UBIAS chooses "Dialogue" as the common theme for the member institutes in 2020 and 2021

The UN General Assembly is one of the greatest examples of dialogue between countries, having the aim of preventing conflicts

"Dialogue" is the 2020 and 2021 theme of the international network of University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study (UBIAS), of which the IEA-USP is a member. Chosen for being a topic of global importance, it can be explored in different formats and perspectives. The intention is each member institute to promote academic activities motivated by the common theme.

UBIAS justifies that the practice of dialogue is present and indispensable in several contexts, and that the world is in need of it, "although the tendency is to neglect its importance and try a shortcut towards brief conclusions."

In society, dialogue is essential to resolve long disagreements and deepen understandings. "It could be a solution to a deep social problem of 'fake or fact,' argue the members of the network. As much as it is implicit in modern society as the basis of its formation, it is not yet clear how dialogue will be valued in a future that can be highly regulated by artificial intelligence.

Topic of the Year

Topic-of-the-year activities can range from an event to a series of meetings, including public conferences, discussions, workshops, and/or seminars. UBIAS encourages the member institutes to invite researchers from colleague institutes as lecturers or visiting professors, as well as to carry out joint activities between each other. It is a way to promote interchange within the network.

In 2019, the Topic of the Year was "Migrations," which came after "Aging - Life, Culture, Civilizations" (2018) and "Fear" (2017). The first theme chosen by the network was "Media and Data Control," in 2016.

Photo by Basil D Soufi/Wikimedia