UFM´s President and EPRI students discussing excellence

Partial view of the students at the meeting

The freshmen students of the Institute of Political Studies and International Relations, of the Francisco Marroquín University, met with UFM´s President Giancarlo Ibárgüen S. to know and discuss aspects of the excellence that is promoted in this house of studies.

Ibargüen remembered that, at the UFM, excellence is a virtue that is defined as «a superior quality that makes people or things worthy of singular esteem or estimation». President Ibárgüen explained that, for this house of studies, the academic excellence is «the quality of ideas, principles and performances of those who, like professors or students, are habitually located over the simple material and routine fulfillment of their duties, constituting before all a live example of coherent life». Excellence, understood this way, «is possible in a frame of freedom, competition and respect».

This commitment with excellence is contained in a
document  that, as a «contract with the students and professors» has been elaborated in the Francisco Marroquín University.   As examples of the success in the search of the excellence, the President showed the students some activities that are made at the UFM, such as the 
New Media  Digital Resources Center, the
Popol Vuh Museum  and the
Arboretum.

Ibargüen refered to the UFM´s mission, that is the education and diffusion of the ethical, legal and economic principles of a society of free and responsible persons, that is in the organizations
Idearium.  He also related the origins of this house of studies that, this year, celebrates its 35th aniversary.  Ibárgüen also spoke of the importance of the teachers evaluations and the students responsibilities.

Before concluding the meeting President Ibárgüen listened to students comments and answered their questions. This year, the President has already met with students of psychology, law, nutrition, medicine, architecture and economics, and plans to meet with all of the academic units of the UFM.

The meeting was held last February 23, 2006 in the Friedrich A. Hayek Auditorium, at the University.

More photos,
here.