The London-born writer Elsa Punset is the invited guest speaker at the inauguration of this year’s Adeje Summer University, with her address taking place on July 16th in the San Francisco Convent in the town, at 12 noon. The event will be both in-person and digital in format, as will all of the university courses this year, although there will be parallel workshops that will invite students to attend in person .
The Adeje Summer University organised jointly annually since 1993 by the University of La Laguna and Adeje Town Hall, was cancelled last year – so this will be the 28th edition of the event.
Speaking yesterday at the press conference to announce details of this year’s courses, the ULL rector, Rosa Aguilar Chinea and Adeje mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, spoke of the concrete nature of this annual event, which runs from July 19th to 23rd this year. “As a result of this initiative, since 1993, thousands of students have enjoyed these summer courses, sharing knowledge, good times, music, cultural and summer activities”, commented the rector.
Aguilar paid tribute to the help and backing from Adeje that has always been there for the university, and this is reflected in the fact that the ULL has a permanent centre now in Adeje, where a tourism degree and masters are taught. “It is a matter of great pleasure for us that, no matter the issues or difficulties that we have been living through, the Adeje council have always been at our side”. The empathy that exists between the two institutions was most recently demonstrated in the running of the pre-university exams, the EBAU, as happened last year, when Adeje accommodated at least 1,000 students who were able to sit this important exam “in the optimum conditions under the current circumstances”.
She continued, “For us the south of Tenerife isn’t somewhere far away from the university campus, nor just a tourist destination. The south is our people, our students, and our courses. We are talking about a vibrant population, with a lot to bring to the table, with a desire to grow and learn and that’s where we have to be”.
The mayor noted the rising demand for courses over recent years. “The return of the Adeje Summer University is also a sign of hope, following the suspension of the event last year”, he commented. He said the courses this year reflected a real and actual demand for training and education, both socially and economically and reflected a growing need for innovative solutions.
The mayor also publicly acknowledged his support for the ULL’s proposal to introduce an academic course in Physical and Sports Activities – the course has yet to receive the backing of the regional government for inclusion, but has been unanimously approved by the university council and is seen as meeting a huge and growing demand from future students. The Adeje mayor said it was a very important market niche, in the tourism sector too. “We will do all we can to move this forward”, he said.
The ULL vice rector, Juan Albino Méndez Pérez and the Adeje education councillor María Clavijo Maza, detailed the courses on offer, with emphasis on sustainability and the challenges ahead. Students can opt for classes on creativity, the use of technology in decision making, electronic commerce, healthy ageing, etc. Registration is open from today.
The poster for this year’s summer university is designed by Rubén Guirola, in a comic-book style, transcending the times of the pandemic, visualising the new times ahead, people in the open air, in Adeje, reading, without masks, enjoying their lives in a more sustainable environment.
