*Original article in Spanish.
In mid-November, UNIJES, the university association of the Society of Jesus in Spain, presented its annual report for the 2019-2020 academic year. A year that was very much marked by the pandemic, which has meant, as the report states, a questioning of many aspects of our lives and also of many of the usual practices of university institutions. However, UNIJES considers that the response has been extraordinary and successful due to the capacity of adaptation and commitment of our university communities.
In addition to the response to maintain academic activity, the report highlights the proactivity with the university communities themselves with initiatives of accompaniment and solidarity, as well as collaboration and volunteering with social entities. The initiative "UNIJES accompanies you" was also carried out, from the university pastoral care sector. It is also worth highlighting a relevant contribution through research and studies in the scientific, technological or legal fields to fight against COVID-19.
Beyond the pandemic, for UNIJES this course has been a time for the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus to "permeate our lives and our work".
UNIJES has 10 university institutions and 5 colleges. It welcomes more than 46,000 students and more than 6,000 teachers and administrative and service staff. The 2019-20 academic year began with new delegates, with Carlos Losada and Gonzalo Villagrán SJ as delegate and assistant delegate, respectively.
The report sets out UNIJES' strategic projects, which include areas such as the reinforcement of identity and mission, the development of university mission communities in the centres, courses for directors that reinforce leadership and the Ignatian way of proceeding, educational innovation in harmony with Ignatian pedagogy, research in line with the Preferences, etc. On the other hand, it is worth highlighting the international activity of UNIJES universities and centres with agreements and alliances with numerous university institutions around the world, as well as their active membership of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) and its European network, Kircher Network.