Frónesis

The University of the 21st Century: between tradition, sustainability, and institutional innovation

Diana Romero La Roche — 2025-12-01

The 21st-century university faces the imperative need to redefine its role within a global context shaped by the 2030 Agenda, the digital revolution, and increasing social demands. This study argues that the notion of "high performance" should transcend mere competitiveness indicators or rankings, focusing instead on the institutional capacity to generate pertinent knowledge, promote equity, and contribute to sustainability. The research proposes three fundamental axes of reflection: first, the revitalization of foundational values, reclaiming the humanist tradition of the university as a space for ethical formation and public service. Second, the construction of interdisciplinary knowledge ecosystems that foster project-based learning, social entrepreneurship, and university-territory cooperation to address complex global issues such as climate change and structural inequalities. Third, the university's digital transformation, which entails integrating emerging technologies—such as Artificial Intelligence and Big Data—under principles of ethics, accessibility, and social justice. Finally, strategic guidelines are proposed, including curricular reform aligned with the SDGs, inclusive digital agendas, and participatory governance. Conceived as a public good, the university is called to be a sustainable vanguard and a catalyst for change, articulating tradition, innovation, and social responsibility.

Organizational Culture in Universities in the 21st Century: A Retrospective, Perspective, and Prospective View

Guillermo Roa González — 2025-12-01

The study of Organizational Culture (OC) is of paramount importance for understanding the internal dynamics of any organization, especially given the constant demands of its environment. The central objective of this research is to demonstrate the relationship between the prevailing system and organizational culture, as well as the implications of the latter for the interactions and actions of individuals within the parameters of the institutional vision and mission. It is established that OC cannot be imposed or simply "managed," but rather develops because of the vision and mission of its creators and the system of values, beliefs, and customs woven together socially over time. The shrub model of Rodríguez (2007) is used. This model distinguishes between: Leaves (Visible Part): Behaviors, ceremonies, language, physical environment, stories, symbols, and slogans. Roots (Invisible Elements): Values: Determining forces of how things are done, which ideally should be exemplified by leaders. Beliefs: Deeply ingrained mental models that influence action, and whose transformation requires individual and group reflection (Senge, 1990). Norms: Rules, roles, and relationships that guide behavior, including unwritten norms that can inhibit change and development. Applying this concept to the university setting, the article emphasizes that the University Orientation Course (COU) in the 21st century is crucial for achieving excellence; all of this based on research, teaching, and outreach, with a clear and well-understood vision and mission of its founders and the system of values, beliefs, and customs socially woven over time. A retrospective study will be conducted, considering university as a space for pluralistic thought, as always subject to transformation. Its autonomy should not imply an organic disconnection from the country's national projects (Bonilla-Molina, 2016). University crises are often present when transformation does not follow a holistic diagnosis framed within the nation-state's guiding plan. Looking ahead; The university community is influenced by internal (faculty, students, unions) and external power groups. Based on pluralistic thinking and science, the university requires a clear vision and mission, as well as a comprehensive epistemology, to understand itself and unify its work. And in the Prospects (21st Century): The future demands valuing the importance of the individual and their participation (Imbernón, 2008), adopting a new culture that promotes communication, teamwork, and democratic debate. A radical renewal for the university is proposed. Change and transformation are only achieved if individuals are committed. Leadership and organizational collaboration are the path to unifying transformation efforts. The university's mission should be the filter that defines coherent practices. It is concluded that the university, as a public good, must be a sustainable vanguard and a catalyst for change. The challenge is to develop a university culture based on service, collaboration, and social responsibility, promoting knowledge as a path to competitiveness and research as the true purpose of a high-performing university.

Productive Education: Normative gap for the empowerment and community socio-economic development in Venezuela

Felipe Rafael Araujo Ferrer — 2025-12-01

The purpose of this article was to critically analyze the existing regulatory gap in Venezuela that hinders the consolidation of Productive Education as an effective mechanism for the Empowerment and Socioeconomic Development of Communitarie, proposing guidelines to strengthen transformative praxis. The research is framed within the qualitative-interpretative and socio-critical paradigms, employing a documentary analysis design and utilizing the documentary triangulation technique. The "ought to be" (constitutional mandate and ideal norm criteria derived from praxis theory and endogenous development) was contrasted with the "is" (explicit and implicit content of the LOE, LU, LOC, and LOSEC). The analysis criteria focused on mandatory coordination, financing, legal recognition, the inclusion of traditional knowledge (saberes), and curricular flexibility. The results revealed a structural operational dissociation marked by the absence of regulatory bridges in the operational phases of the laws. The lack of mandatory coordination and specific financing mechanisms reduces productive education to a fragmented welfare program, denying real economic control to communities. This gap obstructs emancipatory praxis (Freire, 2018).

Ethics as the Axis of Artificial Intelligence from a Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective

Gustavo Enrique Bravo Acosta — 2025-12-01

The essay focuses on understanding the ethical challenges in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective, based on the interpretation of the technological and corporate reality in the regional and Venezuelan context. The theoretical references that support this document were identified. From a methodological standpoint, it was approached from a qualitative perspective, supported by the interpretive paradigm that warranted a documentary and bibliographic design. It is distinguished among other authors in the statements regarding ethics in Artificial Intelligence by: Cortina (2022), Paredes (2023), and Jiménez (2024). Regarding the category of Corporate Social Responsibility, it is based on the assertions of: Aparicio (2023), Lázaro et al (2025), Barroso & Pérez (2025). Therefore, in relation to the results of this essay, among other conclusive reflections, it is highlighted that the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the business sector not only represents a technological advancement but also poses fundamental ethical challenges that must be addressed with responsibility and transparency, considering the ethical principles related to justice, explainability, and autonomy in the use of exponential technologies.