The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso recently hosted the Third Meeting of Executive Teams from Catholic Schools, bringing together educational leaders from across the Valparaíso Region to confront the theme of “La educación y el ser humano en el dilema del nuevo paradigma digital”. According to university reports, the gathering focused squarely on the theme of education and the human being within the dilemma of the new digital paradigm.
Addressing Artificial Intelligence in Catholic Classrooms
Held at the university’s Casa Central, the event was organized collaboratively by the Directorate of Social Outreach and Sustainability alongside the Episcopal Area for Education of the Diocese of Valparaíso. According to event organizers, the ongoing collaboration aims to strengthen cooperative work and critical reflection among regional educators as they face shifting technological landscapes.
Fray Cristian Eichin Villarroel, OFM, Vice Grand Chancellor of the PUCV, led the central conversational panel. During the session, Fray Cristian emphasized that schools face an urgent duty to address artificial intelligence and digital technology as tools that must ultimately support a deeper understanding of humanity.
“Este encuentro expresa la necesidad de trabajar juntos frente a los desafíos culturales que vivimos en el mundo de la educación,” Fray Cristian stated, highlighting the cultural challenges facing modern school communities according to university documentation.
University Leadership Emphasizes Cross-Sector Dialogue
The conference drew prominent academic figures, including the Vice-Rector for Outreach to the Environment, Ursula Exss, and the Director of Social Outreach and Sustainability, Karina Toledo. According to Ursula Exss, tackling complex modern issues requires stepping outside university walls to engage directly with educators on the ground.
“Es una instancia que nos permite no solamente encontrarnos y compartir inquietudes, sino también abrir un espacio genuino de reflexión sobre temas que hoy no podemos abordar únicamente al interior de la universidad,” Exss explained, noting that artificial intelligence demands a transversal outlook and continuous dialogue with classroom instructors.
By pairing ethical and anthropological reflections with concrete technological concerns, the initiative seeks to guide school directors as they shape the digital literacy of children and adolescents across the Valparaíso Region. University officials confirmed that the series of collaborative forums will continue to support regional leadership through ongoing academic engagement.