The second phase of the project, which is still in its early stages, “aims to secure the active participation of at least two educational organizations per country to form an initial group of ‘participating members’ of the AGE Network. We hope to have about 40 member organizations by the end of this year,” said Mag. Vázquez.
- What is the AGE Network?
- Red AGE is a four-year project that falls under the category of so-called “integrated projects,” as it is a collaborative initiative coordinated by a Spanish university and an Ibero-American university—in this case, the UAB and ORT University. It is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI).
The project aims to become an academic leader in topics related to educational management through the creation and consolidation of a virtual community that promotes the exchange of information, services, and other initiatives that may arise through a support network for educational management.
- Who created it?
- The two lead universities for the project are the Department of Applied Pedagogy at the UAB, serving as the project’s European headquarters, and the Institute of Education at ORT University, serving as the Ibero-American headquarters
Each host institution has working group that serves as the AGE Network’s point of contact. The Organizational Development Research Team (EDO), composed of faculty members and graduate students from the Department of Applied Pedagogy at the UAB, represents the Spanish team. The team composed of faculty members and graduate students from the educational management program at the ORT University’s Institute of Education serves as the national point of contact.
- What is the role of the Institute of Education?
- The Institute of Education serves as the Ibero-American headquarters of the AGE Network.
- Who are the members of the Network?
- The project has already completed Phase I (diagnostic phase ), which was designed to produce an initial overview of tertiary-level institutions engaged in training, research, outreach, or the production of materials related to educational management.
During this initial survey, we were able to identify some 200 institutions spread across 21 Spanish-speaking countries.
Phase II (the consolidation phase) is currently getting underway, with the goal of securing the active participation of at least two educational organizations per country to form the first group of “participating members” of the AGE Network.
- What are your goals?
- Its overall objective is to create a support network for the management of educational institutions between Spain and Uruguay that will serve as a model and source of support for Ibero-American universities.
The goal is to have about 40 member organizations by the end of this year.
The specific objectives of the project are:
- Identify and implement lines of research that are relevant to both groups and the Ibero-American context.
- Promote joint, peer-reviewed scientific publications coordinated by both groups.
- Identify in-person training opportunities that are free of charge (conferences, training series, cultural forums, etc.) intended for managers of educational systems and schools.
- Plan and implement in-person and virtual academic exchange events, coordinated by both working groups, aimed at revitalizing educational management in Ibero-America.
- Who are the Network's services intended for?
- They are intended for public or private tertiary-level institutions whose areas of focus include educational management, that conduct research, and that offer training in the field of educational management.
- What projects are you working on?
- Among the main planned areas of activity are:
- Create a web platform for the Network.
- To foster connections among institutions engaged in related activities and lines of research.
- Create databases of information on resources, tools, and methodologies related to educational management.
- Compile and make available specialized literature.
- Provide information on calls for proposals, events, and conferences in member countries.
- To promote contact and exchange among specialists.
- Implement training and advisory programs with regional authorities and educational institutions.