An Academic Transformation is Proposed by the New Rector of the University of Panama. 

Panama City, Panama: The new rector of the University of Panama, José Emilio Moreno, took office with a proposal to transform university social service: bringing together students from different majors in the same community and giving continuity to projects each semester. 

“We currently have a program where each student has to complete 130 hours of community service. However, this community service is done in a fragmented way; that is, one student goes to one community, and another student goes to a different community,” he explained.

Their proposal seeks to have students of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, social work and architecture, among other careers, work together to address the needs of a community.  “What we want is for a group of students from various fields—medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, social work, architecture—to all go to a single community, so that each of these students has something to contribute to that community,” he explained.

Moreno suggested that this work should involve local authorities and community leaders, and should continue for the following semesters.

“And we don’t want to do this alone; we want to do it with the support of community leaders, mayors, deputies, representatives, and not abandon this project in the following semester,” he added.  Among his priorities, the rector also mentioned an academic transformation that includes improvements in internet access and a greater incorporation of professional practices.  He also proposed improving the laboratories at all university campuses and the cafeteria service to ensure students have access to good nutrition. To advance these initiatives, he deemed it necessary to allocate a larger budget to the institution.