العربية
The Villafranca Campus of Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) hosted the 11th Felipe Segovia Symposium, an annual gathering that brought together nearly 1,000 professionals from the educational community of the Institución Educativa SEK—more than 600 in person—around the theme “Truth, Beauty and Goodness in the Age of AI.”
The symposium, which pays tribute to the life and legacy of Felipe Segovia Olmo, founder of SEK Education Group, has become a space for reflection, innovation, and shared learning among teachers, researchers, and students from the 14 SEK International Schools and Universidad Camilo José Cela.
Throughout the day, 76 posters were presented, developed by more than 175 teachers and students from UCJC and SEK schools, showcasing educational experiences and innovative teaching projects carried out over the past year.
The event began with welcoming remarks from Nieves Segovia, president of the Institución Educativa SEK, who emphasized the inspirational and collective spirit of the gathering:
“Today is a day to learn from one another—and also a day to celebrate,” she said, reminding attendees that the essence of learning lies not so much in words as in example. “Students do not learn from what we say, but from who we are. And today, what we are is an institution united by a set of values in which we recognize ourselves. Today we will speak specifically about truth, beauty, and goodness,” she added, referring to the theme that guided the day’s discussions.
Segovia also highlighted the shared responsibility of the educational community in facing the challenges of a rapidly changing world:
“As an institution, we share a group of ideals and values that make us who we are,” she stated. She further noted that this is “a time of challenges, of thinking about what we must do as an educational institution,” inviting everyone to reflect on how to keep alive the humanistic principles that inspire the SEK model in the age of artificial intelligence.
Keynotes by Juan Manuel de Prada and José María Álvarez-Pallete
Among the special guests were writer and philologist Juan Manuel de Prada, who delivered a lecture analyzing the meaning of “truth, beauty and goodness” in the contemporary context of artificial intelligence, and José María Álvarez-Pallete, economist and former president of Telefónica, who presented a talk titled “Technology with Purpose: Regaining Control in the Digital Society.” In it, he discussed the far-reaching implications of AI’s emergence for politics, the economy, and business.
Additionally, Jaime Olmedo, Rector of UCJC, and Iván Martínez, General Director of SEK International Schools, discussed the future of school and university education in light of AI during a roundtable moderated by Zacarías Gibert, a student from SEK-El Castillo, and Lucía Fabregat, a UCJC student.
For his part, Stephen Heppell, Director of the Felipe Segovia Chair for Innovation in Learning at UCJC, explored how educational institutions around the world are adapting to and implementing new technologies such as AI in their teaching methodologies.
A dynamic exchange of ideas among teachers, professionals, and students
The symposium also featured other panels and discussions with teachers, professionals, and students from SEK International Schools and UCJC.
One of the roundtables included Álvaro Moraleda, Dean of the Faculty of Education at UCJC; Sandra Ospina, Head of SEK International School Riyadh; Ruth Castillo Gualda, Director of Academic Design at UCJC; Alan Orden Hallissey, teacher at SEK-Santa Isabel; Rosa María Nieto, student at SEK-Ciudalcampo; and Rebeca Fung, UCJC alumna. The discussion was moderated by Alejandro Díaz Garreta, Director of SEK Foundations.
Another highlight was the session “AI in Your Hands,” led by David Martín, Deputy Director of UCJC’s School of Technology and Science; Félix López, Director of SEK Lab; and professors Rafael Añez and Mercedes Redondo from SEK-Ciudalcampo. The session was moderated by Giuseppe Auricchio, Director of Educational Innovation at the Institución Educativa SEK.
Technology at the service of the common good
The symposium made clear how the educational community of SEK Education Group and UCJC approaches the rise of artificial intelligence from a value-centered perspective: truth as a pursuit of critical knowledge, beauty as the human dimension of technology, and goodness as a commitment to social responsibility. In several sessions—such as “AI in Your Hands” and Álvarez-Pallete’s address—it was emphasized that technology must serve the common good, not the other way around.
The 76 posters presented, with contributions from more than 175 teachers and students, showcased dozens of initiatives combining innovation, international collaboration, and the responsible use of AI in educational settings. Moreover, the large number of in-person attendees reflected the community’s strong interest in this hybrid and interdisciplinary forum format.
In the evening, SEK Education Group held a new edition of SEK Day, a celebration dedicated to recognizing the excellence, educational innovation, and commitment of its teachers, students, and professionals to the values that inspire the SEK learning community. In addition, 34 members of the SEK and UCJC educational community were honored for their 25 years at the institution and for those who retired during the past academic year.