental right to education. Sixty-five undergraduate students (59% female, 39% male, and other 2%) from 10 universities, nine economies, and 18 nationalities participated in the open dialogue. The participating universities were the National University of Singapore, Osaka University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The University of British Columbia, The University of Melbourne, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, the University of Alberta and Universidad Católica de Salta*. A team of experts and 14 moderators guided the dialogue exercise. Overall, the discussions highlighted the importance of global collaboration and advocacy in addressing educational inequalities and fostering inclusive higher education systems. Perla Salinas, Director of Human Dignity training at Tecnologico de Monterrey, started the conversation by declaring that Dialogue is not debating. In dialogue, people do not fight to win but to seek meeting points where ideas can be built. She added that the dialogue does not intend to change a point of view that does not want to be changed; its primary function is to find ways for people to talk about their ideas from their perspective and reach agreements where all parties are satisfied. She said “I invite you to listen to the person next to you, understand their story, find your voice, and speak out because everyone wants to listen to you.” In this online exercise, students had the chance to engage in candid conversations with peers from around the globe. Participants identified common challenges, such as economic hardship. However, they also learned about other barriers to accessing and remaining in college, such as distance, accessibility when having a disability, food insecurity, debt, and emotional burden, to name but a few. Mariana Echaniz, lecturer, and undergraduate program director of International Relations at Tecnologico de Monterrey, expressed: “This was a unique experience for everyone. After the dialogue, students were impressed with some of the stories they had heard.  Some had never realised how students from remote areas or war-torn countries struggle to access higher education. This was also an enriching experience for me as an instructor of the “Diversity in a Globalized World” class. We truly had the chance to be in a “global” environment exchanging ideas, views, and aspirations”.  In conclusion, some of the central learnings were: Economic barriers, cultural norms, and societal challenges affect access to education in various countries. Exchanging experiences with students from different backgrounds enriches understanding and empathy. Gender norms and societal expectations can also impact access to education, particularly for women. Refugee status and displacement present unique challenges in maintaining educational continuity. Encouraging awareness of available scholarships and advocating for inclusive policies are common solutions discussed. Recognizing the privilege of higher education and advocating for equitable access is a shared responsibility. David Huerta, Director of international experiences at Tecnológico de Monterrey concluded that nowadays, when many young people’s lives are affected by someone with sizable social media followers, we can use technology to connect students differently, through dialogue, is about moving beyond being “interesting” to becoming “interested” in the views, cultural perspectives, opinions, and life stories of students around the world… in a way, I want students to experience what Bob Burg once said: “Sometimes the most influential thing we can do is listen.”    The Asia Pacific Open Dialogues aims to develop a collaborative model for promoting open dialogues among the consortium universities in the Pacific Rim, to create empathy and awareness on current shared topics, and to develop responsible leadership skills. More information here: https://www.apru.org/our-work/student-leadership/open-dialogues/ *Special guest non APRU University

Tecnológico de Monterrey in late-October successfully led the first program under the APRU Open Dialogues Pilot, circling in on the topic of gender-based violence prevention in learning environments. This comes shortly after UNESCO flagged that school violence is widespread, occurs in all countries, and affects many children and adolescents. Whilst data on sexual or gender-based violence in school is difficult to collect, global data shows that one in four young women has already experienced violence by an intimate partner by the time they turn 24. Forty undergraduate students (23 men and 17 women) from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, University of Oregon, and Universidad de Chile participated in the first dialogue that allowed the students to share their points of view, perspectives, and ways to support their communities. The dialogue exercise was guided by a team of experts and fifteen moderators.                                        “Walking down the path of the mainstreaming gender perspective is opening the way to the true future. Celebrating, recognizing and working on diversity in co-responsibility as universities and giving our student communities the powerful tool of ‘dialogue’ is weaving threads of equality for the well-being of our societies.” said Alba Cázeres from the Center for the recognition of Human Dignity at Tecnológico de Monterrey. The APRU Open Dialogues Pilot aims to develop a collaborative model for promoting sustained dialogues among the consortium universities, to create empathy and awareness on current shared topics, as well as develop leadership skills. “Nowadays, bringing together students from different countries to learn from one another is not just technologically feasible and cost-effective, but necessary in terms of developing the very cultural sensitivity and intercultural communication skill sets that are highly needed in the global job market,” said David Huerta Harris, Director of International Transversal Models at Tecnológico de Monterrey. “Participants are invited to listen strongly enough to integrate other visions into their own, thus developing a broader understanding of the issues and challenges our societies face.”                                        The October pilot program was delivered in Spanish, with a first English-language program to be announced soon for 2024. On the list of expected outcomes are the creation of immediate and lasting impact on student communities; improved connection of students across borders; strengthened awareness of diversity and inclusion issues; and collection of insights to assess the pertinence of building a larger-scale Open Dialogues consortium program.