In 2027, the Salesian world will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Don Bosco’s seminal text, in which he sought to synthesize key aspects of his educational experience. In an era of profound social and cultural transformation, significantly impacting educational practices and philosophies, this milestone presents a valuable opportunity to examine how Salesian educational initiatives have adapted to evolving challenges and to assess how the original inspiration behind the Preventive System continues to guide and enrich contemporary pedagogical choices.
“The research we are undertaking will involve a series of seminars aimed at highlighting the core characteristics of our pedagogy in the context of challenges such as individualism, relativism, digitalization, and multicultural globalization,” explained Fr. Andrea Bozzolo, Rector of UPS. “This will allow us to explore the interaction between the rich Salesian educational heritage and key pedagogical models of recent decades, while also critically and constructively evaluating the educational-pastoral projects of Salesian provinces, various pedagogical models across cultures, and best educational practices.”
Seminar Schedule and Themes
The research program will feature interdisciplinary discussions among faculty members and experts on the following dates:
- Saturday, June 21, 2025 (morning and afternoon)
- Saturday, October 18, 2025 (morning and afternoon)
- Saturday, April 18, 2026 (morning and afternoon)
- Saturday, October 17, 2026 (morning and afternoon)
The first seminar on June 21, 2025, hosted at UPS, will focus on “Educational Models and Youth Realities,” analyzing key contemporary pedagogical approaches, including:
- Classical pedagogy and character education
- Pro-social and civic education
- Therapeutic models in education
- Competency-based pedagogy
- The digital approach to education
The seminar will adopt an interactive methodology, beginning with expert presentations outlining the various educational schools of thought, their methodologies, youth-related challenges, as well as their integrations and evolutions. This will be followed by small group discussions using the “World Café” method to foster collaborative dialogue.
Through this joint initiative, UPS and Auxilium not only aim to address the specific topic of the Preventive System’s relevance today but also to create opportunities for faculty members and doctoral students from both institutions to collaborate on common research themes in the field of education.
