Something new is emerging...
In 1888, the Dutchman Vincent Van Gogh, living in Arles, and being somewhat obsessed with the parable of the sower, tells the story of a man who throws seeds. Some fall on stony ground (and are eaten by birds), others in thorns (the plants did not grow, of course), others fell on good soil and grew. Daring as he was, he painted in oils this beautiful landscape picture with a human figure, the sky flooded by the Vangoghian sun, which he called "The Sower". Everybody knows this painting, it is in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it is one of his most famous pieces. Recreating us in its beauty, we can all interpret many messages, perhaps because it is a universal and timeless message.
Contemplating this work of art, in these days of confinement, it comes to my mind that when the gardener sows the first grains in the furrow with the arrival of spring, it does not even occur to him to dig the soil every morning to see if the seed that he planted with great illusion, and even anxiety, begins to germinate to make a small stem emerge: He waits for the temporal cycle to pass by naturally…., while something old is dying , something new is being born... That's the only sure thing. Security, never without difficulties, but relatively certain.
Continuing with the previous simile, the moments that we are living can reflect, in one way or another, these temptations and feelings that certainly emerge in many of us, even in the social structure where we must face with that same hope and confidence the new order that is coming.
We are confronted radically because it is affecting the "root" of things, an unprecedented situation. The crisis of the coronavirus Covid-19 is transforming us into magnis itineribus and I think that it is no exaggeration to say that contemporary society has never lived a crisis like the present one, among other things, it has taken us back to times that we thought had been joyfully and victoriously, perhaps, overcome.
Until very recently, we would never have thought that the problems we would face in the 21st century would have to do with the major issues of the past (hunger, war, plague). A very interesting reflection based, I am convinced, on the speed of change and, even more importantly, on the acceleration of that speed that would continue to comply with Gordon Moore's Law, (1965), whose prediction has made possible the proliferation of technology throughout the world, which would have consequences and be applicable to many aspects of our lives. But, a few months ago, it seems like he's putting everything back into "solfa" to have to start over... The reality is that we intended to live in a joyful and triumphant way. We wanted to stay healthy in a sick world and we have found that this is impossible! A world that is affected by climate change and the deterioration of our aplanet's resources; a world in which businesses were growing at the same rate as social inequalities were growing; a world in which the poor were becoming poorer, in which individuals were becoming more individualistic; a world where a person was left in the background, treated as means and not as ends….. impossible!
What role will education play? What will it be like? Any direct effect on higher education?
Certainly, like every crisis, there will be a deep and global impact on all sectors and industries, and education will be no less. During this time, we have all been forced to transform our classroom training to online training, or to remote attendance, which is not the same. Some have done this more successfully and others with a little more effort. The good thing is that we have discovered by trial and error, that it is possible to teach and learn "from a distance", something already invented, but which is clearer now... A saying comes to mind “we can′t see the wood for the trees”.
The students throughout this time demanded the presence of classroom training as something that they valued and added "experience" in their learning process. They saw that "distance" training could significantly reduce the benefits of their learning. However, the crux of the matter is knowing how to combine the best of both modalities. Educational institutions have made an effort to show that, and in spite of everything, a better or worse teacher, a more or less intense subject, a more or less desirable methodology... the important thing is the path that each one takes. This path implies facing a personal transformation, alone and holistically. Each person must face themselves, their strengths, weaknesses, and work! Quite a challenge, and being a challenge requires effort "an uphill struggle".
Training during this crisis, or with the last bits and pieces of it, is definitly a "bonus" for all of us. Those with a good attitude, resilience, effort and patience, know how to overcome all the adversities so as not to lose sight of their real, important goal, which is to be trained, and therefore transformed, will mark a before and after in their vital training. What would happen if a worker in a company at a time like this chickened out and was unable to move forward? It simply does not work, it is not useful. If we can learn, and be flexible in this situation, without effort and pain, we will have developed "some immunity" in a changing context, too changeable, disruptive and volatile. Without a doubt, we will come out stronger than ever to build new stories for this new environment: new society, new economy, new world, new future. Impressive, but not, as I say, free of pain, effort and suffering that all transformation entails, and in this case, forcibly marched not by choice but by necessity. We have no choice.
Higher education will change like never before. Let us note that since the fifteenth century we have been educated in the same way..., It would suffice to compare two photographs: one of the first universities and another of our current university: tables, chairs, blackboard, professor, students..., little more. Now, more than ever the classroom is going to become a new space, a combination of “digital and face-to-face", guaranteeing without a doubt, greater equality and solidarity between all of us, since we are incomplete and need each other. In addition, will also be combined with personal work to assimilate, reinforce and transform, which must be done at home, since these are duties that need to be done, if we do not do them, no one will do them for us. Students who approach the learning process as a challenge of transformation will be those who learn skills of enormous importance for their professional and personal future, becoming the entrepreneurs and managers of tomorrow. No doubt about it.
The challenge again is to choose between believing we have the solution and the perfect recipe, or to keep on looking. Educational institutions, by vocation and almost by definition, must continue to search and thus transform themselves, there is no doubt... "if we want to transform education, we must begin by transforming the School. Those who have questioned old certainties during the crisis, learned new skills, known how to transform and even reinvent themselves, will shape the future of training.
And what are we learning from this crisis?
It is difficult to answer this, because the crisis is not over, it would be easier to answer at the end of the crisis, but we can still give answers, not absolute ones, that help us in this whole process. It seems clear that this situation requires a profound analysis. There are many opinions, studies, interviews that we are finding..., and we can approach the study from many perspectives. Since the beginning of philosophy, things have been analysed from two perspectives: from behind and from the front. If we study it "from behind" we analyse the causes that have originated this scenario, for which many experts are doing their job. I believe that we, the educational institutions, must fundamentally analyse it "from the front". That is, because of its consequences, and as I repeat again..., without realizing it, like the seed that the gardener plants, something old is dying, and therefore, something new is emerging: a new society, a new economy, a new planet, renewed people.
In this sense I believe that if we are a little attentive and know how to read the "signs of the times" we can begin to perceive, without digging around too much like the sower, green shoots are enriching and colouring this spring of 2020. I dare to venture some of these shoots:
1. The human being is tremendously adaptable and knows how to turn problems into opportunities. Evolution has always been a constant in history of humanity and this moment is irrefutable proof of it. This crisis has shown us the great capacity that people have to adapt continuously and faster, to adverse, complex and changing moments. We would never have thought of digitizing ourselves as much as we are doing now. And the question arises, were we really as digital as we thought we were? I don't think so. Still, we must be able to naturalize this space and integrate into our normal lives everything we have learned during this time. In moments of danger we are able to make " necessity virtue". We would never have thought of a digitalization process, at work but also in business, as the one we are living at a personal and organizational level. We are tele-working, remote teaching, dreaming of new projects and businesses... In truth, another type of company is rising, now more horizontal and more agile, which is leading us to continually re-invent ourselves, to undertake and see new opportunities.
2. Globalization and solidarity are gaining ground on extreme policies and selfishness: some say that what unites most is a common enemy. Now we are seeing this. And even more so now when nationalism is hitting our policies hard, we are discovering how a new solidarity is emerging, which is also global, which makes us worry about "the other", to get the best version of ourselves, to pitch in and do it without a big fuss. It is fantastic. Let's hope that this will serve us well and for a long time. The European Union or the United Nations, in recent years, has been weakened by the growth of isolationist and extreme policies, and many countries that were once the pillars of multilateralism and international order, especially the United States and Great Britain, have given up that role. Now we are paying the price; we need more global cooperation than ever, and international organizations are relatively weak. If we weaken solidarity and international cooperation, we will be making a serious mistake that will affect the future and, fundamentally, the way we deal with this crisis because it is necessary now more than ever to work for the common good, that is never the good of the majority. We have time to correct the course!
3. We are deep social beings, not isolated islands in an ocean: The liberal narrative considers human freedom the most important value and argues that all usefulness ultimately arises from the free will of human individuals, which is expressed in their feelings, desires and choices. Liberalism believes that the voter knows what is best for himself/herself, but in the current crisis this is not the case. Our "freedom" has been so curtailed, in its strictest and most plausible sense, that another, more necessary need has emerged, worth repeating: sociability. We miss not be able to going out, being able to move around without giving explanations to anyone, but most of all relating to those we love. The pendulum swings again from side to side and leads us to value "the social" "the other" as an absolute value that completes us and makes us fuller, something that is intrinsic to the heart and essence of man. We don't want more screens, we don't want more virtual hugs, we don't want more messages, we need to touch, kiss, hug, and feel…. A new social need arises, to go out to meet the other... Is this a sign that urges us to deconstruct existing stories and to work and build a new space for the man and woman of our time? Who knows!
4.Human welfare comprises of much more than money and success.This is a time, yes, that we have had to live, that has made us dedicate more time to what is important: ourselves. Faced with the doubt of work between humans and humanoids, facing the risk of valuing what was most important, in the light of the reflection of what is our differential value in front of machines, a time for us, for people, for our privacy. In the end our body, our soul, our spirit becomes the "great temple" we must cultivate, guard, protect and develop. How many exercise routines?? How much time for reading?? How much loud or quiet alone time?? I'm sure it's all been for the best. In the end we realize unwittingly that machines can never take from us what is our own self, our creativity, our potential, our ability to adapt, our drive to create something new. We have remained ourselves, obliged to be at home, but perhaps not so obliged to live in our "temple", in our body, the one we must take care of because it is the best container of our pure and valuable content. We are starting to realise about things and I am sure we see them differently. What an interesting time to take care of our mind. What an interesting time to take care of our health. What an interesting time to take care of our well-being. In short, to take care of the soul.
5. Faced with the vulnerability of our existence: the regeneration of our way of life. There is a biblical account from the book of Genesis that reminds us of a moment when humanity was "infected" with an evil that was going to lead it to death and it is God himself who decides to put some men, some animals, some plants, etc., into an ark. He locks them in to make the flood come and not affect the future of them. But in a new, regenerated, different way... We are in a similar time. Everything has stopped: the economy, politics in a certain sense, the social... and meanwhile nature and our cities take advantage to resurrect, revive, re-emerge and cry out in this wonderful spring. We have been talking for some time about success, about power, about the ability to manage everything and everyone in any way and form... and this was security, we could do everything, but no. It is not possible, because man, the world, society, things are fragile, sensitive, vulnerable and with a predisposition to the "minimum", to the weak. We do not realize it because sometimes we get caught in an impressive turbulence that does not allow us to see, feel, think about our environment, which is our home. In short, and speaking of what concerns us, no matter how hard we try, today "we can't beat the bug". It is impossible. Neither the richest countries, nor the most advanced or digitalized ones, nor the wealthiest ones can do it. We are all equal and it is an enemy that knows no economic or social differences. I myself have preached "death of the death" and I have been mistaken. This crisis makes us tread the earth, it makes us feel more equal, more brothers/sisters, without difference of race, wealth, status, power, religion or culture, to take us to the most humane, most "low" ground, which is precisely the ground that helps us face life, to grow, to overcome and continue to evolve and improve.
Our purpose: "transforming people"
For all that has been said, for those green shoots, and much more that hovers around here and there, it is clear that ESIC, its mission and therefore its purpose, today has more importance, need and urgency than ever: "to transform people, to make a better world". The last part needs no explanation, it speaks for itself, we can touch it, feel it, measure it..., The first part is the key, the tool, the fundamental option that we need and that is imposed on us: to assume and accept the change that is coming, to train ourselves and to make muscle in order to transform ourselves, letting to die the "man" the old "professional", to let the new, fresh, authentic emerge. I am convinced that although this process is very painful, it is necessary to “unlearn" in order to "learn" again and when you finish that stage, start again. Something new is emerging... I'm sure it's worth it.
Spirits up!! If we were to ask Churchill what he thinks about all this, he would say something like: "We are not at the end of the fight, not even at the beginning of the end, perhaps we are at the end of the beginning.