Fifty members of the network from around the world attended the two-day conference in person during the first week of November, including researchers from South America, Africa, and Australia. Around 500 participants also joined via Zoom. This was preceded at the end of October by a symposium for students, who shared their experiences with Service Learning projects. Service Learning combines academic education with social commitment by enabling students to apply their knowledge in practical projects. This idea was a central concern of Pope Francis in order to link teaching and social engagement. "In a world that has to deal with deep tensions and problems, it is urgently necessary to understand education as an act of courage and hope that creates peace. Service Learning is an educational approach that makes this possible", said the network's coordinator, María Rosa Tapia, at the opening. The conference focused on sharing experiences of best practice examples. In addition to panel discussions, there were workshops on research and practice.
A detailed report about the symposium can be found on the Uniservitate website!