Santa Cruz de Tenerife 4 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The University of La Laguna (ULL) and Radiotelevisión Canaria (RTVC) formalised the establishment of the University Chair University of La Laguna-RTVC on Tuesday, aimed at fostering educational, research, and outreach activities centred on information.
Representing the University of La Laguna was its rector, Francisco García, while María Méndez served as the general administrator for the public entity of RadioTelevisión.
The occasion was also graced by the Vice Chancellor for Culture and University Extension, Isabel León, alongside the director of Canarian Radio, Mayer Trujillo.
Seizing the opportunity to formalise the agreement, the rector revealed that earlier the same day, the Governing Council had voted to award RadioTelevisión Canaria the Gold Medal of the University of La Laguna, commemorating its twenty-five years of service in information within the Autonomous Community.
Concerning the agreement establishing the new chair, Francisco García stated that this collaboration is a crucial alliance for the educational and research institution, as he believes that the University of La Laguna and Radiotelevisión Canaria are “on the same side of the trench” in a society where falsehoods and misinformation are increasingly pervasive; hence, it is vital to align “with the side of truth.”
Furthermore, this agreement aligns with the institutional commitment to being beneficial to society by providing more practical education and conducting research that addresses social challenges such as climate change and inequality, as stated in a note from ULL.
In addition, María Méndez highlighted that the agreement is the culmination of a strong partnership that Radio Canaria has maintained with the University of La Laguna, particularly in joint initiatives such as the annual communication days co-organised in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication.
The establishment of the new Chair of Communication will facilitate research and training in highly pertinent issues for the public entity, such as innovative narratives to engage diverse audiences, technological advancements, and reaffirming its commitment to the accuracy of information and proper language usage.
A joint committee, representing both parties, will appoint the director of the new chair and sanction both internal operational guidelines and the work plan for the first year, which will include training, outreach, and research activities, alongside the publication of monographs and, in general, any initiative aligned with the chair’s objectives, such as examining the future and developments in the audiovisual sector and the implications of new information technologies.
The chair will receive annual funding of €21,000 to support its activities, which may be supplemented by contributions from additional collaborating entities.
The agreement’s duration, and thus the chair’s existence, is one year, necessitating renewal at the conclusion of each period.
